Be the Referee: Soccer Timing

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

September 20, 2022

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 Timing - Listen

One of the biggest complaints people make about professional soccer is never knowing how much time is really left in the game. The clock counts up from zero, and the referee can add time at their discretion.

But that’s not the case in high school soccer.

To start with, halves are 40 minutes, not 45. The clock starts at 40 and counts down. And when players are injured and the ball is not in play, the clock will stop and then restart when action is ready to continue.

In the last five minutes of the game, the clock stops for substitutions by the leading team, so a coach can’t stall by sending in a new player. When the clock hits zero and the buzzer sounds … the game is over. There’s no guessing how much added time there is – the end of the game is the end of the game.

Previous Editions:

Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change
- Listen

Be the Referee: Hockey Penalties

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

February 6, 2024

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 – Hockey Penalties - Listen

The three most common penalties in high school hockey are tripping, slashing, and hooking. What’s the difference between them?

It’s pretty self-explanatory.

Tripping is when a player uses the stick to make another player fall.

Slashing is when a player swings the stick at another player, whether contact is made or not.

And hooking is using your stick to slow an opponent down, usually the puck handler.

Hooking differs from holding in that hooking involves the use of the stick to slow an opponent down, while holding is done with the hands.

All of these penalties – tripping, slashing, hooking and holding – will result in at least two minutes in the penalty box.

Previous Editions

Jan. 30: Wrestling Tiebreakers - Listen
Jan. 23: Wrestling Technology - Listen
Jan. 9: 3 Seconds - Listen
Dec. 19: Unsuspecting Hockey Hits - Listen
Dec. 12: No More One-And-Ones - Listen
Nov. 21: Football Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 14: Volleyball Unplayable Areas - Listen
Nov. 7: Pass/Kick Off Crossbar - Listen
Oct. 31: Cross Country Interference - Listen
Oct. 24: Soccer Overtime - Listen
Oct. 17: Tennis Spin - Listen
Oct. 10: Blocked Kick - Listen
Oct. 3: Volleyball Double & Lift - Listen
Sept. 26: Registration Process - Listen
Sept. 20: Animal Interference - Listen
Sept. 13: Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In - Listen
Sept. 6: Volleyball Jewelry - Listen
Aug. 30: Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen