Be the Referee: No Replay on Diamonds

April 14, 2016

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how instant replay works, or rather doesn't work, in high school baseball and softball. 

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 - Baseball/Softball Replay - Listen

When watching a major league baseball game today, it’s hard to go through an entire game without at least one play going to instant replay.

At the amateur levels – in both high school baseball and high school softball – there is zero use of instant replay by game officials to make any decisions. In other words, at the high school level, the umpires are the sole judge of any judgment or playing rule call that happens during the course of the game. 

Even if teams or parents are videotaping part of the game, that footage can never be used to confirm, overturn, or even review any umpire call.

Past editions:
March 24: Use of the Monitor - Listen
March 17: Block/Charge - Listen
March 10: Ball Stuck on the Rim - Listen
March 3: Three Seconds - Listen
Feb. 25: Deciding the Game - Listen
Feb. 18 : Cheer Safety - Listen
Feb. 11: Primary Areas - Listen
Feb. 4: Block/Charge Calls - Listen
Jan. 28: Dive on the Floor - Listen
Jan. 21: Hockey Officials' Options - Listen
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