Be the Referee: Baseball Pitch Counts
May 12, 2016
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses how some states are moving toward a rule regulating overuse of high school baseball pitchers based on pitch count.
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 - Baseball Pitch Counts - Listen
One of the big health and safety issues right now in the athletic world deals in the sport of baseball – and that’s the arm care restrictions for pitchers.
For many years, the MHSAA has had an innings limitations rule. In other words, once a pitcher reached 30 outs over a period of days, that pitcher had to have a mandatory rest period.
Much of the most recent research now points towards most states having some sort of a pitch count limitation. This work has been supported by a blue-ribbon panel sponsored by Major League Baseball and USA Baseball, that has looked at the science, and the push now is for pitch counts versus inning limitations.
Past editions:
May 5: Home Run or Not? - Listen
April 28: Norris Award Winner Linda Hoover - Listen
April 21: Legacy Program - Listen
April 14: Baseball/Softball Replay - Listen
March 24: Use of the Monitor - Listen
March 17: Block/Charge - Listen
March 10: Ball Stuck on the Rim - Listen
March 3: Three Seconds - Listen
Feb. 25: Deciding the Game - Listen
Feb. 18 : Cheer Safety - Listen
Feb. 11: Primary Areas - Listen
Feb. 4: Block/Charge Calls - Listen
Jan. 28: Dive on the Floor - Listen
Jan. 21: Hockey Officials' Options - Listen
Jan. 14: Recruiting Officials - Listen
Jan. 7: Wrestling Weight Monitoring - Listen
Dec. 31: Respect for Referees - Listen
Dec. 24: Basketball Instant Replay - Listen
Dec. 17: Basketball Communication - Listen
Dec. 10: Basketball Excessive Contact - Listen
Nov. 26: Pregame Communication - Listen
Nov. 19: Trick Plays - Listen
Nov. 12: 7-Person Football Mechanics - Listen
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: Girls Lacrosse New Stoppage Rule
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
April 8, 2025
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 – Girls Lacrosse New Stoppage Rule - Listen
We’re on the field today for a girls lacrosse game. The green team leads by two goals with 45 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Number 22 for green drives hard toward the goal but is whistled for a charge in the critical scoring area.
What is the correct procedure?
A. Let the clock run and allow the player to self-start.
B. Let the clock run and resume play with a whistle.
C. Stop the clock, signal the foul, and allow the player to self-start.
D. Stop the clock, signal the foul, and resume play with a whistle.If you said D — stop the clock, signal the foul, and resume play with a whistle — you are correct. New this year, the clock must stop on the official’s whistle and signal for any foul in the critical scoring area during the final minute of each quarter, unless there’s a 10-goal differential.
Previous 2024-25 Editions
April 1: Base Runner Interference - Listen
March 25: Pine Tar Usage - Listen
March 11: Basketball Replay - Listen
March 4: Gymnastics Deduction - Listen
Feb. 25: Competitive Cheer Inversion - Listen
Feb. 18: Ice Hockey Delay of Game - Listen
Feb. 11: Ski Helmets - Listen
Feb. 4: Wrestling In Bounds or Out? - Listen
Jan. 21: Block or Charge? - Listen
Jan. 14: Out of Bounds, In Play - Listen
Jan. 7: Wrestling Scoring - Listen
Dec. 17: Bowling Ball Rules - Listen
Dec. 10: Neck Laceration Protector - Listen
Dec. 3: Basketball Goaltending - Listen
Nov. 26: 11-Player Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 19: 8-Player vs. 11-Player Football - Listen
Nov. 12: Back Row Setter - Listen
Nov. 5: Football OT - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Registration - Listen
Oct. 22: Volleyball Serve - Listen
Oct. 15: "You Make the Call" - Soccer Offside - Listen
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