Logo

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 Wraps with Big Fall Finish

November 20, 2019

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

High school sports fans can enjoy a huge weekend of live streaming audio and video of championship action this weekend on the MHSAA.tv, FoxSportsDetroit.com and MHSAANetwork.com websites and FOX Sports GO! app.

The weekend centers on MHSAA.tv wrapping up its Fall coverage with live video streaming of all Semifinals and Finals in Girls Volleyball, the Final round of Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving and 13 Semifinal games from the MHSAA Football Playoffs. All events will be shown live on a subscription basis.

The 8-Player Football Finals will be played Saturday (Nov. 17) between Suttons Bay and Colon at 11 a.m. in Division 1 and Pickford and Portland St. Patrick at 2 p.m. in Division 2, both at Marquette’s Superior Dome and streamed live on the Prep Zone on the FoxSportsDetroit.com website and FOX Sports GO!  The games also will be shown on FOX Sports Detroit on Tuesday (Nov. 26), with Division 1 at 8 p.m., followed by Division 2 at 11 p.m. This also is the last week of the Prep Zone on FoxSportsDetroit.com, with three 11-Player Football Semifinal games being streamed live. 

The MHSAANetwork.com website will carry live audio of all Volleyball Semifinal and Final matches Thursday through Saturday (Nov. 21-23), as well as the 8-Player Football Finals.

Here is this week's video streaming schedule (all events live online):

Thursday - Girls Volleyball Semifinals - MHSAA.tv & MHSAANetwork.com

  • Mendon v. Southfield Christian, Division 4 – Noon 
  • Rudyard v. Leland, Division 4 – 2 p.m. 
  • Lake Orion v. Lowell, Division 1 – 4:30 p.m. 
  • Ann Arbor Skyline v. Farmington Hills Mercy, Division 1 – 6:30 p.m. 

Friday - Girls Volleyball Semifinals - MHSAA.tv & MHSAANetwork.com

  • Saginaw Valley Lutheran v. Schoolcraft, Division 3 – Noon 
  • Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central v. Beaverton, Division 3 – 2 p.m. 
  • Pontiac Notre Dame Prep v. Lake Odessa Lakewood, Division 2 – 4:30 p.m. 
  • Kingsley v. Grand Rapids Christian, Division 2 – 6:30 p.m.  

Friday - 11-Player Football Semifinals – MHSAA.tv – 7 p.m.

  • Iron Mountain v. Pewamo-Westphalia, Division 7 

Saturday - 8-Player Football Finals – FOXSportsDetroit.com , FOX Sports GO! & MHSAANetwork.com

  • Suttons Bay v. Colon, Division 1, 11 a.m.   
  • Pickford v. Portland St. Patrick, Division 2, 2 p.m. (approx.)
    Delayed cable broadcast on FOX Sports Detroit, Tuesday, Division 1 - 8 p.m.; Division 2 – 11 p.m. Archived at MHSAA.tv.

Saturday - Girls Volleyball Finals - MHSAA.tv & MHSAANetwork.com

  • Class D Final, 10 a.m. 
  • Class C Final, Noon 
  • Class A Final, 2 p.m. 
  • Class B Final, 4 p.m.  

Saturday - L.P. Girls Swimming & Diving Finals - MHSAA.tv

  • Division 1 – Holland Aquatics Center - Noon 
  • Division 2 – Oakland University – 5 p.m. 
  • Division 3 – Oakland University – 10 a.m. 

Saturday - 11-Player Football Semifinals – Prep Zone on FoxSportsDetroit.com – 1 p.m.

  • Brighton v. Belleville, Division 1 
  • Muskegon Mona Shores v. Walled Lake Western, Division 2 
  • Muskegon v. DeWitt, Division 3 

Saturday - 11-Player Football Semifinals on MHSAA.tv - All games 1 p.m. unless noted

  • Davison v. Sterling Heights Stevenson, Division 1 
  • Detroit King v. Birmingham Seaholm, Division 2 – 3 p.m. 
  • Chelsea v. River Rouge, Division 3 
  • Grand Rapids Catholic Central v. Hudsonville Unity Christian, Division 4 
  • Flint Powers Catholic v. Detroit Country Day, Division 4 
  • Kingsley v. Lansing Catholic, Division 5 
  • Almont v. Detroit Denby, Division 5 
  • Maple City Glen Lake v. Montague, Division 6 
  • Onsted v. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, Division 6 
  • Jackson Lumen Christi v. Cass City, Division 7 – 11 a.m. 
  • Beal City v. Ubly, Division 8 
  • Fowler v. Reading, Division 8 

A subscription to MHSAA.tv is $10.99 and allows 30 days of viewing live content on the NFHS Network.