Be the Referee: Ejections

November 24, 2017

In this week's edition, assistant director Mark Uyl discusses the penalties that come with a player or coach ejection. 

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 – Ejections - Listen

Good sportsmanship is at the foundation of what high school sports is all about. Whenever a coach or player is ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct or behavior, that individual is suspended for the rest of that day of competition.

In some sports, that means that they’re done for the rest of that game on that day; or in sports where there are doubleheaders or tournament play involved, the person is disqualified from that entire day of competition.

The rule then also requires that the coach or player is ineligible for the subsequent day of competition, essentially being a one-day suspension for anyone who is ejected. 

Past editions
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: Swim Finishing Touch

September 19, 2019

This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis explains a new rule in swimming that allows for more flexibility when determining when a competitor has finished a race. 

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 - Swimming Finishing Touch - Listen

There’s a swimmer-friendly rules change being made in that sport this season. The definition of a legal finish has been changed to allow a competitor to touch any part of the finish end of the lane.

Previously, a swimmer had to contact the touch pad for a legal finish. The touch rule has also been changed to apply during relay races – where prior to this season only the final swimmer had to touch the finish end of the pool.

While the changes may provide some flexibility for swimmers, it does put additional responsibility on lane judges and back-up hand timers to be ready for those occurrences when a swimmer does not contact the touch pad.

Sept. 12: Curbing Gamesmanship By Substitution - Listen
Sept. 5: Football Safety Rules Changes - Listen
Aug. 29: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen