Be the Referee: Registration - Part 2
December 8, 2016
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl builds on last week's explanation on becoming a registered high school official with the next step: connecting with a local officials association to learn how to enforce the rules of the game.
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 – Registration - Part 2 - Listen
Today we are going to build on last week’s segment, which dealt with how a person becomes an MHSAA Registered Official.
Once a person completes the first step in the process – passing the basic Officiating Exam through the MHSAA Office, the next step is to get that person connected with a local officials association that specializes in that sport across our state.
These local associations are the ones that do the training – whether it’s on the court, on the field or video training – to get that person interested, for example, in basketball, completely immeresed in the rules, mechanics and coverages of what it takes to become a good basketball official.
Past editions
Dec. 1: Registration - Part 1 - Listen
Nov. 24: You Make the Call - Sleeper Play - Listen
Nov. 17: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
Nov. 10: Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Nov. 3: The Goal Line - Listen
Oct. 27: Help Us Retain Officials - Listen
Oct. 20: Point After Touchdown - Listen
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: Soccer Penalty Kick
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
September 16, 2025
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 – Soccer Penalty Kick - Listen
We have a soccer “You Make the Call” for you today.
A player is lined up to take a penalty kick. His shot gets past the keeper and hits the post, rebounding back to him. Since the keeper dove to stop the shot, he has a wide-open net, and calmly sends his second attempt straight to the back of the net.
Good goal?
It is not. After a penalty kick is taken, the kicker can only play the ball again after the goalie or another player touches it. A ball kicked off the post and directly back to the original kicker cannot be played.
In this instance, the goal is not awarded, and the defending team is given an indirect free kick at the spot of the infraction.
If the original P-K had glanced off the keeper first, then hit the post and back to the original kicker who scored, then it would have counted.
Previous 2025-26 editions
Sept. 9: Forward Fumble - Listen
Sept. 2: Field Hockey Basics - Listen
Aug. 26: Golf Ball Bounces Out - Listen