Be the Referee: Most Important Line

Highlights

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

Highlights

MHSAA TV Sets OAA Red Volleyball Race

October 15, 2019

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

The chase for the Oakland Activities Association Red volleyball title will get a lot of attention on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network this week, with matches on Tuesday (Oct. 15) and Thursday (Oct. 17) that will determine the champion.

Clarkston enters the week on top of the Red at 5-0 in division play with Lake Orion and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek chasing the Wolves at 4-1. Lake Orion is at Stoney Creek on Tuesday, while Clarkston can clinch at least a share of the title hosting Rochester Adams (3-2) – both games will be streamed live on MHSAA.tv. On Thursday, Clarkston at Troy (1-4) and Adams at Lake Orion will both be streamed live, while West Bloomfield (2-3) is at Stoney Creek.

Clarkston was the highest-ranked OAA team in last week’s statewide coaches poll, and Lake Orion was an honorable mention.

Among School Broadcast Program-produced football streams Friday (Oct. 18) is Grand Rapids Christian at East Grand Rapids for the lead in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold. Saline can clinch the Southeastern Conference Red title with a win over visiting Ann Arbor Pioneer, but a Pioneer win would put both teams tied at the top and possibly be joined by Temperance Bedford. Fowler is at Pewamo-Westphalia to determine the Central Michigan Athletic Conference crown.

Plus, Boys District Semifinal and Final games from a number of sites around the state will be streamed. Here’s the complete list of varsity-level events to be broadcast live during the coming week:

All of the games are produced by participants in the School Broadcast Program – with East Lansing, Lake Orion, Pewamo-Westphalia, Saline, Marquette, Fowlerville, Montrose and Comstock Park deploying traditional, hands-on, student crew crews to capture the action. The other games are produced by schools using Pixellot – the NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution.

Now in its 11th year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot – The NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – is used by schools wishing to live stream games but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $9.95 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.

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