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
Nearly 90 Events This Week on MHSAA TV
December 5, 2017
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
A record number of high school sporting events can be found this week on MHSAA.tv produced by Association members taking part in the School Broadcast Program.
A total of 89 sporting events – 55 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 wishing to live stream games but lacking in 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:
Tuesday - Dec. 5
Freshman Boys Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville Lakeville - 4 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball - Portage Northern at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Hamilton at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Ann Arbor Skyline at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Portage Northern at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Livonia Ladywood at Macomb Lutheran North - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Hale at Rogers City – 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Cheboygan at Alpena - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Marquette at Calumet - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Hamilton at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Auburn Hills Avondale at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville Lakeville - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Ann Arbor Skyline at Novi - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Hale at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Beal City at Vestaburg – 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Gladstone at Marquette - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Portage Northern at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Baraga at Dollar Bay - 7:20 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Livonia Ladywood at Macomb Lutheran North - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Escanaba at Negaunee – 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday - Dec. 6
JV Girls Basketball - South Lyon at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - South Lyon at Novi - 7 p.m.
Thursday - Dec. 7
Freshman Boys Basketball - Warren Michigan Collegiate at Macomb Lutheran North - 4 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball - Gladwin at Freeland - 4:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Warren Michigan Collegiate at Macomb Lutheran North - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Standish Sterling at Freeland - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Posen at Rogers City – 6 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Warren Michigan Collegiate at Macomb Lutheran North - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Posen at Rogers City – 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Standish Sterling at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Calumet at Negaunee – 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Blessed Cardinal Newman (Ont.) at Alpena - 8 p.m.
Friday - Dec. 8
Freshman Boys Basketball - Three Rivers at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball – Bloomfield Hills Marian at Macomb Lutheran North- 4:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Montrose at Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Three Rivers at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Traverse City at Alpena - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Eaton Rapids at Fowlerville - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Farwell at Harrison - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Bloomfield Hills Marian at Macomb Lutheran North - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Cooks Big Bay de Noc at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Rochester Adams at Calumet - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Oxford at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Montrose at Otisville Lakeville - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey – Warren De La Salle at Marquette - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Hartland at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Three Rivers at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Eaton Rapids at Fowlerville - 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Farwell at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Bloomfield Hills Marian at Macomb Lutheran North - 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Houghton at Negaunee – 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Cooks Big Bay de Noc at Norway 8 p.m.
Saturday - Dec. 9
Boys Ice Hockey – Warren De La Salle at Marquette - 1 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood at Grosse Pointe South - 7:40 p.m.
Girls Competitive Cheer - Comstock Park Invitational - 9 a.m.
Monday - Dec. 11
Freshman Boys Basketball - Chesaning at Freeland - 4:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Ewen-Trout Creek at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Chesaning at Freeland - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Marion at Harrison - 6 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Rock-Mid Peninsula at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Lake Orion at Clarkston - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Ewen-Trout Creek at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Chesaning at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Marion at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Rock-Mid Peninsula at Norway - 8 p.m.
Tuesday - Dec. 12
Swimming & Diving - Rudyard at Marquette - 3:30 p.m.
Freshman Boys Basketball – Mt. Morris at Otisville Lakeville - 4 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball - Dowagiac at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
Freshman Boys Basketball – Madison Heights Bishop Foley at Macomb Lutheran North - 4:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Hopkins at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball – Mt. Morris at Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Mt. Morris at Otisville Lakeville - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Troy at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Hancock at Calumet - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Dowagiac at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Lansing Sexton at Fowlerville - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Farmington Hills Mercy at Macomb Lutheran North - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Hopkins at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Mt. Morris at Otisville Lakeville - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Troy at Novi - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Oscoda at Rogers City - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Hancock at Calumet - 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Gladstone at Marquette - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Dowagiac at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Painesdale Jeffers at Dollar Bay - 7:20 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Perry at Fowlerville - 7:30 p.m.