Be the Referee: Officials Reports
March 23, 2017
In this week's final "Be the Referee" of the 2016-17 school year, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how officials report to the MHSAA office and schools when they experience a situation outside the norm, and the importance of those reports.
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Officials Reports - Listen
One of the ways officials provide feedback on the games they work is through an online Officials Report form process, where officials provide the MHSAA Office and the schools involved follow-up information whenever odd or unusual things take place.
The form can be used to report praise for a school, and it can also be used for concerns – everything form a sportsmanship concern to an equipment or facility problem which might need some further attention. The form is also used on those few occasions where ejections from games occur. Schools which receive no negative officials reports are annually sent a congratulatory letter from the MHSAA, and last year, over 250 schools were so recognized.
Past editions
March 16: Under the Bus - Listen
March 9: Hockey Hits - Listen
March 2: Deciding the Game - Listen
Feb. 23: Pitch Counts - Listen
Feb. 16: Recruiting Officials - Listen
Feb. 9: Ejections - Listen
Feb. 2: Wrestling & Technology - Listen
Jan. 26: Post Play - Listen
Jan. 19: Ice Hockey Overtime - Listen
Jan. 12: Free Throw Change - Listen
Jan. 5: Ratings - Listen
Dec. 22: Video Review - Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 15: Video Review - Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 8: Registration - Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 1: Registration - Part 1 - Listen
Nov. 24: You Make the Call - Sleeper Play - Listen
Nov. 17: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
Nov. 10: Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Nov. 3: The Goal Line - Listen
Oct. 27: Help Us Retain Officials - Listen
Oct. 20: Point After Touchdown - Listen
Oct. 13: Untimed Down - Listen
Oct. 6: Soccer Penalty Kick Change - Listen
Sept. 29: Preparation for Officials - Listen
Sept 22: You Make the Call: Returning Kickoffs - Listen
Sept. 15: Concussions - Listen
Sept 8: Equipment Covering the Knees - Listen
Sept. 1: Play Clock Experiment - Listen
Aug. 25: Clipping in the Free Blocking Zone - Listen
Be the Referee: Field Hockey Substitutions
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management
October 27, 2026
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Field Hockey Substitutions - Listen
We’re on the pitch today for a field hockey “You Make the Call.”
The white team is awarded a penalty corner. During the penalty corner, a red team substitute enters the field but does not participate in or affect play.
Should the official stop play immediately or allow play to continue?
If you said allow play to continue, you are correct. Since the illegal substitute has not participated in or affected play, stopping play immediately would give the defending team an unfair advantage by interrupting the attacking team's scoring opportunity.
Under NFHS Rule 4-4-3, substitutions are not permitted during a penalty corner, except to replace an ill, injured, suspended or disqualified goalkeeper. Officials must recognize the violation and know when to hold the whistle to allow for advantage.
Previous 2026-27 editions
Oct. 20: Foot Save in Volleyball - Listen
Oct. 13: Soccer Advantage - Listen
Oct. 6: Defensive Holding - Listen
Sept. 29: Minimum Number of Volleyball Players - Listen
Sept 22: Soccer Changes - Listen
Sept: 15: Dead Ball Penalty - Listen
Sept. 8: Libero Ejected - Listen
Sept. 1: Soccer Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen
Aug. 25: Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen
(Photo by KMS Photography.)