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

Conference Leads on the Line - Online

October 1, 2019

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

As the high school football season starts to see teams qualify for this year’s playoffs, a number of games with regular-season title implications highlight the fare available this week on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network.

Frankenmuth will attempt to qualify for the postseason and get some separation atop the Tri-Valley Conference East when the Eagles (5-0 overall, 4-0 league) host Essexville Garber (4-1, 3-1). The Oakland Activities Association Red could get a clear-cut leader or a logjam at the top when West Bloomfield (4-1, 3-0) entertains Rochester Adams (4-1, 2-1) – an Adams win could create a four-way tie in the Red with two weeks to go. To the west, Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-1, 2-0) and Allendale (3-2, 2-0) battle for the top spot in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue.

These games are part of a week’s schedule with 120 varsity and 135 sub-varsity events on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network. Here’s the complete list of varsity-level events to be streamed live during the coming week:

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Past editions