Be the Referee: Intentional Grounding

October 15, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains the difference between high school and college/pro rules when it comes to intentional grounding. 

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 - Make the Call: Intentional Grounding - Listen



A QB is rolling out wide toward the sideline and is being chased by two large defenders. To avoid a certain sack, the QB throws the ball away deep down the field where no offensive receiver is even in the same zip code of where the ball hits the ground. 

What’s the call? 

Under high school rules, this is intentional grounding as there always has to be a receiver in the general area of the pass. At the college and pro levels, all the QB has to do is throw the ball beyond the line of scrimmage if he has scrambled outside of the tackle box. When at your next game, know this important difference when it comes to intentional grounding.

Past editions:
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: Soccer Shootouts

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

October 18, 2022

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 – Soccer Shootouts - Listen

It’s tournament time for boys soccer, and that means the return of the shootout. In the regular season, games can end in a tie. But postseason games need to have a winner. If a game is tied at the end of regulation and the 20-minute overtime period, we move to a shootout.

Each team gets five attempts from the penalty spot, alternating between teams. If after five attempts, the teams still remain tied, it moves to one kick for each team until the tie is broken.

Now what happens when a kick is stopped by the keeper but has enough spin on it to roll back across the goal line?

That’s a goal. A shootout attempt isn’t complete until the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play. Just because a goalie initially stops an attempt does not mean the play is over.

Previous Editions:

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