Be the Referee: Officials Demographics

October 29, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses the importance of recruiting young officials so they may gain experience now and prepare to replace veterans wearing the whistle.

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 - Officials Demographics - Listen



A daily activity of the MHSAA is to recruit more officials in all of our sports. There is an urgency to try and bring new, younger people into the game as the current average age of an MHSAA registered official is 51.86. 

Young officials are needed now so they can gain experience and be ready to step into the varsity and tournament ranks when many of our aging officials are ready to hang up the whistle. With players getting bigger and faster all of the time, it is important that our officials keep up with the pace of play, and the more younger, athletic officials we can recruit, the better off all of our games will be.

Past editions:
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: Basketball Contact

January 22, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains new rules that further define contact fouls in high school basketball. 

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 Physical Contact - Listen

One of the most challenging jobs for any basketball official is determining how much physical contact to allow over the course of the game. This year, new rules in high school basketball better define what contact against the dribbler or ball handler now results in a foul.

First, it is a foul whenever a defender places two hands at the same time on the dribbler. Second, whenever a defender places an extended arm bar on the dribbler. The third automatic foul is when that defender extends and places and keeps a hand on that dribbler for an extended period of time; and lastly, it’s an automatic foul whenever the defender contacts that dribbler more than once with either the same hand or with alternating hands.

Past editions
Jan. 12 - Video Review Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 29 - Video Review Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 17 - Registration Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 10 - Registration Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 3 - Legacy Program - Listen
Nov. 26 - Sideline Management - Listen
Nov. 19 - 7-Person Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 12 - Blocking Below the Waist - Listen
Nov. 5 - Tournament Selection - Listen
Oct. 29 - Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Oct. 22 - Preparation for Officials - Listen
Oct. 15 - Automatic First Downs - Listen
Oct. 8 - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Oct. 1 - Overtime - Listen
Sept. 25 - Field Goals - Listen
Sept. 18 - Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 11 - Pass Interference - Listen
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen