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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

Hockey Clashes Top MHSAA TV Lineup

January 3, 2018

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties 

Games involving three of the top-ranked teams in Michigan high school hockey – Brighton, Calumet and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – highlight this week’s schedule of high school sporting events on MHSAA.tv produced by Association members taking part in the School Broadcast Program.
 
Calumet, the third-ranked team in Division 3 in the most recent Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association poll (Dec. 18, 2017), hosts St. Mary’s, the No. 3 team in Division 1, on Friday (Dec. 5) at 7 p.m. Brighton, the top-ranked team in Div. 1 and the defending MHSAA champion in that division, rolls into the Keweenaw Peninsula to face the Copper Kings on Saturday (Jan. 6) at 7 p.m.
 
A total of 72 sporting events – 44 at the varsity level – are on the schedule for this week, with more to be added as the week progresses. 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 – the NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution - is used by schools that wish to live stream games but lack the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions. Of the 72 games on this week’s schedule, 53 will be Pixellot productions.
 
Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by SBP members:
 
Wednesday, Jan. 3
Freshman Boys Basketball – Flint Kearsley at Otisville-Lakeville - 4 p.m. 
Wrestling - Montrose Dual - 5 p.m.
Wrestling –  Macomb Lutheran North Quad - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Flint Kearsley at Otisville-Lakeville – 5:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Marion at Vestaburg – 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Farmington at Lake Orion – 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Flint Kearsley at Otisville-Lakeville – 7 p.m.
 
Thursday, Jan. 4
Freshman Boys Basketball – Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park - 4 p.m.
Freshman Boys Basketball - Roscommon at Harrison - 4:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Grand Rapids West Catholic at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - L'Anse at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Wakefield-Marinesco at Dollar Bay - 5:45 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Lincoln Alcona at Rogers City - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Roscommon at Harrison - 6 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball - Frankenmuth at Freeland - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Crystal Falls Forest Park at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Negaunee at Marquette - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Lincoln Alcona at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - L'Anse at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Dollar Bay at Lake Linden-Hubbell - 7:20 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Wakefield-Marinesco at Dollar Bay - 7:20 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Roscommon at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Crystal Falls Forest Park at Norway - 8 p.m.
 
Friday, Jan. 5
Freshman Girls Basketball - Big Rapids at Fremont - 4:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Webberville at Montrose - 5:29 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Ortonville-Brandon at Otisville-Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Big Rapids at Fremont - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Fowlerville at Ionia - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Allegan at Plainwell - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Shepherd at Freeland - 6 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Orchard Lake St. Mary’s at Calumet - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Ortonville-Brandon at Otisville-Lakeville - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Webberville at Montrose - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Ashley at Vestaburg - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Houghton at Lake Linden-Hubbell - 7:20 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Ionia at Fowlerville - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Allegan at Plainwell - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Shepherd at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Big Rapids at Fremont - 7:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, Jan. 6
Boys Ice Hockey - Brighton at Calumet - 7 p.m.

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