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
Streams Continue with Saturday Lacrosse
June 4, 2019
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
There will be live streaming audio and video coverage of the MHSAA Boys & Girls Lacrosse Finals on Saturday (June 8) on the MHSAA Network and MHSAA.tv.
The MHSAA’s audio streaming website – MHSAANetwork.com – goes back on the air for the last two weekends of the Spring sports tournament run for live coverage of the Lacrosse and Girls Soccer Finals, as well as the Semifinals and Finals in Baseball and Softball.
Here’s the complete Lacrosse Finals schedule with direct links to the live video streams on MHSAA.tv:
Girls Finals at Novi High School
2 p.m. – Division 2 – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood/East Grand Rapids Semifinal winner v. Okemos/Bloomfield Hills Marian Semifinal winner
4:30 p.m. – Division 1 – Birmingham Seaholm/Rockford Semifinal winner v. Hartland/Brighton Semifinal winner
Boys Finals at Parker Middle School, Howell
2 p.m. – Division 1 – Birmingham Brother Rice/Rockford Semifinal winner v. Detroit Catholic Central/Lake Orion Semifinal winner
4:30 p.m. – Division 2 – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central/Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Semifinal winner v. East Grand Rapids/Ada Forest Hills Eastern Semifinal winner
Subscribe for a Month Pass to the NFHS Network for $9.95, which will provide access to more than 100 hours of live programming of Spring Finals. Next weekend, MHSAA Finals in Lower Peninsula Girls Soccer (June 14-15) and Semifinals and Finals in Baseball and Softball (June 13-15) will be streamed live.
All events will be archived for free on-demand viewing, beginning three days after their completion. Subscriptions must be cancelled before the 30-day period is over to avoid recurring charges.
Instant audio and video downloads of events taking place on the MHSAA Network and MHSAA.tv will be available shortly following the conclusion of each stream. Click the appropriate button next to the media player of the broadcast to order. Audio downloads are $4.99. Video downloads are priced at $19.95.
MHSAA members participating in the School Broadcast Program will be providing bonus coverage during the final days of the spring sports season. SBP participants routinely stream MHSAA tournament events their schools host.
Brighton is one of more than 100 SBP schools using the NFHS Network’s automated production solution – Pixellot – to produce games and has a Pixellot unit installed at its outdoor multi-purpose field. Brighton will provide Pixellot coverage of two Semifinal games Wednesday (June 6) in the MHSAA Girls Lacrosse Tournament.
Here’s the schedule:
Division 2 – Okemos v. Bloomfield Hills Marian – 5:30 p.m.
Division 1 – Hartland v. Brighton – 7:30 p.m.
Cedar Springs High School will cover a Division 3 Girls Soccer Semifinal at 6 p.m. on June 11 involving the winners of the Hope College and Clare Regionals.
In its 10th 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 events. The SBP 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 also sell Season and Annual Passes at a discounted rate. 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.