Be the Referee: Untimed Down
October 13, 2016
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses untimed downs in football, a hot topic given a scenario involving one of our in-state universities earlier this season.
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 – Untimed Down - Listen
A few weeks back, the Central Michigan-Oklahoma State football game generated a lot of conversation about the playing rules when any period gets extended with an untimed down.
Many times announcers will wrongly talk about an accepted defensive penalty, that it then means the offense gets one more snap. Under high school rules, whenever there’s an accepted penalty on the last play of the period, there is one untimed down. The only exceptions to this – just like the college rules – are those penalties which also bring about a loss of down.
NOTE: Penalties which bring about a loss of down are: Intentional Grounding, Illegally Handing Ball Forward, Illegal Forward Pass and Illegal Touching.
Past editions
October 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: Field Hockey Substitution
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
September 30, 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 – Field Hockey Substitution - Listen
We are on the pitch today for a field hockey “You Make the Call.”
During the execution of a penalty corner, the defending goalkeeper is struck on the hand and cannot continue. How is play resumed?
- Allow a properly equipped goalkeeper to substitute.
- Disallow any substitution; the injured goalkeeper must remain in the game.
- The defending team shall forfeit.
If you said to allow the substitution, you are correct. Under Rule 4-4-3, a goalkeeper substitution is permitted during a penalty corner in the event of injury or suspension. Once the new goalkeeper is ready, resume play with the continuation of the penalty corner.
Field players, however, may not substitute until the penalty corner has been completed. This ensures proper game flow while prioritizing player safety.
Previous 2025-26 editions
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
(Photo by Louis Murray.)