Be the Referee: Returning Kickoffs
September 22, 2016
Every football game starts with a kickoff, and our "You Make The Call" series will start with the same play for 2016.
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 – You Make the Call: Returning Kickoffs - Listen
Every football game starts with a kickoff, and our 'You Make The Call' series will start with the same play for 2016.
The kicker kicks the ball high and deep off the tee, and the return man – three yards deep in his own end zone – catches the kick in the air, and now starts to head upfield to try and gain yards. Under high school rules, is the legal?
Believe it or not, the answer is no. Under high school rules, whether it’s a kickoff or a punt, once the ball breaks the plane of the goal line, the ball is dead and it becomes a touchback, with the offense taking over, first and 10, on the 20-yard line.
College and professional players can return kicks from the end zone; high school players cannot.
Past editions
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 Foul After Shot on Goal
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Director of Brand Management
September 2, 2026
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 Foul After Shot on Goal - Listen
We’re on the soccer field today, and the home team has the ball and is on the attack.
The ball makes it around to a forward from the home team, who is on-side and within the penalty area. His shot just misses – going wide for a goal kick.
However, just after the ball crossed the goalline, a player from the away team tackles the home team forward with excessive force.
What’s the call?
Because excessive force was used, it’s a red card for the away team player, which is an automatic ejection. But because it happened after the ball crossed the goalline and not at the time of the shot, it’s still a goal kick for the away team, not a penalty kick for the home team.
Previous 2026-27 editions
Aug. 25: Fumble Out of Bounds - Listen