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
11-Player Finals to Return to Bally Sports Detroit, with Audio-Only on MHSAA Network
By
Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
November 23, 2021
The Michigan High School Athletic Association 11-Player Football Finals will return this weekend to Bally Sports Detroit’s primary and PLUS channels, with streaming audio available at MHSAANetwork.com.
Following is a game-by-game TV schedule, including BSD channel and broadcasters:
FRIDAY (Nov. 26)
► Division 8 – 10 a.m. – Beal City (12-1) vs. Hudson (13-0) – BSD primary – Evan Stockton, analyst Rob Rubick, reporter Brooke Fletcher
► Division 2 – 1 p.m. – Traverse City Central (12-1) vs. Warren De La Salle Collegiate (12-0) – BSD PLUS – Stockton, Rubick and Fletcher
► Division 6 – 4:30 p.m. – Warren Michigan Collegiate (11-2) vs. Lansing Catholic (12-1) – BSD PLUS – Dan Dickerson, analyst Justin Cessante, reporter Dannie Rogers
► Division 4 – 7:30 p.m. – Hudsonville Unity Christian (13-0) vs. Chelsea (13-0) – BSD primary – Matt Shepard, analyst John Wangler, Rogers
SATURDAY (Nov. 27)
► Division 7 – 10 a.m. – Lawton (13-0) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (13-0) – BSD primary – Matt Shepard, analyst Rob Rubick, reporter Brooke Fletcher
► Division 1 – 1 p.m. – Belleville (12-1) vs. Rochester Adams (13-0) – BSD primary – Shepard, Rubick and Fletcher
► Division 5 – 4:30 p.m. – Marine City (13-0) vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (13-0) – BSD PLUS – Dan Dickerson, analyst Justin Cessante, reporter Dannie Rogers
► Division 3 – 7:30 p.m. – DeWitt (12-1) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (12-1) – BSD PLUS – Dickerson, Cessante and Rogers
All games will be available live on the Bally Sports app and streamed on the Bally Sports Detroit website. Viewing programming on the Bally Sports app may require authentication.
All eight championship games also will be available for listening from the MHSAA Network at MHSAANetwork.com. Joe Jason and Al Pscholka will provide play-by-play and analysis from the first two games both days, with Eric Vandefifer and Adam Schihl teaming up for the final two games both days.
Additionally, Bally Sports Detroit also will reair the Nov. 20 8-Player Football Finals on Thursday (Nov. 25) on the BSD primary channel. Adrian Lenawee Christian’s Division 1 win over Suttons Bay will reair at 7 p.m., followed by Powers North Central’s Division 2 win over Colon.