Be the Referee: Basketball Contact

January 22, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains new rules that further define contact fouls in high school basketball. 

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 - Basketball Physical Contact - Listen

One of the most challenging jobs for any basketball official is determining how much physical contact to allow over the course of the game. This year, new rules in high school basketball better define what contact against the dribbler or ball handler now results in a foul.

First, it is a foul whenever a defender places two hands at the same time on the dribbler. Second, whenever a defender places an extended arm bar on the dribbler. The third automatic foul is when that defender extends and places and keeps a hand on that dribbler for an extended period of time; and lastly, it’s an automatic foul whenever the defender contacts that dribbler more than once with either the same hand or with alternating hands.

Past editions
Jan. 12 - Video Review Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 29 - Video Review Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 17 - Registration Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 10 - Registration Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 3 - Legacy Program - Listen
Nov. 26 - Sideline Management - Listen
Nov. 19 - 7-Person Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 12 - Blocking Below the Waist - Listen
Nov. 5 - Tournament Selection - Listen
Oct. 29 - Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Oct. 22 - Preparation for Officials - Listen
Oct. 15 - Automatic First Downs - Listen
Oct. 8 - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Oct. 1 - Overtime - Listen
Sept. 25 - Field Goals - Listen
Sept. 18 - Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 11 - Pass Interference - Listen
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen

Be the Referee: No Tackle Box

October 3, 2019

This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis explains the difference between high school and college/pro rules in regards to the football tackle box and intentional grounding. 

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 - No Tackle Box - Listen

Today we are going to talk about the rules that govern the quarterback, specifically when the quarterback is being rushed and is looking to throw the ball away and avoid the sack.

Under both pro and college rules, they have what’s called the tackle box. When the quarterback gets outside of the original position of the offensive tackles and throws the ball and it reaches the line of scrimmage, there is never a foul for intentional grounding.

However, under high school rules there is no such thing as a tackle box. If the quarterback is either in pocket or scrambles outside of the pocket and now is trying to throw that ball away to avoid the sack, there always must be a receiver in the vicinity of the pass to avoid an intentional grounding foul.

Past editions

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