Be the Referee: Clipping Clipped
August 25, 2016
MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl opens a new year of “Be the Referee” by explaining the latest rules change affecting blocking in football.
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 – Clipping in the Free Blocking Zone - Listen
Most of the recent rules changes in high school football have all dealt with increasing player safety. The most significant change for the 2016 season focuses on safety, especially for offensive and defensive linemen.
For many years, the free blocking zone (the area between the two offensive tackles) was an area where two types of blocks – blocks below the waste and clipping, that are illegal on other parts of the field – were legal if done by linemen initially at the start of a play. For this season, clipping is now an illegal block, even in the free blocking zone, while blocks below the waste continue to be legal from in front.
2022 Officials Awards Again Honors Hundreds Who Make Our Games Possible
By
Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
July 15, 2022
The MHSAA annually honors high school game officials with 20, 30, 40, 45 and 50 years of service as part of its Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet.
This year's virtual banquet honored our Vern L. Norris and Randy Paulson Award winners and 395 officials who celebrated a milestone school year.
This year's honorees included two officials with 60 years of service, and eight celebrating 55 years. Eighteen officials with 50 years of service were honored, along with 44 officials with 45 years. A 40-year award has been presented to 54 officials. In addition, 98 officials with 30 years and 171 officials with 20 years of experience were honored.