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
Today in the MHSAA: 10/20/23
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 20, 2023
1. BOYS SOCCER No. 6 Grosse Ile clinched its 15th-straight District title with a 3-1 win over No. 10 Milan in Division 3 – Southgate News-Herald
2. VOLLEYBALL Division 2 No. 3 Marysville came back from a two-set deficit to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Red title with a five-set win over Macomb L’Anse Creuse North – Macomb Daily
3. BOYS SOCCER No. 10 Rochester Adams got past No. 11 Utica Eisenhower 2-0 in a Division 1 District Final – Oakland Press
4. BOYS SOCCER Top-ranked Holland Christian defeated No. 10 Holland High 3-0 to claim a Division 2 District title – FOX 17
5. CROSS COUNTRY Ann Arbor Pioneer – whose girls are ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 and whose boys are No. 3 – clinched the Southeastern Conference Red titles, while the Chelsea girls and LPD2 top-ranked Pinckney boys claimed championships in the SEC White – Ann Arbor News
6. BOYS SOCCER No. 4 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep defeated No. 11 Kalamazoo Christian 2-1 in a Division 4 District Final – WWMT
7. VOLLEYBALL Reed City earned a share of the Central State Activities Association title with a four-set win over White Cloud – Big Rapids Pioneer
8. VOLLEYBALL Division 3 honorable mention Morley Stanwood earned the other share in the CSAA with a four-set win over Central Montcalm – Big Rapids Pioneer
9. CROSS COUNTRY The Brownstown Woodhaven girls and Allen Park boys won Downriver League championship races – Southgate News-Herald
10. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD1 No. 4 Holland West Ottawa girls and No. 2 Grand Haven boys won Ottawa-Kent Conference Red championship meets – Holland Sentinel