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
Football Reair Part of Busy Holiday Slate
December 18, 2019
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
FOX Sports Detroit will reair the eight MHSAA 11-Player Football Finals on Christmas Day (Dec. 25).
Here’s the complete schedule:
10 a.m. – Division 8 – Reading 39, Beal City 6 – The Reading Railroad rolls to a repeat in Division 8. Ben and Nick Affholter combine for 18 tackles – six for losses.
Watch/Buy Instant Download @ MHSAA.tv
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Noon – Division 2 – Muskegon Mona Shores 35, Detroit Martin Luther King 26 – Backup QB Brady Rose throws for three TDs, rushes for a fourth and intercepted a pass to lead the Sailors.
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Listen/Buy Instant Audio Download @ MHSAANetwork.com
2 p.m. – Division 6 – Monroe SMCC 7, Maple City Glen Lake 0 – A 94-yard second quarter drive capped by QB Wyatt Bergmoser’s six-yard TD run carries the Falcons to the championship.
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Listen/Buy Instant Audio Download @ MHSAANetwork.com
4 p.m. – Division 4 – Grand Rapids Catholic Central 44, Detroit Country Day 0 – Sophomore QB Joey Silveri accounted for six touchdowns and 379 yards in total offense for the Cougars.
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6 p.m. – Division 7 – Pewamo-Westphalia 14, Jackson Lumen Christi 0 – In this battle of unbeatens, defense dominated. P-W scores in the second and fourth quarters to take the win.
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Listen/Buy Instant Audio Download @ MHSAANetwork.com
8 p.m. – Division 1 – Davison 35, Brighton 25 - Brendan Sullivan passes for 290 yards to lead Davison to its first football title.
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10 p.m. – Division 5 – Lansing Catholic 31, Almont 17 – The Cougars score the last 24 points of the game to rally from a 17-7 deficit late in the third quarter. QB Zach Gillespie ran for two and passed for two scores.
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Midnight – Division 3 – River Rouge 30, Muskegon 7 – The Panthers stunned the Big Reds. Junior QB Mareyohn Hrabowski rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries.
Watch/Buy Instant Download @ MHSAA.tv
Listen/Buy Instant Audio Download @ MHSAANetwork.com
Instant Video Downloads are $19.99 and Instant Audio Downloads are $4.99. Video DVDs are available for $24.95 – allow 4-to-6 weeks for delivery.
MHSAA.tv has a big schedule to close out 2019 and head into 2020. A record 132 games will take place on Tuesday (Dec. 17). Here is the complete list of upcoming varsity games being streamed on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network:
Tuesday - Dec. 17
Boys Ice Hockey - South Lyon v. Livonia Franklin - 5:30 PM
Girls Basketball - Burton Bendle v. Webberville - 5:30 PM
Girls Basketball - Kalamazoo Christian v. Coloma - 5:30 PM
Girls Basketball - Mt Morris v. Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 PM
Boys Wrestling - St. Clair Shores Lake Shore v. Away - 6 PM
Girls Basketball – Grand Rapids Catholic Central v. Grand Rapids Christian - 6 PM
Girls Basketball - Saginaw Swan Valley v. Hemlock - 6 PM
Girls Basketball - Grandville v. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central - 6:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Burton Bendle v. Webberville - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Bloomfield Hills v. Novi - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Cadillac v. Traverse City Central - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Corunna v. Linden - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Warren De La Salle Collegiate v. West Bloomfield - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Maple City Glen Lake v. Kingsley - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian v. Cedar Springs - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Kalamazoo Christian v. Coloma - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Stevensville Lakeshore v. Battle Creek Central - 7 PM
Boys Basketball – Macomb L'Anse Creuse North v. New Baltimore Anchor Bay - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Montrose v. Byron - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Mt Morris v. Otisville Lakeville - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - New Lothrop v. Durand - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Ovid-Elsie v. Chesaning - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Plymouth Christian Academy v. Whitmore Lake - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Flint Powers Catholic v. Midland Dow - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Rochester Adams v. Lake Orion - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - South Lyon v. Walled Lake Western - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Walled Lake Central v. TBD - 7 PM
Boys Ice Hockey - Hancock v. Marquette - 7 PM
Boys Ice Hockey - Houghton v. Calumet - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Troy Athens v. North Farmington - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Big Rapids v. Cedar Springs - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - East Grand Rapids v. East Kentwood - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Fenton v. Owosso - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Fowlerville v. Charlotte - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Holly v. Clio - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Flint Kearsley v. Goodrich - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - White Lake Lakeland v. Waterford Mott - 7 PM
girls Basketball - Linden v. Corunna - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Macomb Lutheran North v. Utica - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Saline v. Detroit Henry Ford Academy - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - South Lyon East v. Milford - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Troy v. Oxford - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Walled Lake Northern v. South Lyon - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - West Bloomfield v. Birmingham Groves - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Brownstown Woodhaven v. Trenton - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Painesdale Jeffers v. Dollar Bay - 7:10 PM
Girls Basketball - Hancock v. Calumet - 7:15 PM
Boys Basketball - Macomb Lutheran North v. Armada - 7:20 PM
Boys Basketball - Bear Lake v. Mason County Eastern - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Freeland v. Bay City Western - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball – Grand Rapids Catholic Central v. Grand Rapids Christian - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Harrison v. Gladwin - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Hart v. Hesperia - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Hopkins v. Comstock Park - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball – New Haven Merritt v. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Saginaw Swan Valley v. Hemlock - 7:30 PM
Girls Basketball - Caro v. Ubly - 7:30 PM
Girls Basketball - Harbor Beach v. Reese - 7:30 PM
Girls Basketball - Munising v. Brimley - 7:30 PM
Wednesday - Dec. 18
Wrestling - Troy Athens v. Away - 1 PM
Wrestling - East Grand Rapids v. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern - 5:30 PM
Wrestling – Brighton hosts Multi-team Event - 5:30 PM
Wrestling - Clare v. Ithaca - 6 PM
Wrestling - Frankenmuth v. Otisville Lakeville - 6 PM
Wrestling - Manchester v. Away - 6 PM
Wrestling - Mt Morris v. Flint Kearsley - 6 PM
Wrestling - Ovid-Elsie v. Hemlock - 6 PM
Competitive Cheer – MAC Jamboree at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 6 PM
Wrestling – Flint Carman-Ainsworth v. Grand Blanc - 6 PM
Wrestling - Zeeland West v. E. Grand Rapids - 6:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Morley Stanwood v. Tri County - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Walled Lake Western v. Detroit University Prep - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Maple City Glen Lake v. Traverse City St. Francis - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. Away - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - Flint Powers Catholic v. Ann Arbor Pioneer - 7 PM
Girls Basketball - St. Charles v. Breckenridge - 7 PM
Boys Basketball - Bad Axe v. Sandusky - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Caro v. Ubly - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Harbor Beach v. Reese - 7:30 PM
Boys Basketball - Munising v. Eben Junction Superior Central - 7:30 PM
Girls Basketball - Bear Lake v. Walkerville - 7:30 PM
Girls Basketball – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood v. Grosse Pointe Woods Univ. Liggett - 7:30 PM
Girls Basketball - Mason Co. Eastern v. Brethren - 7:30 PM
Thursday - Dec. 19
Girls Basketball - Kalamazoo Christian v. Constantine - 6 PM