Be the Referee: Officials Reports

March 23, 2017

In this week's final "Be the Referee" of the 2016-17 school year, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how officials report to the MHSAA office and schools when they experience a situation outside the norm, and the importance of those reports.

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 Reports - Listen

One of the ways officials provide feedback on the games they work is through an online Officials Report form process, where officials provide the MHSAA Office and the schools involved follow-up information whenever odd or unusual things take place.

The form can be used to report praise for a school, and it can also be used for concerns – everything form a sportsmanship concern to an equipment or facility problem which might need some further attention. The form is also used on those few occasions where ejections from games occur. Schools which receive no negative officials reports are annually sent a congratulatory letter from the MHSAA, and last year, over 250 schools were so recognized.

    Past editions
    March 16: Under the Bus - Listen
    March 9: Hockey Hits - Listen
    March 2: Deciding the Game - Listen
    Feb. 23: Pitch Counts - Listen
    Feb. 16: Recruiting Officials - Listen
    Feb. 9: Ejections - Listen
    Feb. 2: Wrestling & Technology - Listen
    Jan. 26: Post Play - Listen
    Jan. 19: Ice Hockey Overtime - Listen
    Jan. 12: Free Throw Change - Listen
    Jan. 5: Ratings - Listen
    Dec. 22: Video Review - Part 2 - Listen
    Dec. 15: Video Review - Part 1 - Listen
    Dec. 8: Registration - Part 2 - Listen
    Dec. 1: Registration - Part 1 - Listen
    Nov. 24: You Make the Call - Sleeper Play - Listen
    Nov. 17: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
    Nov. 10: Uncatchable Pass - Listen
    Nov. 3: The Goal Line - Listen
    Oct. 27: Help Us Retain Officials - Listen
    Oct. 20: Point After Touchdown - Listen
    Oct. 13: Untimed Down - Listen
    Oct. 6: Soccer Penalty Kick Change - Listen
    Sept. 29: Preparation for Officials - Listen
    Sept 22: You Make the Call: Returning Kickoffs - Listen
    Sept. 15: Concussions - Listen
    Sept 8: Equipment Covering the Knees - Listen
    Sept. 1: Play Clock Experiment - Listen
    Aug. 25: Clipping in the Free Blocking Zone - Listen

    Be the Referee: 3 Seconds

    By Sam Davis
    MHSAA Director of Officials

    January 9, 2024

    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 – 3 Seconds - Listen

    If a basketball team has a good post player, you’ll usually hear the opposing crowd call for “three seconds.” But what is “three seconds,” and when should it be called?

    A three-second violation occurs when a player is in the lane for more than three seconds. But it’s not always that easy. First, a player can leave the lane and then re-establish position, re-setting the three-second clock. To establish position outside the lane, the player must have both feet on the playing surface, outside of the lane. It won’t reset the count if it’s one foot outside the lane and the other foot in the air.

    Also, during a throw-in or while dribbling, attempting a shot, or rebounding, there is no three-second count. The count does not start again until the offense has control of the ball in the frontcourt.

    Previous Editions

    Dec. 19: Unsuspecting Hockey Hits - Listen
    Dec. 12: No More One-And-Ones - Listen
    Nov. 21: Football Finals Replay - Listen
    Nov. 14: Volleyball Unplayable Areas - Listen
    Nov. 7: Pass/Kick Off Crossbar - Listen
    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