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

Football Streaming Returns to MHSAA TV

August 27, 2019

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

For the third straight year, MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network will open the high school football season with live streaming video of contests from gridiron festivals in Detroit and Flint.

The action begins at 4 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 29) when Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice and Utica Eisenhower open the 15^th Annual Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic at Tom Adams Stadium on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit, and Grand Blanc faces Midland Dow in the Third Annual Vehicle City Gridiron Classic at historic Atwood Stadium in Flint on the campus of Kettering University.

The nightcap games on Thursday are Clinton Township Chippewa Valley vs. Saline at 7 p.m. in Detroit and Goodrich against Flint Powers Catholic in Flint at 7:30 p.m.

Here’s the schedule for the other games:

Prep Kickoff Classic – Detroit

Friday - Aug. 30
Birmingham Groves v. Grosse Pointe South, 4 p.m.
Muskegon v. Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 7 p.m.
Saturday - Aug. 31
Detroit Catholic Central v. Detroit Martin Luther King, 1 p.m.
Detroit Cass Tech v. Chicago Wendell Phillips Academy, 4 p.m.

Vehicle City Gridiron Classic – Flint

Friday, Aug. 30
Otisville LakeVille v. North Branch, 4 p.m.
Flint Carman-Ainsworth v. Port Huron, 7:30 p.m.

The NFHS Network is also working with FOX Sports Detroit to help promote the 2019 edition of Football Week In Michigan, by making the games in Detroit available to cable or satellite subscribers of that channel on FOX Sports GO!

The games in Detroit and Flint are part of a 25-game weekend on the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv, which is also highlighted by Week 1 showdowns between Pewamo-Westphalia and Reading at Olivet College and Hudson at Ithaca both at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Here’s a list of the varsity events being broadcast on the network over the coming week:

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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Past editions

Prep Kickoff Classic – Detroit

Vehicle City Gridiron Classic – Flint