Be the Referee: Point After Touchdown

October 20, 2016

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how high school rules differ from those used by colleges when it comes to what's allowed after extra-point tries.

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 – Point After Touchdown - Listen

For many years at the pro and college levels of football, the P-A-T or the extra point kick, really became a ho-hum play.

Last year in the NFL, they tried to make the play more exciting by moving the kickers back, making it almost the distance of a medium-range field goal.

Under college rules, they allow the other team – the defense, whenever they get the ball – to try to return it all the way to the other end with the ability to score two points.

The next high school game you’re at, know this: that once the defensive team gets possession of the ball on an extra point or try for point, the try is over and the defense cannot score any points.

Past editions
Oct. 13: Untimed Down - Listen
Oct. 6: Soccer Penalty Kick Change - Listen
Sept. 29: Preparation for Officials - Listen
Sept 22: You Make the Call: Returning Kickoffs - Listen
Sept. 15: Concussions - Listen
Sept 8: Equipment Covering the Knees - Listen
Sept. 1: Play Clock Experiment - Listen
Aug. 25: Clipping in the Free Blocking Zone - Listen

Be the Referee: Softball Base Runner Interference

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

April 23, 2024

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 – Softball Interference - Listen

We’re on the softball diamond today, and we’ve got runners on the corners with one out. The batter hits a pop-up in foul territory near the first base line. The runner on first interferes with the first baseplayer attempting to make the catch. What’s the call?

  • If the pop-up is caught, both the batter and runner on first are out?
  • The batter is out and the runner on first stays at first?
  • The ball is ruled dead immediately, the runner on first is out and it’s a foul ball to the batter?
  • Or, if the pop-up is caught, the batter is out and interference is ignored?

If you said it’s an immediate dead ball – you are correct. The runner on first is ruled out for interference and the batter is charged with a foul ball.

Previous Editions

April 16: Soccer Red Card - Listen
April 9: Batted Baseball Hits Runner - Listen
March 12: Basketball Replay - Listen
March 5: Hockey Officials - Listen
Feb. 27: Less Than 5 - Listen
Feb. 20: Air Ball - Listen
Feb. 13: Hockey Penalties - Listen
Jan. 30: Wrestling Tiebreakers - Listen
Jan. 23: Wrestling Technology - Listen
Jan. 9: 3 Seconds - Listen
Dec. 19: Unsuspecting Hockey Hits - Listen
Dec. 12: No More One-And-Ones - Listen
Nov. 21: Football Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 14: Volleyball Unplayable Areas - Listen
Nov. 7: Pass/Kick Off Crossbar - Listen
Oct. 31: Cross Country Interference - Listen
Oct. 24: Soccer Overtime - Listen
Oct. 17: Tennis Spin - Listen
Oct. 10: Blocked Kick - Listen
Oct. 3: Volleyball Double & Lift - Listen
Sept. 26: Registration Process - Listen
Sept. 20: Animal Interference - Listen
Sept. 13: Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In - Listen
Sept. 6: Volleyball Jewelry - Listen
Aug. 30: Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen