Be the Referee: Deciding the Game

March 26, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how an official's approach DOES NOT change during the final seconds of a game.

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
March 16 - Block/Charge Call - Listen
March 9 - Dive on the Floor - Listen
March 2 - Primary Areas - Listen
Feb. 23 - Too Much TV - Listen
Feb. 16 - Video Clip Library - Listen
Feb. 9 - Cheer Safety - Listen
Feb. 2 - Basketball PA Announcers - Listen
Jan. 26 - Wrestling Health Concerns - Listen
Jan. 19 - Basketball Physical Contact -
 Listen
Jan. 12 - Video Review Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 29 - Video Review Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 17 - Registration Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 10 - Registration Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 3 - Legacy Program - Listen
Nov. 26 - Sideline Management - Listen
Nov. 19 - 7-Person Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 12 - Blocking Below the Waist - Listen
Nov. 5 - Tournament Selection - Listen
Oct. 29 - Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Oct. 22 - Preparation for Officials - Listen
Oct. 15 - Automatic First Downs - Listen
Oct. 8 - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Oct. 1 - Overtime - Listen
Sept. 25 - Field Goals - Listen
Sept. 18 - Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 11 - Pass Interference - Listen
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen

Be the Referee: Batted Baseball Hits Runner

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

April 9, 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 – Batted Baseball Hits Runner - Listen

There’s a runner on second base and the batter hits a sharp ground ball up the middle. The runner isn’t sure it will get through the infield, so he stands with one foot on the bag. The batted ball hits the runner while he’s in contact with second base. What’s the call?

The runner on second is out. The batted ball is declared dead, and the hitter is awarded first base. There’s no protection for the runner just because he’s standing on a base – he has to avoid being hit by the batted ball.

The exception would be if an infielder cut in front of the runner to make a play, missed the ball – and then the batted ball hit the runner. In this case, the runner would be safe.

Previous Editions

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