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: Toe the Line on PKs
October 15, 2020
This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis explains a change in soccer affecting goalkeeper movement during penalty kicks.
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 - Toe the Line on Penalty Kicks - Listen
Here’s a high school soccer rules change for the upcoming season. Rules for the placement and movement of the goalkeeper on a penalty kick have been rewritten to make it more clear what a keeper can or cannot do.
As in previous years, goalkeepers can move laterally along the goal line prior to the taking of the penalty kick. But new this year, goalkeepers need only have one foot on (or in-line) with the goal line at the time of the kick.
This allows keepers to lunge before the ball is kicked, as long as one foot stays on the line. Previously, the goalie needed to keep both feet on the goal line or in line.
Past editions
10/8: Disconcerting Acts - Listen
10/1: Ball Hits Soccer Referee - Listen
9/24: Clocking the Ball from the Shotgun - Listen