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
Volleyball Regionals, 8-Player Football Semifinals Highlight MHSAA.tv Schedule
By
Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
November 9, 2021
More than 40 Volleyball Regional Semifinals and all four 8-Player Football Semifinals highlight Michigan High School Athletic Association tournament events this week being broadcast by MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network.
All Volleyball Regional Semifinals will be played Tuesday (Nov. 9), with all Regional Finals played Thursday (Nov. 11). Among Tuesday matches of note (with links):
Division 1: Novi vs. Bloomfield Hills Marian
Division 2: Cadillac vs. Sault Ste. Marie
Division 3: Morley Stanwood vs. Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
Division 4: Adrian Lenawee Christian vs. Fowler
Click for listings for all Regional matches: Volleyball
The third weekend of MHSAA Football Playoffs will include streams of all four 8-Player Semifinals on Friday (Nov. 12) and Saturday (Nov. 13) and 25 of the 32 scheduled 11-Player Regional Finals. See below for the 8-player games (with links):
Division 1
Friday: Martin at Adrian Lenawee Christian
Saturday: Colon at Au Gres-Sims
Division 2
Saturday: Marion at Powers North Central
Saturday: Rudyard at Suttons Bay
Click for listings for all 11-Player Regional games: Football
Additionally, MHSAA media partner Bally Sports Detroit will continue its weekly live cable TV broadcasts with Friday’s 11-Player Division 1 Regional Final of West Bloomfield (10-1) at Rochester Adams (11-0). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on BSD’s PLUS channel, and the game also may be watched on the BSD website and app.
NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 per month. Subscribers have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. School Broadcast Program participants benefit as a portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.
More than 400 MHSAA member schools are participants in the School Broadcast Program, now in its 13th year, producing games using traditional hands-on student crews or via Pixellot cameras installed at stadiums and gymnasiums across the state. A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.