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
MHSAA TV Set to top 600 Events Again
January 14, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The Winter sports season is in full swing on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network. For the second straight week, more than 600 high school sporting events will have live streaming video.
Here’s the complete schedule of varsity events on MHSAA.tv – more than 300 events on this week’s schedule will be competed at the Junior High/Middle School, Freshman, or Junior Varsity levels and are not shown. Visit MHSAA.tv to look for all upcoming games:
Tuesday - Jan. 14
GBB- Burton Bendle v. Morrice - 5:30 PM
GBB- Mt Morris v. Ovid-Elsie - 5:30 PM
GBB- Walled Lake Western v. Walled Lake Northern - 5:30 PM
WR - Munising v. Bark River-Harris - 6 PM
GBB- Livonia Clarenceville v. Brighton Charyl Stockwell Academy - 6 PM
GBB- Fremont v. Newaygo - 6 PM
GBB- Plymouth Christian v. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian - 6 PM
GBB- Bloomfield Hills Roeper v. Lutheran Westland - 6 PM
GBB- Chassell v. Dollar Bay - 6:25 PM
BBB- Hartland v. Howell - 6:45 PM
BBB- Burton Bendle v. Morrice - 7 PM
BBB- Cadillac v. Bay City Western - 7 PM
BBB- Flint Carman-Ainsworth v. Saginaw Heritage - 7 PM
BBB- Cedar Springs v. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central - 7 PM
BBB- Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood v. Riverview Gabriel Richard - 7 PM
BBB- Detroit Catholic Central v. Orchard Lake St. Mary's - 7 PM
BBB- Fowlerville v. Eaton Rapids - 7 PM
BBB- Grand Rapids Catholic Central v. Allendale - 7 PM
BBB- Grandville v. Benton Harbor - 7 PM
BBB- Ann Arbor Greenhills v. Madison Heights Bishop Foley - 7 PM
BBB- Kalamazoo Christian v. Comstock - 7 PM
BBB- Otisville Lakeville v. Durand - 7 PM
BBB- Manchester v. Michigan Center - 7 PM
BBB- Montrose v. Chesaning - 7 PM
BBB- Mt Morris v. Ovid-Elsie - 7 PM
BBB- New Lothrop v. Byron - 7 PM
BBB- Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. Lake Orion - 7 PM
BBB- Novi v. Salem - 7 PM
BBB- Petoskey v. Charlevoix - 7 PM
BBB- Plymouth Christian Academy v. Oakland Christian - 7 PM
BBB- Rochester Adams v. Warren De La Salle Collegiate - 7 PM
BBB- Saline v. Temperance Bedford - 7 PM
BBB- Saginaw Swan Valley v. Bay City John Glenn - 7 PM
BBB- Troy v. West Bloomfield - 7 PM
BBB- Walled Lake Central v. White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
BBB- Walled Lake Western v. Walled Lake Northern - 7 PM
BBB- Waterford Kettering v. South Lyon - 7 PM
BBB- Brownstown Woodhaven v. Dearborn Edsel Ford - 7 PM
GBB- Troy Athens v. Lake Orion - 7 PM
GBB- Big Rapids v. Central Montcalm - 7 PM
GBB- Bloomfield Hills v. Royal Oak - 7 PM
GBB- Brighton v. Plymouth - 7 PM
GBB- Chesaning v. Montrose - 7 PM
GBB- East Grand Rapids v. South Christian - 7 PM
GBB- East Kentwood v. Holland West Ottawa - 7 PM
GBB- Escanaba v. Marquette - 7 PM
GBB- Fenton v. Ortonville Brandon - 7 PM
GBB- Holly v. Lake Fenton - 7 PM
GBB- Flint Kearsley v. Clio - 7 PM
GBB- White Lake Lakeland v. Walled Lake Central - 7 PM
GBB- Madison Heights Lamphere v. Clawson - 7 PM
GBB- Macomb L'Anse Creuse North v. Fitzgerald - 7 PM
GBB- Linden v. Owosso - 7 PM
GBB- Marian v. Divine Child - 7 PM
GBB- Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. TBA - 7 PM
GBB- Flint Powers Catholic v. Midland Dow - 7 PM
GBB- Rockford v. Caledonia - 7 PM
GBB- South Lyon v. Waterford Kettering - 7 PM
BBB- Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian v. Wyoming Kelloggsville - 7:15 PM
BBB- Pickford v. St Ignace - 7:15 PM
BBB- Bear Lake v. Manistee Catholic Central - 7:30 PM
BBB- Clare v. Harrison - Harrison - 7:30 PM
BBB- Fremont v. Newaygo - 7:30 PM
BBB- St. Clair Shores Lake Shore v. Utica - 7:30 PM
BBB- Pentwater v. Big Rapids Crossroads Charter - 7:30 PM
BBB- Bloomfield Hills Roeper v. Lutheran Westland - 7:30 PM
GBB- Harbor Beach v. Sandusky - 7:30 PM
GBB- Hemlock v. Midland Bullock Creek - 7:30 PM
GBB- St. Charles v. St. Louis - 7:30 PM
Wednesday - Jan. 15
WR - Cedar Springs v. Allendale - 5 PM
WR - Chesaning v. Byron - 5 PM
WR - Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian v. TBA - 5 PM
WR - Howell v. TBA - 5 PM
WR - Otisville Lakeville v. Montrose - 5 PM
WR - Brownstown Woodhaven v. Southgate Anderson - 5 PM
BBB- Livonia Clarenceville Multi-team Event - 5:30 PM
HKY - Brighton v. Plymouth - 5:30 PM
WR - Big Rapids v. Newaygo - 5:30 PM
WR - Milford v. TBA - 5:30 PM
WR - Petoskey BNC Quad - 5:30 PM
WR - Caro v. Capac - 6 PM
WR - Clare v. Gladwin - 6 PM
WR - East Kentwood v. Hudsonville - 6 PM
WR - Holly v. Fenton - 6 PM
WR - Linden v. Flushing - 6 PM
WR - Manchester v. TBA - 6 PM
WR - Munising v. TBA - 6 PM
WR - Sturgis v. Three Rivers - 6 PM
CHEER - White Lake Lakeland v. TBA - 6 PM
WR - Walled Lake Northern v. TBA - 7 PM
BBB- Harbor Beach v. Sandusky - 7:30 PM
GBB- Bear Lake v. Big Rapids Crossroads Charter - 7:30 PM
GBB- Harrison v. Clare - 7:30 PM
GBB- Pentwater v. Mason County Eastern - 7:30 PM
Thursday - Jan. 16
WR - Macomb L'Anse Creuse North v. TBA - 5 PM
GBB- Southfield Christian v. Livonia Clarenceville - 5:30 PM
GBB- Ann Arbor Greenhills v. Clarkston Everest Collegiate - 6 PM
GBB- Norway v. Powers North Central - 6:45 PM
BBB- Troy Athens v. Royal Oak - 7 PM
BBB- North Farmington v. Lake Orion - 7 PM
BBB- Pellston v. Central Lake - 7 PM
GBB- Waterford Our Lady v. Marine City Cardinal Mooney - 7 PM
BBB- Hancock v. Dollar Bay - 7:15 PM
GBB- Ishpeming v. Iron Mountain - 7:15 PM
BBB- Brethren v. Bear Lake - 7:30 PM
BBB- Clare v. Farwell - 7:30 PM
BBB- Hart v. Whitehall - 7:30 PM
BBB- Munising v. Crystal Falls Forest Park - 7:30 PM
Friday - Jan. 17
GBB- Chesaning v. Mt Morris - 5:30 PM
GBB- East Jordan vs Boyne City - 5:30 PM
GBB- Otisville Lakeville v. Byron - 5:30 PM
GBB- Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest v. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian - 5:30 PM
GBB- Morley Stanwood v. White Cloud - 5:30 PM
GBB- Ovid-Elsie v. New Lothrop - 5:30 PM
GBB- Armada v. Richmond - 6 PM
GBB- Big Rapids v. Reed City - 6 PM
GBB- Corunna v. Ortonville Brandon - 6 PM
GBB- Fenton v. Linden - 6 PM
GBB- Freeland v. Frankenmuth - 6 PM
GBB- Fremont v. Grant - 6 PM
GBB- Grand Rapids Catholic Central v. Coopersville - 6 PM
GBB- Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian v. Grand Rapids Covenant Christian - 6 PM
GBB- Grandville v. Holland West Ottawa - 6 PM
GBB- Holly v. Flint Kearsley - 6 PM
GBB- Bloomfield Hills Roeper v. Whitmore Lake - 6 PM
GBB- Southfield Christian v. Plymouth Christian Academy - 6 PM
GBB- St. Charles v. Midland Bullock Creek - 6 PM
GBB- Wyoming v. Grand Rapids Christian - 6 PM
GBB- Brighton v. Howell - 6:45 PM
BBB- Brighton v. Howell - 7 PM