Be the Referee: Hockey Officials' Options

January 21, 2016

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how changes to hockey penalties are helping to keep athletes safe.

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 - Hockey Officials' Options - Listen

Like all contact and collision sports, ice hockey is reviewing all playing rules with an emphasis and focus on increased player safety.

In the past, cross-checking, elbowing, goalkeeper contact, kneeing, slashing, tripping and roughing had options for a 2-minute minor or 5-minute major penalties. These violations now will include an option for game disqualification. 

Fouls for grabbing the facemask and head butting had options for a 5-minute major penalty or game disqualification. These violations now include an option for a 5-minute major plus a 10-minute misconduct. 

In addition, holding, hooking, interference/obstruction and bodychecking (girls teams) had the option of a 2-minute minor penalty. These fouls now will include the option for a 5-minute major penalty or game disqualification. 

These changes are all ways to keep the game hockey as safe as possible for all high school athletes.

Past editions:
Jan. 14: Recruiting Officials - Listen
Jan. 7: Wrestling Weight Monitoring - Listen
Dec. 31: Respect for Referees - Listen
Dec. 24: Basketball Instant Replay - Listen
Dec. 17: Basketball Communication - Listen
Dec. 10: Basketball Excessive Contact - Listen
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: Volleyball Obstruction

By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director

September 23, 2021

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 – Volleyball Obstruction - Listen

Ever wonder why in volleyball some balls hit into obstructions remain in play, while others are replayed, and some end the rally?

If a ball hits an obstruction over a playable area during a rally, and then is played by the same team, it has the same status as any other hit. However, that isn’t the case in all other instances.

If the ball hitting the wall or an object attached flush to the wall doesn’t actually interfere with a player’s legitimate effort to play the ball, the ball is dead and a loss of rally and point shall be awarded. If it does interfere with the playing of the ball, a replay is declared if the wall is less than six feet from the boundary.

If the ball hits a suspended backboard over the playable area, a replay will be declared as long as the referee believes the ball would have remained in play. Serves that hit any obstruction are a loss of rally and point.

Previous editions

Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen 
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen 
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics  Listen