Be the Referee: Softball Interference
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
June 6, 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 Interference - Listen
We’re on the softball diamond today for a “You Make the Call.”
Runners are on the corners with no outs. The batter hits the first pitch in the air and into foul territory near the first-base line.
The runner on first interferes with the first basewoman attempting to make the catch, and the ball falls to the ground.
What’s the call?
- Is it the runner on first and the batter are out?
- The batter is out and the runner stays at first?
- Or the ball is dead immediately, the runner on first is out and the batter is charged with a foul ball?
If you said the ball is dead immediately when the interference takes place and that the runner is out, with the batter returning to the batter’s box with a one-strike count … you made the right call!
Previous Editions:
May 30: Officials Registration - Listen
May 23: Soccer Offsides or Goal? - Listen
May 16: Track & Field Exchange Zones - Listen
May 9: Girls Lacrosse Self-Start - Listen
May 2: Baseball/Softball Overthrow - Listen
April 25: Fifth-Quarter/Third-Half Rule - Listen
April 18: Soccer Referee in Play? - Listen
April 11: Softball Strikeout - Listen
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 Zone - Listen
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
PHOTO by Gary Shook.
Be the Referee: Back Row Setter
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
November 12, 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 – Back Row Setter - Listen
We’re on the volleyball court for today’s “You Make the Call.”
Team A serves the ball over net. Team B’s number 9 passes, or bumps the ball up toward the net, where number 2 tips it over for a point.
But number 2 is a back row setter and moved to the front row on the serve.
Is this a legal play?
If you said it depends … you are correct.
A back row setter can move to the front row and play the ball over the net as long as the entire ball is NOT above the net.
If the ball is completely above the net, then the back row setter is not allowed to play it over the net from the front row.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
Nov. 5: Football OT - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Registration - Listen
Oct. 22: Volleyball Serve - Listen
Oct. 15: "You Make the Call" - Soccer Offside - Listen
Oct. 8: Roughing the Passer - Listen
Oct. 1: Abnormal Course Condition - Listen
Sept. 25: Tennis Nets - Listen
Sept. 18: Libero - Listen
Sept. 10: Cross Country Uniforms - Listen
Sept. 3: Soccer Handling - Listen
Aug. 24: Football Holding - Listen