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
Week of 600 Live Events Kicks Off 2020
January 7, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
More than 600 high school sporting events will have live streaming video during the coming week on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network.
Here’s the complete schedule of varsity events on MHSAA.tv – more than 300 events on this week’s schedule that are junior high/middle school, freshman or junior varsity are not shown. Visit MHSAA.tv to look for all upcoming games:
Tuesday - Jan. 7
WR – Macomb Lutheran North v. TBA - 5 PM
GBB - Ovid-Elsie v. Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 PM
GBB - Freeland v. Alma - 6 PM
GBB - Bloomfield Hills Roeper v. Westland Huron Valley Lutheran - 6 PM
GBB - Rockford v. Wyoming - 6 PM
BBB - Novi v. Howell - 6:45 PM
BBB - Cedarville v. Boyne City - 7 PM
GBB - Livonia Clarenceville v. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian - 7 PM
BBB - Ovid-Elsie v. Otisville Lakeville - 7 PM
GBB - East Kentwood v. Northview - 7 PM
GBB - Ann Arbor Greenhills v. Riverview Gabriel Richard 7 PM
BBB - Hart v. Ravenna - 7 PM
GBB - Brighton v. Northville - 7 PM
BBB - White Lake Lakeland v. South Lyon - 7 PM
BBB - Detroit Catholic Central v. Divine Child - 7 PM
GBB – Mt. Morris v. Byron Center Charter - 7 PM
BBB - South Lyon East v. Walled Lake Central - 7 PM
BBB - Plymouth Christian Academy v. Ann Arbor Greenhills - 7 PM
GBB - South Lyon v. White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
BBB - Bloomfield Hills v. Clarkston - 7 PM
GBB - Morley Stanwood v. TBA - 7 PM
BBB - Walled Lake Northern v. Waterford Mott - 7 PM
GBB - Milford v. Waterford Kettering - 7 PM
BBB - Chesaning v. Durand - 7 PM
BBB - Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. TBA - 7 PM
GBB - Cadillac v. Kingsley - 7 PM
BBB - Glen Lake v. Onekama - 7 PM
BBB - Clawson v. Waterford Our Lady - 7 PM
GBB - Kalamazoo Christian v. Delton Kellogg - 7 PM
GBB - Novi v. Howell - 7 PM
BBB - Cedar Springs v. Holland - 7 PM
BBB - Williamston v. Michigan Center - 7 PM
GBB - East Grand Rapids v. Jenison - 7 PM
BBB - Fowlerville v. Lansing Catholic - 7 PM
BBB - Linden v. Lake Fenton - 7 PM
BBB - Fenton v. Goodrich - 7 PM
GBB - Petoskey v. Sault Ste. Marie - 7 PM
BBB - Holly v. Corunna - 7 PM
BBB - Montrose v. New Lothrop - 7 PM
BBB – Stevensville Lakeshore v. Dowagiac Union - 7 PM
GBB - Walled Lake Central v. South Lyon East - 7 PM
GBB - Corunna v. Holly - 7 PM
BBB - Flint Kearsley v. Ortonville Brandon - 7 PM
BBB - Riverview Gabriel Richard v. Flint Powers Catholic - 7 PM
BBB - Baraga v. Calumet - 7:15 PM
BBB - St Ignace v. Indian River Inland Lakes - 7:15 PM
BBB - Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood v. Bishop Foley - 7:30 PM
BBB - Bloomfield Hills Roeper v. Westland Huron Valley Lutheran - 7:30 PM
BBB - Bad Axe v. Kinde North Huron - 7:30 PM
BBB - Freeland v. Alma - 7:30 PM
BBB - Rockford v. Wyoming - 7:30 PM
GBB - Caro v. Croswell-Lexington - 7:30 PM
BBB - Hemlock v. Michigan Lutheran Seminary - 7:30 PM
BBB - Bear Lake v. Walkerville - 7:30 PM
BBB - Saginaw Swan Valley v. Standish-Sterling - 7:30 PM
BBB - Grand Blanc v. Detroit U-D Jesuit - 7:30 PM
BBB - St. Charles v. Millington - 7:30 PM
Wednesday - Jan. 8
WR - New Lothrop v. Durand - 5 PM
WR – OAA Quad at Lake Orion - - 5 PM
WR - Mt Morris v. Otisville Lakeville - 5 PM
WR - Ovid-Elsie v. Montrose - 5 PM
WR – OAA Quad at Walled Lake Western - 5:30 PM
WR - Livonia Clarenceville v. TBA - 5:30 PM
WR - Grand Rapids Catholic Central v. TBA - 5:30 PM
WR - Bad Axe v. Memphis - 6 PM
WR - Freeland Quad - 6 PM
WR - Hemlock Quad - 6 PM
BBB - Saginaw Swan Valley v. TBA - 6 PM
WR - St. Charles v. Millington - 6 PM
WR - Rockford v. Grand Haven - 7 PM
WR - Grandville v. East Kentwood - 7 PM
GBB - Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood v. Waterford Our Lady - 7 PM
BBB - Morley Stanwood v. Newaygo - 7 PM
GBB - Manchester v. Michigan Center - 7 PM
HKY – Grosse Pointe South v. Detroit Catholic Central - 7:15 PM
BBB - Caro v. Harbor Beach - 7:30 PM
GBB - Saranac v. Pewamo-Westphalia - 7:30 PM
GBB - Pentwater v. Big Rapids Crossroads - 7:30 PM
GBB – Maple City Glen Lake v. Manton - 7:30 PM
GBB - Bear Lake v. Manistee Catholic Central - 7:30 PM
HKY - South Lyon v. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley - 8 PM
Thursday - Jan. 9
GBB - Southfield Christian v. Detroit University Prep - 5:30 PM
BSW – Brownstown Woodhaven v. Dearborn Edsel Ford - 6 PM
BBB - Norway v. Crystal Falls Forest Park - 6:45 PM
BBB - Saline v. Jackson - 7 PM
BBB – West Bloomfield Frankel Jewish Academy v. Waterford Our Lady - 7 PM
GBB - Caro v. Elkton Pigeon Bay Port Laker - 7 PM
GBB - North Farmington v. Lake Orion - 7 PM
BBB - Cadillac v. Petoskey - 7 PM
GBB - Troy v. Auburn Hills Avondale - 7 PM
GBB - West Bloomfield v. Clarkston - 7 PM
BBB - Manchester v. Vandercook Lake - 7 PM
GBB - Ishpeming v. Hancock - 7:15 PM
BBB - Harrison v. Shepherd - 7:30 PM
GBB - Harbor Beach v. Brown City - 7:30 PM
BBB – St. Clair Shores Lake Shore v. Warren Cousino - 7:30 PM
BBB - Pentwater v. Bear Lake - 7:30 PM
BBB - Fowler v. Pewamo-Westphalia - 7:30 PM
Friday - Jan. 10
WR - Petoskey Home Invitational - 2 PM
GBB - Otisville Lakeville v. Chesaning - 5:30 PM
GBB - New Lothrop v. Mt Morris - 5:30 PM
GBB - Ovid-Elsie v. Montrose - 5:30 PM
GBB - South Lyon East v. South Lyon - 5:30 PM
GBB - Burton Bendle v. Flint Beecher - 5:30 PM
GBB - White Lake Lakeland v. Milford - 5:30 PM
BBB - St Ignace v. Rogers City - 5:45 PM
GBB - Linden v. Swartz Creek - 6 PM
GBB - Armada v. Almont - 6 PM
GBB - Flint Kearsley v. Fenton - 6 PM
GBB - Plainwell v. Allegan - 6 PM
BBB - Southfield Christian v. Livonia Clarenceville - 6 PM
GBB - Fowlerville v. Haslett - 6 PM
GBB - Grand Rapids Catholic Central v. Grand Rapids West Catholic - 6 PM
GBB - Williamston v. Lansing Eastern - 6 PM
GBB - Rockford v. Grandville - 6 PM
GBB - Fremont v. Central Montcalm - 6 PM
GBB - St. Charles v. Ithaca - 6 PM
GBB - Hemlock v. Saginaw Nouvel - 6 PM
GBB - Big Rapids v. Newaygo - 6 PM
GBB – Wakefield-Marinesco v. Dollar Bay - 6:25 PM
GBB - Norway v. Munising - 6:45 PM
GBB - Plymouth v. Howell - 6:45 PM
GBB - Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood v. Clarkston Everest Collegiate - 7 PM
BBB - Otisville Lakeville v. Chesaning - 7 PM
HKY - Northville v. Calumet - 7 PM
BBB - Burton Bendle v. Flint Beecher - 7 PM
BBB - Warren De La Salle Collegiate v. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice - 7 PM
GBB – Madison Heights Lamphere v. Warren Woods-Tower - 7 PM
GBB - Manchester v. East Jackson - 7 PM
GBB - Flint Powers Catholic v. Grand Blanc - 7 PM
BBB - Bloomfield Hills v. Ferndale - 7 PM
GBB - Troy Athens v. Ferndale University - 7 PM
GBB – Macomb L'Anse Creuse North v. Clinton Township Chippewa Valley - 7 PM
GBB - Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. Chelsea - 7 PM
GBB - Cadillac v. Alpena - 7 PM
GBB - Pellston v. Central Lake - 7 PM