Be the Referee: Officials & Injuries
October 9, 2014
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains the official's role when it comes to player injuries.
"Be the Referee" is designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating and to recruit officials. The segment can be heard on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the school year on The Drive With Jack Ebling on WVFN-AM, East Lansing.
Below is this week's segment - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Player safety is the number one topic in football, from the NFL level to college to high school, all the way down to the youth levels. We often get the question, what is the official’s role when it comes to player injuries?
Officials have no role in diagnosing injuries. However, they must be constantly aware of what’s taking place on the field, and whenever a player is showing signs and symptoms of a possible injury, the game needs to be stopped and that team’s staff alerted to a possible injury.
The decisions on that injury are made by the team’s staff, which often includes a doctor, certified athletic trainer and members of the coaching staff to be certain that the best interests of the student-athlete is being followed in every case.
Past editions
Oct. 1 - Overtime - Listen
Sept. 25 - Field Goals - Listen
Sept. 18 - Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 11 - Pass Interference - Listen
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen
Be the Referee: Pass/Kick Off Crossbar
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
November 7, 2023
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 – Pass/Kick Off Crossbar - Listen
It’s 3rd-and-goal from the 12-yard line when the quarterback throws a pass high over the middle. It goes over the out-stretched hands of the receiver, hits the crossbar of the goalposts and ricochets back toward the receiver who is able to grab it while standing in the end zone.
Is this a touchdown?
It is not. Once a pass hits the crossbar – or uprights – of the goalposts, the pass is dead. It’s an incomplete pass, and now it’s 4th-and-goal.
So … they send out the field goal unit and the kick hits an upright and also bounces back into the field of play. Is the ball returnable by either team?
Nope. Once it hits the goal post and comes back onto the field – it is a missed field goal. The defense now takes over, 1st-and-10.
Previous Editions
Oct. 31: Cross Country Interference - Listen
Oct. 24: Soccer Overtime - Listen
Oct. 17: Tennis Spin - Listen
Oct. 10: Blocked Kick - Listen
Oct. 3: Volleyball Double & Lift - Listen
Sept. 26: Registration Process - Listen
Sept. 20: Animal Interference - Listen
Sept. 13: Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In - Listen
Sept. 6: Volleyball Jewelry - Listen
Aug. 30: Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen