Be the Referee: Preparation for Officials
September 21, 2017
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how football officials also prepare all week for Friday's big games, while lending their talents to various levels every weekend.
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 – Preparation for Officials - Listen
Football is a game of preparation. During the week, the teams involved, the cheerleading squads and members of the marching band put in a great deal of work to be ready for Friday night. Officials are no different.
All across the state on Monday nights, referees attend local association meetings where they review film from the previous week’s game, talk about rules, coverages and mechanics, so that our team of officials are just as prepared and ready to go as the teams playing each and every Friday night.
In addition to Friday nights, many officials also work freshman and junior varsity games on Thursday, and will often work games on the weekend – whether it be small college all the way down to youth games – to give those young people on the field the best officiating possible.
Past editions
September 14: Always Stay Registered - Listen
September 7: Other Football Rules Changes - Listen
August 31: Pop-Up Onside Kicks - Listen
August 24: Blindside Blocks - Listen
Nearly 1,000 Officials Converge in Grand Rapids for Officiate Michigan Day
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 5, 2026
GRAND RAPIDS – Nearly 1,000 MHSAA-registered officials – and some of the biggest names in officiating nationwide – attended Officiate Michigan Day on July 25 at DeVos Place.
Attendees enjoyed opportunities to hear football rules analyst and longtime official Mike Pereira and World Cup and Olympic soccer official Kari Seitz during the opening and closing addresses, respectively. They also took part in training sessions throughout the day including four that were sport-specific, with clinicians including several of the state’s highest-regarded officials at the high school level and some of the best-known at the collegiate and professional levels nationwide who grew up or reside in our state.
Above are highlights from the event and insights from several accomplished officials. Click for photos from throughout the day, from Adam Sheehan.
PHOTO Football rules analyst Mike Pereira speaks during the opening address at Officiate Michigan Day. (Photo by Adam Sheehan.)