Be the Referee: Block/Charge Calls

February 4, 2016

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl clears up the confusion concerning what is required for a charge to be called in 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 - Block/Charge Calls - Listen

Today we’re going to talk about one of the great myths in all of basketball rules that a defensive player must be completely stationary to take a charging foul against an offensive player either on the drive or on the dribble.

The reality is that a defender only has to obtain what is called a legal guarding position. A legal guarding position is when the defender is facing the offensive player and has essentially beaten him or her to that spot on the floor.

Once the defender is in this legal guarding position, the defender can be moving, and can even have one or both feet off the floor at the time that contact occurs.

Past editions:
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: Ejections

November 24, 2017

In this week's edition, assistant director Mark Uyl discusses the penalties that come with a player or coach ejection. 

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 – Ejections - Listen

Good sportsmanship is at the foundation of what high school sports is all about. Whenever a coach or player is ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct or behavior, that individual is suspended for the rest of that day of competition.

In some sports, that means that they’re done for the rest of that game on that day; or in sports where there are doubleheaders or tournament play involved, the person is disqualified from that entire day of competition.

The rule then also requires that the coach or player is ineligible for the subsequent day of competition, essentially being a one-day suspension for anyone who is ejected. 

Past editions
November 16: Toughest Call - Listen
November 9: Hurdling - Listen
November 2: The Survey Says - Listen
October 26: Helmet Comes Off -
 Listen
October 19: Goal Line Rules - Listen
October 12: No 1st-Year Fee - Listen
October 5: Athletic Empty Nesters - Listen
September 28: Misunderstood Football Rules: Kicking - Listen
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