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: Pop-Up Onside Kicks

August 31, 2017

This week, "Be the Referee" with MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains an onside kicking technique no longer allowed as the second of a three-part series on football rules changes for 2017.

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 – Pop-Up Onside Kicks - Listen


One of the most exciting plays is the onside kick, which has turned the tide around in many games.

In the interest of safety, national high school rules this year have eliminated the onside kick where the ball is kicked with great force off the tee into the ground, generating a pop-up ball, which creates a dangerous recovery situation.

This kind of pop-up kick will immediately be blown dead by the officials, and a five-yard penalty will be assessed to the kicking team.

Onside kicks which are dribbled along the ground, hitting at least twice, are still legal by rule; and the kicker can still pooch kick the ball straight up into the air off the tee.

But the pop-up kick which hits the ground first, and bounces only once is no longer a playable ball.

Past editions
August 24: Blindside Blocks - Listen