Official Treatment
March 7, 2014
A book I quoted in this space three times last November – How: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything by Dov Seidman – has me thinking about sports officiating.
One premise of the book is that the Internet era has made the world so transparent and connected that there is no such thing anymore as “private” behavior or a “minor” mistake. Everything can become a public matter – instantly. Anything can become a major problem – overnight. Worldwide.
So, when our local real estate agent, who officiates junior varsity basketball, misses a call that an invested spectator captures with his or her smart phone camera, and sends to his or her relatives and a local media outlet that night, there is no limit to where that video could appear by the next morning.
And while major college and professional officials may now receive four-figure fees to work under those conditions, officials at the junior high/middle school and high school levels – sometimes working for little more than gas money - wonder if it’s worth the hassle.
There are many obstacles to recruiting and retaining officials for school sports, including poor business practices by assigners and bad sportsmanship by coaches and spectators; but a significant factor not to be overlooked is the adverse potential of immediate worldwide criticism for a call that had to be made in the blink of an eye.
The human factor of sports is now subject to inhuman expectations. In an enterprise that strives for fairness, it appears that it’s the official who is being treated least fairly.
The Official View: Steps Away, Starts Anew
By
Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director
October 29, 2018
By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director
As “Official View” returns this week, we say good-bye and a big thank you to a longtime football official – but only for the fall as he’ll be continuing to serve on basketball courts in southwestern Michigan.
We also consider a few soccer scenarios and explain changes on the way at MHSAA.com designed in part to provide more resources for officials.
It’s Official!
The use of regular bulletins for officials in each sport was rolled out for this past fall season in football, soccer and volleyball. Each of these weekly bulletins provides readers with a few topical items (rules and mechanics) which includes common issues observed, points of emphasis or tips, and hints. It also provides a rules challenge and other tidbits of beneficial information in the specific sport. Full implementation of this tool will be started this winter in basketball, competitive cheer, gymnastics, hockey, swimming and wrestling.
Expect to see some changes in the coming weeks to the Officials page of the MHSAA website. The primary goal of this revamp is to reduce redundancy, separate and organize general officials information from sport-specific information and provide a new resource area for each sport’s officials to receive bulletins, approved rulings and interpretations and to access the new video rules library currently in development. If there are specific things you would like to see included, please let assistant director Brent Rice know.
Rule of the Week
SOCCER During A1’s throw-in, the ball first hits the touchline and then continues immediately out of play.
Ruling: This is a legal throw-in and Team B will be awarded a throw-in at the spot at which the ball left play.
It’s Your Call
SOCCER This week’s clip has the attacker in white and defender in blue racing to retrieve a ball headed near (but just outside) the penalty area. The goalkeeper charges and both he and the attacker attempt to make a play on the ball. What’s the call?
Last Week’s IYC Ruling: Last week we were presented with a prime example of how not to run the “Swinging Gate” formation from scrimmage. The play had a number of potential fouls – let’s run through them (click to see the video):
• Illegal formation – Snapper’s shoulders must be squared to the line of scrimmage.
• Illegal formation – It appears only the snapper is on the line of scrimmage. This leaves 10 in the backfield.
• Illegal shift – While the cluster of players are attempting to get set, the near receiver goes in motion. The ball is snapped without having all 11 set for at least one second.
• False start – The back that receives the snap starts to move before the snap.
Official View: A Step Back
For the last 42 years, Wayne Patterson has roamed the high school gridirons serving as a strong, hardworking and dependable official, crewmate and mentor to young officials. Patterson has decided that after years and years of fall Fridays blocked on the calendar, it’s time to spend more time with his family and allow other officials to take his place.
It’s not a step out though, only a step back. He will continue to officiate both boys and girls basketball in the winter, working alongside his daughter.
In the adjacent photo, Patterson sits with his regular crew for a postgame meal and discussion. The crew took the top photo together during his final career football game, at Sturgis High School. (Top photo, from left: Mitch Reynolds, Pete VanGeisen, Wayne Patterson, Tim Latta and Mike McKenzie).