Be the Referee: Winter Officials Mechanics
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
December 9, 2021
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 – Winter Officials Mechanics - Listen
This season, MHSAA officials will return to the courts, mats and ice under some different conditions than over the past 20 months.
Other than a few select instances, all MHSAA protocols, procedures and playing rules have returned to what they were pre-COVID.
This means the jump ball in basketball returns, postgame handshakes will be permitted as each school sees fit, and traditional ball-handling by officials for free throws and throw-ins is back.
Of course, individual schools may retain certain precautionary measures, and officials are always permitted to use personal medical protective equipment.
The health and welfare of athletes, coaches and spectators is our No. 1 priority, and compliance with all local school district and health department mandates is required.
Previous editions
Nov. 26: Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 11: Tourney Selection - Listen
Nov. 4: Receiver Carried Out of End Zone – Listen
Oct. 28: Volleyball Back-Row Block – Listen
Oct. 21: Soccer Disallowed Goal – Listen
Sept 30: Field Goal Falls Short – Listen
Sept. 23: Volleyball Obstruction – Listen
Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch – Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics – Listen
Be the Referee: Playoff Selection
October 7, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how officials are chosen to work football playoff games.
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 - Playoff Selection - Listen
As the regular season reaches the halfway point, the MHSAA begins to look ahead to the five weeks of the football playoffs. Crews and officials are selected at mid-season for the tournament based on a number of factors.
Each official receives a rating from both schools following every game worked, and this rating average serves as the starting point for selection with the highest rated crews being considered first. The MHSAA also considers experience of the crew, recommendations for leagues and officials associations, football rule exam score (from a test) each official completes as well as the strength of the schedule the crew has worked during the season.
All of these factors are considered when selecting the very best officials to work the most important games of the season.