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Be the Referee: Most Important Line
October 31, 2019
This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis explains what the goal line means for offenses, defenses and special teams in high school football.
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 - Most Important Line - Listen
There’s an old saying in football officiating that the most important line on the field is the goal line.
This is certainly true when it comes to touchdowns, as the high school rule is just like that at the college and pro level, where all the ball has to do is break the plane for the score.
One unique part of the goal line under high school rules deals with kicks. Whenever a kickoff or a punt breaks the plane of the goal line, it becomes a dead ball with an automatic touchback. Now, whenever the defense gets possession of the ball in the end zone, it can return a fumble or interception out of the end zone for advancement, except if it’s on an extra point or any time in overtime.
Past editions
Oct. 24: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
Oct. 17: Catch Momentum - Listen
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
State Champs! Michigan: Hangtime 2-10-23
February 10, 2023
Join Lorne Plant, TJ Kelley and Scott Burnstein for the sixth episode this season of STATE CHAMPS! Hangtime.
0:00 – Open
1:21 – Detroit Northwestern’s Cartier Woods passes away
3:07 - Grand Rapids West Catholic’s Gabe Aughdahl with rare tumor
4:33 – OLSM player eligibility update
6:40 – Game recaps
7:38 – Grand Rapids Northview drops game to East Grand Rapids
8:48 – North Farmington beats Muskegon
9:26 – South Lyon East vs Milford, Scott gives props to the Lakes Valley Conference
10:25 – Grand Rapids Christian took down Warren Michigan Collegiate in double OT
12:30 - BCAM Chalk Talk with Warren Lincoln Head Coach Wydell Henry
14:09 – The guy’s talk about the season Warren Lincoln is having
17:58 – TJ’s rankings! New number one, some move up, some move down
18:56 – Detroit Public School District playoffs start soon
20:24 – Scheduling games, benefits of 22 games
22:18 – Two showcases to check out this weekend
25:13 - Close