Be the Referee: Pitcher Arm Care
June 8, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how the 30 out-limit rule works to keep baseball pitchers' arms healthy.
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 - Pitcher Arm Care - Listen
Health and safety continues to be the major focus of the MHSAA. One rule that is geared directly to player safety is our baseball pitching limitation rule of 30 outs.
The 30-out rule limits the number of innings, or outs, that a pitcher can throw in both a given day as well as over a period within a week.
We want to make sure that high school coaches are not overusing their pitchers; that they are finding that safe area, to where arms have the ability to recover after a player has pitched a certain number of outs, allowing the body to recover so that player can have a safe and enjoyable season.
Past editions
June 1 - Bat Safety - Listen
May 25 - Balks - Listen
May 18 - Baseball Pace of Play - Listen
May 11 - Fair or Foul Ball? - Listen
May 4 - Non-Glare Helmets - Listen
April 27 - Vern L. Norris Award - Listen
March 23 - Deciding the Game - Listen
March 16 - Block/Charge Call - Listen
March 9 - Dive on the Floor - Listen
March 2 - Primary Areas - Listen
Feb. 23 - Too Much TV - Listen
Feb. 16 - Video Clip Library - Listen
Feb. 9 - Cheer Safety - Listen
Feb. 2 - Basketball PA Announcers - Listen
Jan. 26 - Wrestling Health Concerns - Listen
Jan. 19 - Basketball Physical Contact - Listen
Jan. 12 - Video Review Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 29 - Video Review Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 17 - Registration Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 10 - Registration Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 3 - Legacy Program - Listen
Nov. 26 - Sideline Management - Listen
Nov. 19 - 7-Person Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 12 - Blocking Below the Waist - Listen
Nov. 5 - Tournament Selection - Listen
Oct. 29 - Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Oct. 22 - Preparation for Officials - Listen
Oct. 15 - Automatic First Downs - Listen
Oct. 8 - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Oct. 1 - Overtime - Listen
Sept. 25 - Field Goals - Listen
Sept. 18 - Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 11 - Pass Interference - Listen
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen
Finals Partners Now Long-Distance Friends Reunite to Officiate Together Again
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 15, 2025
Portland’s Tony Costello and Houghton’s Rob Fay first connected when officiating the 2022 Division 3 Boys Basketball Final together at the Breslin Center. They shared a meal after the game, met each other’s families and have kept in touch since – hoping to someday have another chance to work together again.
Living about 500 miles apart, the opportunities seemed limited. But last month, they made a long shot happen.
Fay also serves as Houghton’s athletic director and was scheduled to be in East Lansing on Dec. 11 for an MHSAA committee meeting. The trip also seemed like the possibility they’d been seeking to reunite.
Costello’s tournament partner Alex Schrauben put in a call to the Mid-Michigan Assignors Association to find out if there might be a game available – and trio ended up working the Dec. 10 boys basketball game at Alma against Beal City. Costello is in his 24th year as an MHSAA-registered official, while Fay is in his 22nd and Schrauben his 17th wearing the stripes and Schrauben also has recent Breslin experience as last season he officiated a Division 4 Semifinal.
The game was still much closer to the mid-Michigan pair – Fay ended up traveling more than 440 miles to get back home. But it might be just the first of the reunion tour, as Costello and Schrauben are hoping to make the trip across the Mackinac Bridge and work a game with Fay sometime in the future.
PHOTO From left: Rob Fay, Tony Costello and Alex Schrauben take a quick selfie during their meet-up to officiate a Dec. 10 boys basketball game at Alma. (Photo courtesy of Tony Costello.)