Be the Referee: Calling Intentional Fouls

February 1, 2018

In this week's edition, assistant director Mark Uyl discusses when basketball officials should call an intentional foul.

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 – Calling Intentional Fouls - Listen

At the end of any close basketball game, it’s an accepted part of basketball strategy for the team that’s behind to foul and send the team in the lead to the foul line.

This year there is a point of emphasis nationally dealing with intentional fouls. Intentional fouls should be called whenever a player obviously neutralizes an opponent’s obvious advantage, or when contact occurs with an opponent who is clearly not in the play, or when that contact is not an attempt to play the ball.

Certainly excessive contact remains as one of the types of intentional fouls. A team merely trying to foul on purpose does not make it an intentional foul.

Past editions
January 25: Points at the Edge of the Mat - Listen
January 18: Behavior Warning - Listen
January 11: Ice Hockey Safe & Sound - Listen
January 4: Why No Shot Clock - Listen
December 21: Coaches Responsible for Equipment - Listen
December 14: Mentoring New Officials - Listen
December 7: Dive on the Floor - Listen
November 30: Wrestling Weight Monitoring - Listen
November 23: Ejections - Listen
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

Be the Referee: Lacrosse Foul in Critical Scoring Area

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

May 21, 2024

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 – Lacrosse Foul in Critical Scoring Area - Listen

We are on the lacrosse field today when a foul is called on the defense inside the critical scoring area with 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter. As the free position is being set up, the game clock expires. What’s the call?

  • Disregard the clock and continue administering the free position and play will commence with a whistle?
  • Reset the game clock to 12 seconds and the free position will commence with a whistle?
  • The free position shall not be administered, and the third quarter is over?

If you said “do not administer the free position,” you are correct. The clock stops for fouls in the CSA in the last two minutes of the second and fourth quarters only – unless there is a 10-goal differential. If time runs out prior to the complete administration of a free position, then it shall not be administered.

Previous Editions

May 14: Avoiding the Tag - Listen
May 7: Baseball Pitch Count - Listen
April 30: Boys Lacrosse Helmets - Listen
April 23: Softball Interference - Listen
April 16: Soccer Red Card - Listen
April 9: Batted Baseball Hits Runner - Listen
March 12: Basketball Replay - Listen
March 5: Hockey Officials - Listen
Feb. 27: Less Than 5 - Listen
Feb. 20: Air Ball - Listen
Feb. 13: Hockey Penalties - Listen
Jan. 30: Wrestling Tiebreakers - Listen
Jan. 23: Wrestling Technology - Listen
Jan. 9: 3 Seconds - Listen
Dec. 19: Unsuspecting Hockey Hits - Listen
Dec. 12: No More One-And-Ones - Listen
Nov. 21: Football Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 14: Volleyball Unplayable Areas - Listen
Nov. 7: Pass/Kick Off Crossbar - Listen
Oct. 31: Cross Country Interference - Listen
Oct. 24: Soccer Overtime - Listen
Oct. 17: Tennis Spin - Listen
Oct. 10: Blocked Kick - Listen
Oct. 3: Volleyball Double & Lift - Listen
Sept. 26: Registration Process - Listen
Sept. 20: Animal Interference - Listen
Sept. 13: Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In - Listen
Sept. 6: Volleyball Jewelry - Listen
Aug. 30: Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen