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
List of 2021-22 MHSAA Network Affiliates Growing as Fall Sports Ramp Up
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 31, 2021
More than 70 radio stations and web audio outlets have joined a growing list of Michigan High School Athletic Association Network affiliates for the 2021-22 school year, with more expected to come on board as fall sports schedules continue to build toward a busy September and October.
Affiliates carry games and also the MHSAA Network radio show – “This Week in High School Sports” – which began its seventh season last week.
A list of MHSAA Network affiliates can be found on the MHSAA Website. Below is a list of those affiliates and links to their broadcast platforms through Aug. 30.
Alma - WQBX (104.9 FM)
Auburn Hills - WAHS (89.5 FM)
Benton Harbor - WSJM (94.9 FM)
Bloomfield Hills - WBFH (88.1 FM)
Bloomfield Hills - BRBN
Canton - WSDP (88.1 FM)
Caro - WIDL (92.1 FM)
Cheboygan - WCBY (1240 AM)
Cheboygan - WCBY (100.7 FM)
Deckerville - Thumb Tailgater Sports
Dowagiac - Dowagiac Chieftains Network
Escanaba - WCHT (93.5 FM)
Escanaba - WCHT (600 AM)
Escanaba - WYKX (104.7 FM)
Escanaba - WDBC (94.5 FM)
Escanaba - WUPF (107.3 FM)
Ferndale - WDTK (101.5 FM)
Frankenmuth - Frankenmuth Sports Network
Flushing - MFNT
Gaylord - WMJZ (101.5 FM)
Grand Haven - WGHN (92.1 FM)
Grand Haven - WGHN (94.9 FM)
Grand Haven - WGHN (1370 AM)
Grand Haven - WMPA (93.1 FM)
Grand Haven - WAWL (103.5 FM)
Grand Haven - Michigan Game Night
Grand Haven - JoeInsider.com
Grand Rapids - WMAX (96.1 FM)
Grayling - WQON (100.3 FM)
Grayling - WGRY (101.1 FM)
Grayling - WJML (1110 AM)
Grayling - WJNL (1210 AM)
Grayling - W266CS (101.1 FM)
Hancock - WMPL (920 AM)
Hillman - WKJZ (94.9 FM)
Hillsdale - WCSR (92.1 FM)
Hillsdale - WCSR (99.5 FM)
Holland - WHTC (1450 AM)
Holland - WYVN (92.7 FM)
Houghton - WHKB (102.3)
Iron Mountain - WZNL (94.3 FM)
Ironwood - WJMS (590 AM)
Jackson - WKHM (970 AM)
Jackson - WKHM (105.3 FM)
Manistique - WTIQ (1490 AM)
Marquette - WFXD (103.3 FM)
Marquette - WZAM (106.9 FM)
Marquette - WZAM (970 AM)
Marquette - W286BC (105.1 FM)
Marquette - W262AG (99.9 FM)
Marquette - WKQS (101.9 FM)
Marquette - WRUP (98.3 FM)
Marquette - GTO (97.5 FM)
Marquette - WUPG (96.7 FM)
Marquette - WUPT (100.3 FM)
Midland - WMPX (97.7 FM)
Mt. Pleasant - WMMI (92.3 FM)
Muskegon - WLCS (98.3 FM)
Muskegon - WVIB (100.1 FM)
Novi - WOVI (89.5 FM)
Ontonagon - WUPY (101.1 FM)
Ovid - WOES (91.3 FM)
Prudenville - WTWS (92.1 FM)
Rockford - Michigan Sports Radio
Sault Ste. Marie - WUPN (95.1 FM)
St. Ignace - WWMK (106.3 FM)
Stevensville - Lakeshore Lancers Network
Tawas City - WKJC (104.7 FM)
Tawas City - WQLB (103.3 FM)
Tawas City - WTZM (106.1 FM)
Temperance - WMLZ-LP (107.9 FM)
Traverse City - WWMN (106.3 FM)
Warren - WPHS (89.1 FM)
West Bloomfield - WBLD (89.3)
MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network enjoyed an exciting opening weekend of football video streaming, with 16 games played as part of the Vehicle City Gridiron Classic, Battle at the Big House and Xenith Prep Kick Off Classic receiving a combined 22,494 live views on MHSAA.tv, with the Big House game featuring Traverse City Central and DeWitt leading that list with nearly 5,000 views. Those totals do not include views by those who watched two Xenith games live on MHSAA broadcast partner Bally Sports Detroit’s cable channel and digital platforms.
Bally Sports Detroit will take its live cable broadcast to Muskegon on Friday (Sept. 3) for the Big Reds’ 7 p.m. matchup with Detroit Cass Tech. The game can be watched on live TV on Bally Sports Detroit-PLUS and on BSD’s website.
MHSAA broadcast partner State Champs! Sports Network will begin its series of live Saturday football streams this week as well, covering Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean at Grand Rapids Catholic Central at 4 p.m. Sept. 4.
A number of other intriguing events are scheduled to be streamed live on MHSAA.tv, including the following:
FOOTBALL
Sept. 2: Cedar Springs at Rockford, 7 p.m.
Sept. 2: Livonia Stevenson at Dearborn Fordson, 7 p.m.
All football games: MHSAA.tv Football
VOLLEYBALL
Aug. 31: Marquette at Menominee, 7 p.m.
Sept. 1: Traverse City Central at Traverse City West, 5 p.m.
Sept. 1: Saginaw Valley Lutheran at Midland Bullock Creek, 7 p.m.
All volleyball matches: MHSAA.tv Volleyball
BOYS SOCCER
Sept. 1: Ludington at Whitehall, 5:45 p.m.
Sept. 1: East Grand Rapids at Grand Rapids South Christian, 6:45 p.m.
Sept. 2: Ann Arbor Skyline at Saline, 7 p.m.
All soccer matches: MHSAA.tv Boys Soccer
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.