Be the Referee: Deciding the Game

March 2, 2017

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses why officials must make calls even in the final moments of a close game during tournament time.

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 – Deciding the Game - Listen

Every American sports fan knows when the calendar turns to March, it’s time to start thinking about basketball tournament games.

With all of the pundits out there talking about the matchups and who may advance on the brackets, the comment gets made every single year that we simply hope the players decide the outcome of every game – and not a referee’s call.

The fact of the matter is that in the last 10 seconds of a tied game, when a player drives down the lane and gets hit and get knocked to the floor, an official has to make that foul call because the players did decide the outcome of that game. For the officials to simply swallow their whistles and let one team break the rules for a clear advantage is not letting those players decide the outcome.

    Past editions
    Feb. 23: Pitch Counts - Listen
    Feb. 16: Recruiting Officials - Listen
    Feb. 9: Ejections - Listen
    Feb. 2: Wrestling & Technology - Listen
    Jan. 26: Post Play - Listen
    Jan. 19: Ice Hockey Overtime - Listen
    Jan. 12: Free Throw Change - Listen
    Jan. 5: Ratings - Listen
    Dec. 22: Video Review - Part 2 - Listen
    Dec. 15: Video Review - Part 1 - Listen
    Dec. 8: Registration - Part 2 - Listen
    Dec. 1: Registration - Part 1 - Listen
    Nov. 24: You Make the Call - Sleeper Play - Listen
    Nov. 17: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
    Nov. 10: Uncatchable Pass - Listen
    Nov. 3: The Goal Line - Listen
    Oct. 27: Help Us Retain Officials - Listen
    Oct. 20: Point After Touchdown - Listen
    Oct. 13: Untimed Down - Listen
    Oct. 6: Soccer Penalty Kick Change - Listen
    Sept. 29: Preparation for Officials - Listen
    Sept 22: You Make the Call: Returning Kickoffs - Listen
    Sept. 15: Concussions - Listen
    Sept 8: Equipment Covering the Knees - Listen
    Sept. 1: Play Clock Experiment - Listen
    Aug. 25: Clipping in the Free Blocking Zone - Listen

    Be the Referee: Basketball Instant Replay

    By Paige Winne
    MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

    March 14, 2023

    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 – Basketball Instant Replay - Listen

    When watching a college or NBA game, the last two minutes of the game can seem like it takes forever, especially in recent years where more and more judgment calls made by officials are subject to instant replay.

    At the high school level, video is not used to make a ruling or confirm or overturn a call made during the course of the contest. The only time video review is used in basketball at the high school level is at the MHSAA Semifinal and Final games.

    In these games, video review can be used only to determine if a shot was released in time at the end of the fourth quarter or overtime or if that shot was a 2-point or 3-point field goal attempt.

    The MHSAA believes that this very limited use of replay in these games at the very end of the tournament series in boys and girls basketball is the right call.

    Previous Editions:

    March 7: Hockey Overtime - Listen
    Feb. 28: Baker Bowling - Listen
    Feb. 21: Ski Finish - Listen
    Feb. 14: Swimming Touchpads - Listen
    Feb. 7: In or Out-of-Bounds in Wrestling - Listen
    Jan. 31: Over the Back - Listen
    Jan. 24: Competitive Cheer Judges - Listen
    Jan. 17: More Lines - Listen
    Jan. 10: On the Line - Listen
    Jan. 3: Basketball Measurements - Listen
    Dec. 13: Pregame Dunks - Listen
    Dec. 6: Gymnastics Judges - Listen
    Nov. 22: Football Finals Replay - Listen
    Nov. 15: Back Row Illegal Blocker - Listen
    Nov. 8: Swim Turn Judges - Listen
    Nov. 1: Soccer Referee Jersey Colors - Listen
    Oct. 25: Cross Country Tie-Breaker - Listen
    Oct. 18: Soccer Shootouts - Listen
    Oct. 11: Safety in End ZoneListen
    Oct. 4: Football Overtime Penalty - Listen
    Sept. 27: Kickoff Goal - Listen
    Sept. 20: Soccer Timing - Listen
    Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
    Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
    Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
    Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change
    - Listen