Be The Referee: Catch Momentum

October 17, 2019

This week, MHSAA assistant director Brent Rice offers a "You Make the Call" regarding catch momentum after an interception near the goal line. 

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 - Catch Momentum - Listen

Here’s another edition of a football You Make The Call. On a passing play, a defender intercepts the ball at the 2-yard line, and the momentum of the catch carries him across the goal line.

The defender is allowed to come out of the end zone on this play. But while breaking free from the grasp of an opponent, the ball is fumbled out of the back of the end zone. What’s the call?

Since it was the momentum of catch that carried the defender into the end zone to begin with and the ball remained in the end zone and was declared dead there, a rules exception places the ball 1st-and-10 at the 2-yard line. 

Past editions

Oct. 10: Golf Rules Changes - Listen
Oct. 3: No Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 26: You Make the Overtime Call - Listen
Sept. 19: Swimming Finishing Touch - Listen
Sept. 12: Curbing Gamesmanship By Substitution - Listen
Sept. 5: Football Safety Rules Changes - Listen
Aug. 29: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen

Be the Referee: Football Finals Replay

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

November 22, 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 – Football Finals Replay - Listen

There’s a change to the instant replay process for the Football Finals at Ford Field.

All potential scoring and turnover plays will continue to be automatically reviewed. But new this year, coaches will be allowed to challenge one play per regulation, with some restrictions.

First, a team must have a time-out available and call it to initiate a review.

Second, there are a limited number of items that can be reviewed. Those include catch or no catch. Ball carrier in or out of bounds. Forward or backward pass. And a handful of others.

If successful, the coach will be given back the timeout and can make one more challenge in regulation.

In overtime, coaches can challenge once, no matter how many overtime periods are played – and only if they have a time out.

Previous Editions:

Nov. 11: Back Row Illegal Blocker - Listen
Nov. 4: Swim Turn Judges - Listen
Oct. 25: Soccer Referee Jersey Colors - Listen
Oct. 18: Cross Country Tie-Breaker - Listen
Oct. 11: Soccer Shootouts - Listen
Oct. 11: Safety in End ZoneListen
Oct. 4: Football Overtime Penalty - Listen
Sept. 27: Kickoff Goal - Listen
Sept. 20: Soccer Timing - Listen
Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change
- Listen