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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

Soccer, XC Finals Stream Saturday

October 30, 2018

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

There’s live internet streaming of four MHSAA tournaments this week, featuring the Finals in two sports.

On Saturday (Nov. 3), the four championship games of the Lower Peninsula Boys Soccer Tournament will have live streaming video on MHSAA.tv and live streaming audio on MHSAANetwork.com. Also Saturday, the Finish Line Cam at Michigan International Speedway returns at the L.P. Cross Country Finals on MHSAA.tv.

Three Prep Zone games will take place Friday (Nov. 2) on FoxSportsDetroit.com and the FOX Sports app at 7 p.m.:

• Detroit Catholic Central at West Bloomfield (Div. 1)

• Birmingham Brother Rice at Birmingham Groves (Div. 2)

• Flint Powers Catholic at Williamston (Div. 4)

Viewing of the Prep Zone games is free on the FoxSportsDetroit.com website. Authentication may be required to view on the FOX Sports app.  All Prep Zone games also will be available for free on-demand viewing on the MHSAA.tv website.

The Prep Zone is part of the “Football Week In Michigan” promotion by FOX Sports Detroit, which is offering a $2,500 cash prize for the best photo posted on Instagram which shows what Football Week In Michigan means to that individual. Tag the photo @FOXSportsDetroit and include the hashtag #FWIMPHOTOCONTEST. Submissions will be accepted until Nov. 13.

Saturday’s Boys Soccer Finals will be Live on MHSAA.tv on a subscription basis with games at Noon and 3 p.m. at Novi and Comstock Park High Schools, with the games at each site to be announced after the Semifinals on Wednesday (Oct. 31). All games also will have live streaming audio at MHSAANetwork.com.

Both Division 3 Soccer Semifinal games – Macomb Lutheran North vs. Grosse Ile and Hudsonville Unity Christian vs. Ludington – will be live on MHSAA.tv at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

MHSAA.tv also will offer a free live video stream Saturday of the finish line at the Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals at Michigan International Speedway. The stream will include audio commentary from announcers around the course throughout each race. The morning session with the boys and girls races in Divisions 3 and 4 begins at 9:30 a.m., and the afternoon session with races in Divisions 1 and 2 starts at 1:30 p.m. Live timing of each race will be available on the Cross Country page of the MHSAA Website. Weather permitting, coverage of the awards ceremonies will be provided.

There also will be live coverage of Football District Finals and Girls Volleyball District games this week on MHSAA.tv, being produced by School Broadcast Program schools.

Here is this week’s full schedule on MHSAA.tv:

Tuesday, Oct. 30

Wednesday, Oct. 31

Thursday, Nov. 1

Friday, Nov. 2

Saturday, Nov. 3

• Nov. 3 – Boys Soccer Finals

• Nov. 10 – Selected Football Playoff Regional Finals

• Nov. 15-17 – Girls Volleyball Semifinals & Finals

• Nov. 17 – Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals

• Nov. 17 – Football Playoff Semifinals (13 games)

All sporting events – live or delayed - are available on a subscription basis only for their first 72 hours online. They become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion.