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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

Boys Hoops Districts Tip Off on MHSAA TV

March 9, 2020

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

Here is the schedule for MHSAA Boys Basketball District first-round games with live streaming video on Monday (March 9) on the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv:

  • District 3 at Flushing - Saginaw v. Flushing 5:30 PM; Flint Carman-Ainsworth v. Saginaw Heritage 7 PM
  • District 4 at Grand Blanc - Flint Southwestern v. Flint Kearsley 6 PM
  • District 5 at Clarkston - Romeo v. Lake Orion 7 PM
  • District 6 at West Bloomfield - Orchard Lake St Mary's v. Pontiac 5 PM; Waterford Mott v. Auburn Hills Avondale 7 PM
  • District 7 at Walled Lake Northern - Walled Lake Northern v. Walled Lake Central 7 PM; Howell v. Hartland 7 PM
  • District 8 at Howell - Hartland at Howell  7 PM
  • District 9 at Cedar Springs - Cedar Springs v. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 7 PM
  • District 11 at Grandville - Grandville v. Zeeland East 7 PM
  • District 13 at St. Joseph - Stevensville Lakeshore v. Portage Northern 5 PM; Portage Central v. Kalamazoo Central 7 PM
  • District 17 at Brighton - Ann Arbor Skyline v. Pinckney 5 PM; South Lyon East v. Brighton 7 PM
  • District 18 at Saline - Ann Arbor Huron v. Saline 5:30 PM; Ypsilanti Lincoln v. Ann Arbor Pioneer 7 PM
  • District 35 at Cadillac - Cadillac v. Manistee 6 PM; Ludington v. Benzie Central 8 PM
  • District 36 at Clare - Clare v. Standish-Sterling 6 PM; Ogemaw Heights v. Gladwin 7:30 PM
  • District 39 at Bridgeport - Bridgeport v. Clio 5:30 PM; Frankenmuth v. Birch Run 7:30 PM
  • District 40 at Corunna - Ovid-Elsie v. Durand 5:30 PM; Perry v. Chesaning 7 PM
  • District 46 at Holland Christian - Benton Harbor v. Holland Christian 5 PM
  • District 49 at Williamston - Williamston v. Lansing Eastern 7 PM; Lansing Catholic v. Fowlerville 5:30 PM
  • District 62 at Macomb Lutheran North - Macomb Lutheran North v. New Haven 6 PM
  • District 63 at Armada - Croswell-Lexington v. Marysville 6 PM; Almont v. Armada 7:30 PM
  • District 64 at Flint Powers Catholic - Goodrich v. North Branch 6 PM; Flint Powers Catholic v. Flint Hamady 7:30 PM
  • District 65 at Calumet - Calumet v. West Iron County 7 PM; Negaunee v. Manistique 7 PM
  • District 66 at Negaunee - Negaunee v. Manistique 7 PM
  • District 75 at Pewamo-Westphalia - Pewamo-Westphalia v. Saranac 6 PM; Potterville v. Delton Kellogg 7:30 PM
  • District 76 at Grandville Calvin Christian - Grand Rapids Covenant Christian v. Saugatuck 5:30 PM; Fennville v. Grandville Calvin Christian 7:15 PM
  • District 88 at Riverview Gabriel Richard - Ecorse v. Canton Prep 7 PM
  • District 95 at New Lothrop - New Lothrop v. Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy 7 PM
  • District 95 at Hemlock - Hemlock v. St Charles 7 PM
  • District 95 at Montrose - Montrose v. Reese 7 PM
  • District 103 at Pellston - Pellston v. Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian 5:30 PM; Alanson v. Beaver Island 7 PM
  • District 107 at Brethren - Frankfort v. Mesick 6 PM; Brethren v. Bear Lake 7:30 PM
  • District 121 at Plymouth Christian Academy - Ann Arbor Central Academy v. Lutheran Westland 5:30 PM; Westland Huron Valley Lutheran v. Ann Arbor Rudolf Steiner 7 PM
  • District 124 at Bloomfield Hills Roeper High School - Bloomfield Hills Roeper v. Southfield Manoogian 6 PM; Auburn Hills Oakland Christian v. Pontiac Academy for Excellence 6 PM
  • District 125 at Oakland Christian School - Sterling Heights Parkway Christian v. Auburn Hills Christian 7:30 PM 

The schedules for the District Semifinals and Finals will be released the day before that round. You can always reach a list of the upcoming tournament games by Clicking Here.
 
The Boys Basketball action is part of a week of more than 150 live events on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network. You can Click Here to look at the latest list of all upcoming varsity games.

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. School Broadcast Program participants benefit as a portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program. 

A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.