Be the Referee: Playoff Selection
October 7, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how officials are chosen to work football playoff games.
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 - Playoff Selection - Listen
As the regular season reaches the halfway point, the MHSAA begins to look ahead to the five weeks of the football playoffs. Crews and officials are selected at mid-season for the tournament based on a number of factors.
Each official receives a rating from both schools following every game worked, and this rating average serves as the starting point for selection with the highest rated crews being considered first. The MHSAA also considers experience of the crew, recommendations for leagues and officials associations, football rule exam score (from a test) each official completes as well as the strength of the schedule the crew has worked during the season.
All of these factors are considered when selecting the very best officials to work the most important games of the season.
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.)