Be the Referee: Tournament Selection
November 6, 2014
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how officials are selected to work MHSAA football playoff games.
"Be the Referee" is designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating and to recruit officials. The segment can be heard on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the school year on The Drive With Jack Ebling on WVFN-AM, East Lansing.
Below is this week's segment - Tournament Selection - Listen
Today we are going to talk about how officials are selected for the MHSAA Football Playoffs.
Just as the best teams advance in the tournament week after week, the best officiating crews advance in the tournament in much the same way.
For a crew to be eligible for assignment, many requirements have to be met prior to the season. Verification that the crew has worked a full schedule, making sure that the crew has completed the annual rules meeting, as well as a football rules test. Much weight is given to ratings -- each crew is rated by schools on a 1-5 scale following each game -- as well as observation reports where officiating experts go out and either watch crews work live or on video to make sure that the best crews advance throughout the tournament.
Past editions
Oct. 29 - Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Oct. 22 - Preparation for Officials - Listen
Oct. 15 - Automatic First Downs - Listen
Oct. 8 - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Oct. 1 - Overtime - Listen
Sept. 25 - Field Goals - Listen
Sept. 18 - Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 11 - Pass Interference - Listen
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen
Be the Referee: Unusual Soccer Goals
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
October 28, 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 – Unusual Soccer Goals - Listen
We’re talking some unusual ways to score soccer goals today.
It doesn’t happen often, but a team can score directly from a corner kick or the kickoff.
But what if it’s a goalie, down in their own end, who somehow throws the ball 80 yards or so and into the back of the other team’s net. Does that count?
It does not. A keeper cannot score for his own team by throwing the ball the length of the field and into his opponent’s goal.
If this were to happen, the defending team would receive a goal kick.
But if the keeper accidentally throws the ball into his own net, then it does count as a goal for the opponent.
You don’t always need your feet to score a goal in soccer.
Previous 2025-26 editions
Oct. 21: Field Hockey Penalty Stroke - Listen
Oct. 14: Tennis Double Hit - Listen
Oct. 7: Safety in Football - Listen
Sept. 30: Field Hockey Substitution - Listen
Sept 23: Multiple Contacts in Volleyball - Listen
Sept. 16: Soccer Penalty Kick - Listen
Sept. 9: Forward Fumble - Listen
Sept. 2: Field Hockey Basics - Listen
Aug. 26: Golf Ball Bounces Out - Listen