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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

UP Swim/Dive Finals On MHSAA TV

February 13, 2018

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties   

Swimming and diving action kicks off live streaming video coverage of MHSAA Championships on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network this week at the Upper Peninsula Swimming & Diving Finals at Marquette High School.

Friday’s (Feb. 16) coverage of the Diving Finals begins at 2:30 p.m., and the Swimming Finals on Saturday (Feb. 17) commence at 10 a.m.

The U.P. Swimming & Diving Finals will be joined this week by live action in Wrestling and Girls Competitive Cheer on MHSAA.tv, with those events being produced by participants in the School Broadcast Program.

School Broadcast Program participants cover tournament games which take place at their facilities as a condition of membership in the program.  SBP schools also play a major role in the production of Quarterfinal games in the Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments in March.

This week, Team Wrestling Regional coverage will take place at Freeland, Fremont and Marquette on Wednesday (Feb. 14), and Competitive Cheer Districts will be covered by Comstock Park and Novi.

The NFHS Network will provide six straight weekends of tournament coverage this winter on MHSAA.tv. Here’s the complete schedule:

  • Feb. 16-17 – Upper Peninsula Swimming & Diving Finals
  • Feb. 22-24 – Team Dual Wrestling Quarterfinals-Semifinals-Finals
  • March 2-3 – Individual Wrestling Finals
  • March 2-3 – Girls Competitive Cheer Finals
  • March 8-10 – Ice Hockey Semifinals & Finals
  • March 13 – Girls Basketball Quarterfinals
  • March 15-16 – Girls Basketball Semifinals
  • March 20 – Boys Basketball Quarterfinals
  • March 22-23 – Boys Basketball Semifinals

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 will also be selling Season and Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.

Of the record 115 events on this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule, 72 at the varsity level will be covered, with more to be added as the week progresses. A record 67 events will be produced by schools using Pixellot, the NFHS Network’s automated coverage solution. Be sure to check “Upcoming Events” on the MHSAA.tv home page daily for last-minute additions.

Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by SBP members:

Tuesday - February 13

Wednesday - February 14

Thursday - February 15

Friday - February 16

Saturday - February 17

Monday - February 19

Tuesday - February 20

Wednesday - February 21