Be the Referee: Officiate Michigan Day
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
April 14, 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 – Officiate Michigan Day - Listen
Attention officials!
If you are looking for an opportunity to learn, train, and network with experts in the officiating world, be sure to register for Officiate Michigan Day 2026.
The event is July 25 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. More than 1,800 officials are expected to attend a full day of sport-specific workshops and general sessions.
Learn from the best, connect with other officials, participate in training and skill-building, get MHSAA updates and have access to resources that will help you all year.
Registration is now open – go to MHSAA.com and click Officials. Register now for early-bird pricing!
That’s Officiate Michigan Day, July 25 in Grand Rapids. We hope to see you there!
Previous 2025-26 editions
March 11: Basketball Replay - Listen
March 3: Over the Back - Listen
Feb. 24: Wrestling Out-of-Bounds - Listen
Feb. 17: Backwards Skiing - Listen
Feb. 10: Faking Being Fouled - Listen
Feb. 3: Bowling Pins - Listen
Jan. 27: Ski Gates - Listen
Jan. 20: Cheer Judges - Listen
Jan. 13: Basketball Over the Back - Listen
Jan. 6: Bowling Ball Bounces Out of Gutter - Listen
Dec. 9: Puck on Goal Netting - Listen
Dec. 2: Goaltending vs. Basket Interference - Listen
Nov. 25: Football Finals Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 18: Volleyball Libero Uniforms - Listen
Nov. 11: Illegal Substitution/Participation - Listen
Nov. 4: Losing a Shoe - Listen
Oct. 28: Unusual Soccer Goals - Listen
Oct. 21: Field Hockey Penalty Stroke - Listen
Oct. 14: Tennis Double Hit - Listen
Oct. 7: Safety in Football - Listen
Sept. 30: Field Hockey Substitution - Listen
Sept 23: Multiple Contacts in Volleyball - Listen
Sept. 16: Soccer Penalty Kick - Listen
Sept. 9: Forward Fumble - Listen
Sept. 2: Field Hockey Basics - Listen
Aug. 26: Golf Ball Bounces Out - Listen
PHOTO Bath and Laingsburg players get in position to collect the rebound off a missed shot during their District Final on Friday. (Photo by John Johnson/MHSAA.)
The Official View: Multiplying Legacies
By
Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director
September 17, 2018
By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director
In this week’s edition, check out the latest news on the MHSAA’s Officials Review Committee and Officials Guidebook, rules scenarios to consider in football and swimming and a quick story of multiple generations learning through the Legacy Program.
It’s Official!
Officials Review Committee Meeting: The Officials Review Committee will meet next week, and the agenda will include a number of important topics such as officials’ tournament fees, registration options and benefits, and the current system of selecting tournament officials.
The Officials Guidebook will be released in the upcoming week. Whether you’re an official, assigner, or association leader, please take some time to review its policies, requirements, and restrictions. It should have much of the information you need regarding the administrative duties of MHSAA officiating.
Rule of the Week
FOOTBALL Late in a tight contest, A1 receives the snap and attempts to throw a bubble screen to a stacked receiver behind A1’s position. As A1’s arm motion begins forward in his attempt to make the backward pass, it is contacted by rushing B1 and is knocked loose. Team B falls on top of the ball.
Ruling: This is a turnover and Team B’s ball. Even though the arm motion is coming forward, this is not a legal forward pass because it is not in the direction of the line of scrimmage. As a result, this is a fumble and live ball until it is recovered by Team B.
It’s Your Call
SWIMMING This week’s clip involves determining the legality of a turn in swim. The swimmer is participating in a 100-yard backstroke race. This clip begins at the point where he is beginning his turn. Is this a legal turn in this backstroke event? Why or why not? Check back next week for the correct ruling. (Video courtesy of USA Swimming.)
Official View
In 1996, Dana Fuller (far left in top photo) was a Legacy official under the tutelage of mentor official Jerry Sosnowski (far right). Things came full circle at a recent volleyball contest while working with his new Legacy mentee, Olivia Kostiz, when all three generations of the Legacy program were able to work together.