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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

Watch Selection Sunday Show on FSD

October 16, 2018

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

Selection Sunday officially turns the page from the regular season in Michigan high school football to the postseason, and the qualifiers and pairings for the 44th MHSAA Football Playoffs will be announced Sunday (Oct. 21) at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports Detroit.

In addition to being available on the primary FOX Sports Detroit channel on cable, the Selection Sunday Show also can be viewed on the internet through the FoxSportsDetroit.com Website, and on handheld devices and television streaming devices like Roku using the FOX Sports app.

The Selection Sunday Show kicks off this year’s Football Playoff coverage on FOX, which will include an opening night game on FOX Sports Detroit-PLUS, Prep Zone games the first four weeks of the tournament on the FoxSportsDetroit.com Website and the FOX Sports app, the 8-Player Finals live online and delayed on FOX Sports Detroit and all eight games of the 11-Player Finals live on FOX Sports Detroit or FOX Sports Detroit-PLUS. It’s all part of the second “Football Week In Michigan” promotion on FOX Sports.

But first, Week 9 games take place to conclude football’s regular season – and there’s plenty of live streaming boys soccer District and regular-season girls volleyball action this week on MHSAA.tv, being produced by participants of the School Broadcast Program.

Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by School Broadcast Program members and the NFHS Network (Check this list online at MHSAA.com for updates throughout the week as SBP members schedule additional games.):

Tuesday - Oct. 16

Wednesday - Oct. 17

Thursday - Oct. 18

Friday - Oct. 19

Saturday - Oct. 20

Tuesday - Oct. 23

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.

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 will be selling 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.