Be the Referee: Excessive Contact

December 10, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains rules new this basketball season designed to limit physical contact with ball-handlers. 

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 Excessive Contact - Listen

The game of basketball is a game of finesse and skill. The basketball playing rules' emphasis and focus for this year continue to work at getting the unnecessary rough and physical play out of basketball.

The acts that constitute a foul when committed against a ball-handler are when a defender…..a) places two hands on the ball handler; b) places an extended arm bar on the ball handler; c) places and keeps a hand on the ball handler; and d) contacts the ball handler more than once with the same hand or alternating hands.

Officials will deem these as automatic fouls, and consistent enforcement will keep the game of basketball a game of skill, not brute force. 

Past editions:
Nov. 26: Pregame Communication - Listen
Nov. 19: Trick Plays - Listen
Nov. 12: 7-Person Football Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 5: Make the Call: Personal Fouls - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Demographics - Listen
Oct. 15: Make the Call: Intentional Grounding - Listen
Oct. 8: Playoff Selection - Listen
Oct. 1: Kick Returns - Listen
Sept. 24: Concussions - Listen
Sept. 17: Automatic First Downs - Listen
Sept. 10: Correcting a Down - Listen
Sept 3:
Spearing - Listen
Aug. 27: Missed Field Goal - Listen

Be the Referee: 40-Second Play Clock

August 30, 2018

In this week's edition, assistant director Brent Rice explains how Michigan is continuing to experiment with a 40-second play clock 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 – 40-Second Play Clock - Listen

There’s an experiment taking place on a number of high school football fields across the state again this year. Michigan is experimenting with a 40-second play clock in football.

This is designed to provide more consistency from play to play as the ball must be snapped 40 seconds after the end of the previous play and is not dependent on the referee’s subjective signal.

When play is continuing without a stoppage, the 40-second play clock will be used. If play has been stopped for a time out or penalty, the play clock will be set at 25 seconds.

After two seasons, the feedback received from coaches and officials has been very positive, and there’s a possibility the Michigan experiment may become a new national playing rule soon.

Past editions

August 23: Football Rules Changes - Listen