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.