Be the Referee: Bat Safety
June 1, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how bats have been altered the last few seasons to make baseball safer for pitchers and infielders.
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 - Bat Safety - Listen
The biggest change in the world of amateur baseball over the last five years has been the new standards for non-wood, or what most of us refer to as aluminum, bats.
Prior to these changes, it was quite common to see high school and college baseball scores in double digits on a regular basis.
The new bat standards first sought to address player safety. And now these new aluminum bats match the ball exit speed ratio – or in other words, the speed that the ball comes off the bat – for a non-wood bat with what it would be coming off a wood bat; making the amateur game safer for pitchers and infielders.
Past editions
May 25 - Balks - Listen
May 18 - Baseball Pace of Play - Listen
May 11 - Fair or Foul Ball? - Listen
May 4 - Non-Glare Helmets - Listen
April 27 - Vern L. Norris Award - Listen
March 23 - Deciding the Game - Listen
March 16 - Block/Charge Call - Listen
March 9 - Dive on the Floor - Listen
March 2 - Primary Areas - Listen
Feb. 23 - Too Much TV - Listen
Feb. 16 - Video Clip Library - Listen
Feb. 9 - Cheer Safety - Listen
Feb. 2 - Basketball PA Announcers - Listen
Jan. 26 - Wrestling Health Concerns - Listen
Jan. 19 - Basketball Physical Contact - Listen
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
Become an Official: HS Sports Need You
January 24, 2018
By Bob Gardner, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations
and Mark Uyl, Assistant Director of the Michigan High School Athletic Association
They don’t make the headlines, their names are not in the box scores and they don’t make the all-star teams. But perhaps the most important individuals in high school sports are the contest officials.
These individuals are so important that, in fact, there would be no organized competitive sports at the high school level without the men and women who officiate these contests every day across the country. Subtract the dedicated men and women who officiate high school sports, and competitive sports would no longer be organized; they would be chaotic.
In some areas of our country, high school officials are retiring faster than new ones are being added. And junior varsity, freshmen and middle school games are being postponed – or even cancelled – because there are not enough men and women to officiate them.
Anyone looking for a unique way to contribute to the local community should consider becoming a registered high school official. For individuals who played sports in high school, officiating is a great way to stay close to the sport after their playing days have ended. Officiating helps people stay in shape, expands their social and professional networks and offers part-time work that is flexible, yet pays. In fact, officiating is a form of community service, but with compensation.
Another benefit of officiating is that individuals become role models so that teenagers in the community can learn the life lessons that high school sports teach. Students learn to respect their opponents and the rules of the game and the importance of practicing good sportsmanship thanks, in part, to those men and women who officiate. And the objectivity and integrity that high school officials display is an example that every young person needs to observe firsthand. In short, communities around the country will be stronger because of the life lessons that high school officials help teach the next generation.
Officiating is a great way to stay connected to sports and to give back to the local high school and community. We need dedicated men and women to become involved so that high school sports can continue to prosper for years to come.
Individuals interested in learning more about becoming a high school official, and even beginning the application process, can do so at www.HighSchoolOfficials.com.