Be the Referee: Protocols & Mechanics

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

August 26, 2021

“Be the Referee” is back for 2021-22 with MHSAA assistant director Brent Rice explaining how rules have reverted or been modified due to last year’s COVID-19 adjustments.

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 – Protocols and Mechanics Listen

Other than a few select instances, all MHSAA protocols, procedures and playing rules have returned to what they were pre-COVID.

This means that football team boxes will return to the area between the 25-yard lines, traditional ball-handling and other officials mechanics will return in all sports and postgame handshakes will be permitted as each school sees fit.

Additionally, there will be some rules modifications that were adopted during the pandemic that will likely be kept as part of the normal playing rules moving forward. The one that stands out for this upcoming fall season is that in volleyball, teams will not switch benches or sides of the net unless the referee determines that a team is at a disadvantage due to the layout of the facilities and obstructions.

Be the Referee: Softball Strikeout

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

April 11, 2023

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 – Softball Strikeout - Listen

It’s time for … You make the call.

With a 3-2 count, a softball hitter takes a swing at a pitch that comes in high and inside.

Her swing completely misses the pitch, but the ball subsequently hits her on the right shoulder during the follow-through of her swing. What should happen?

Is the batter awarded first base for being hit by a pitch?

Is a foul ball called, with the count remaining full and the at-bat continuing?

Or is the batter out on strikes, and the ball is dead?

What about any potential runners on base – would they be allowed to advance in this scenario?

A batter with two strikes who swings and misses and then is subsequently hit by the pitch is out.

Any runners on base must stay put as the ball is ruled immediately dead after it hits the batter.

If you said it’s a strikeout – you are correct. And since it’s also ruled a dead ball after the out, any runners on base are not allowed to advance.  

Any strike that also hits the batter is ruled a strike … and no base is awarded for being hit by the pitch.

Previous Editions:

March 14: Basketball Instant Replay - Listen
March 7: Hockey Overtime - Listen
Feb. 28: Baker Bowling - Listen
Feb. 21: Ski Finish - Listen
Feb. 14: Swimming Touchpads - Listen
Feb. 7: In or Out-of-Bounds in Wrestling - Listen
Jan. 31: Over the Back - Listen
Jan. 24: Competitive Cheer Judges - Listen
Jan. 17: More Lines - Listen
Jan. 10: On the Line - Listen
Jan. 3: Basketball Measurements - Listen
Dec. 13: Pregame Dunks - Listen
Dec. 6: Gymnastics Judges - Listen
Nov. 22: Football Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 15: Back Row Illegal Blocker - Listen
Nov. 8: Swim Turn Judges - Listen
Nov. 1: Soccer Referee Jersey Colors - Listen
Oct. 25: Cross Country Tie-Breaker - Listen
Oct. 18: 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