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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

Unified Basketball On MHSAA TV

January 30, 2018

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties   

The efforts of MHSAA member schools to promote participation opportunities with the Michigan Special Olympics will get live video coverage this week as part of more than 80 events on MHSAA.tv being produced by participants in the School Broadcast Program.

The Kensington Lakes Activities Association is in the midst of several weeks of events where a number of its member schools are conducting Unified Basketball games, including a Tuesday (Jan. 30) contest with Novi hosting Brighton at 5:30 p.m. in a game being covered by Pixellot.

Project Unified puts special education students on the court, participating in concert with their general education peers. Lineups must consist of three unified student athletes and two unified student partners on the floor at all times.

The Unified game is one of several basketball games between Novi and Brighton on Tuesday, beginning at 4 p.m., and culminating with the varsity contest about 7:30 p.m. To help promote the Unified event, all of the games on MHSAA.tv originating from Novi will be free.   

The schedule over the upcoming week also features a potential battle of unbeatens in the Copper Mountain Conference. Next Tuesday (Feb. 6), Ewen-Trout Creek (15-0), the second-ranked team in Class D, will play at sixth-ranked Dollar Bay (10-0). E-TC leads the Porcupine Mountain division, and Dollar Bay sits atop the Copper division. On Saturday (Feb. 3), the KLAA Competitive Cheer Tournament will be streamed live from Novi High School.

Of the 83 games on this week’s schedule, 49 at the varsity level will be covered, with more to be added as the week progresses. Fifty-six of the games 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.

In its ninth 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 is used by schools wishing to live stream games, but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions. 

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

Monday – January 29, 2018

Tuesday - January 30

Wednesday - January 31

Thursday - February 1

Friday - February 2

Saturday - February 3

Monday - February 5

Tuesday - February 6

Wednesday - February 7

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.

A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.

Highlights of games produced in the past week by MHSAA School Broadcast Program members feature the following events:

Highlights can be found each week on the MHSAA.tv website, the home page of the MHSAA Website, and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube.