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
Link Up to Lacrosse Finals, Regional Broadcasts
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 11, 2021
All four MHSAA Girls & Boys Lacrosse Finals and three Friday night Girls Soccer Regional Finals are among broadcasts loaded for streaming on MHSAA.tv this weekend.
Click below for direct links to the four lacrosse championship games:
Girls Division 2: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood vs. East Grand Rapids, 2 p.m.
Girls Division 1: Brighton vs. Rockford, 4:30 p.m.
Boys Division 1: Hartland vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 2 p.m.
Boys Division 2: East Grand Rapids vs. Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 5 p.m.
Friday's Soccer Regional Finals include games from Divisions 2 and 3:
Division 2: Byron Center vs. Marshall, 6 p.m.
Division 3: Essexville Garber vs. Williamston, 6 p.m.
Division 3: Big Rapids vs. Boyne City, 7 p.m.
Saturday's schedule also includes the Division 3 Softball Regional at Millington:
Division 3: Millington, Richmond, Bad Axe, Capac, 10 a.m.
Now in its 13th year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – the NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – is used by schools wishing to live stream games but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 per month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and on-demand video from across the country. School Broadcast Program participants benefit as a portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program. (Subscriptions must be cancelled before the 30-day period is over to avoid recurring charges.)
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.