Be the Referee: 7-Person Football Crews
November 12, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses why seven-person football crews are used for MHSAA Semifinals and Finals.
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 - 7-Person Football Mechanics - Listen
Last fall, the MHSAA used seven-person football officiating crews at the Semifinal and Final levels of our tournament for the very first time. These larger crews replaced the traditional five-person crews in the 24 most important games of the football season.
Seven-person crews, which for many years were the size of NCAA and NFL crews, provide for much better coverage in the passing and running games with all of the spread offenses and wide-open attacks that have become commonplace with football in the year 2015 and beyond. By adding the two extra officials on each deep sideline, coaches have now two officials to communicate with on each sideline to answer questions and address concerns.
Past editions:
Nov. 5: Make the Call: Personal Fouls - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Demographics - Listen
Oct. 15: Make the Call: Intentional Grounding - Listen
Oct. 8: Playoff Selection - Listen
Oct. 1: Kick Returns - Listen
Sept. 24: Concussions - Listen
Sept. 17: Automatic First Downs - Listen
Sept. 10: Correcting a Down - Listen
Sept 3: Spearing - Listen
Aug. 27: Missed Field Goal - Listen
Be the Referee: You Make the Call - Soccer Offside
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
October 15, 2024
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 – "You Make the Call" - Soccer Offside - Listen
We’ve got a soccer “You Make the Call” today.
Team A has a player – number 9 – in offside position.
Team A’s number 1 takes a shot on goal that hits the crossbar and deflects right to number 9. The player collects the ricochet, shoots and scores.
What’s the call?
- Goal is awarded because the ball deflected to number 9?
- No goal because number 9 was in an offside position and gained an advantage for being in the offside position?
- Or – Caution number 9 for being offsides and interfering with the play?
If you said “no goal because number 9 was offsides and gained an advantage,” you are correct.
Play would restart with an indirect free kick for Team B from where the ball was played by number 9 of Team A.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
Oct. 8: Roughing the Passer - Listen
Oct. 1: Abnormal Course Condition - Listen
Sept. 25: Tennis Nets - Listen
Sept. 18: Libero - Listen
Sept. 10: Cross Country Uniforms - Listen
Sept. 3: Soccer Handling - Listen
Aug. 24: Football Holding - Listen
(Photo by Adam Sheehan.)