Be the Referee: Block/Charge Calls
March 29, 2016
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains what is often considered the most difficult call to make in all of sports officiating.
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 - Block/Charge - Listen
It’s often been said that the most difficult call to make in all of sports officiating is the block/charge in basketball.
When you’re watching your next basketball game, the key for the official in getting the play correct is determining whether or not the defender gets in a legal guarding position. Many times we’ll hear announcers and commentators talk about the defender having his feet planted and stationary; that actually isn’t required by the rule. The rules require the defender to be in a legal guarding position, which is a position where it’s facing the offensive player and they’ve established a position in advance of the offensive player.
If the defender is in illegal position, the contact is now a charge.
Past editions:
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: Misunderstood Kick Rule
September 27, 2017
In this week's edition, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl reviews a pair of football kicking rules that are among the most misunderstood at the high school level.
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 – Misunderstood Football Rules: Kicking - Listen
Some of the most misunderstood high school football rules revolve around the kicking game.
At the high school level, on both kickoffs and punts, the rules are unique to what’s seen at the college and pro levels. When a kick breaks the plane of the goal line – it does not matter if it’s a punt or a kickoff – when that ball breaks the plane, the ball is dead under high school rules and it results in an automatic touchback.
And an even more unique set of rules deal with field goals. Under high school rules, whenever there’s a missed field goal, it’s treated just like a punt, so that long field goal that comes up well short and goes out of bounds at the 2-yard line means the other team gets the ball, 1st and 10 at the 2.
Past editions
September 21: Preparation for Officials - Listen
September 14: Always Stay Registered - Listen
September 7: Other Football Rules Changes - Listen
August 31: Pop-Up Onside Kicks - Listen
August 24: Blindside Blocks - Listen