Be the Referee: Pass Interference
September 9, 2014
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains one of the toughest calls to make on the football field.
"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 - Pass Interference - Listen
Today we’re going to talk about one of the most difficult calls for any football official – pass interference. It’s important to know that whenever a forward pass is thrown beyond the line of scrimmage that both players – the offensive receiver as well as the defender – each have an equal right to make a play on the football.
Now, not all contact will automatically result in a pass interference foul. The official must judge if that early contact before the ball arrives has placed one of the two players at a distinct disadvantage. When that contact does create the disadvantage, you have a foul for pass interference. When the contact is minimal and is simply incidental, no foul has occurred.
Past editions
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen
Sept. 4 - Concussions - Listen
The Official View: The Couple That Officiates Together
By
Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director
October 8, 2018
By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director
This key to a long and happy marriage is officiating school sports.
Richard and Christine Lee from Brown City are proof. Richard has been officiating with the MHSAA for 42 years, and Christine has been an MHSAA official for 23 years. And this spring they celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary!
Of course, they celebrated in part by working a meet together, as seen in the photo above.
It’s Official!
Rules Meetings: With winter sports just around the corner, many of you already have begun getting into officiating shape and studying up on rules and mechanics in preparation of another great MHSAA season. Don’t forget to tend to the administrative requirements for postseason tournament consideration. The first Winter Online Rules Meetings become available starting today.
Here is the schedule for this year:
Oct. 8 – Basketball, Ice Hockey, Competitive Cheer and Wrestling
Oct. 15 – Gymnastics and Swimming
All Online Rules Meetings will close Dec. 13 at 11:59 pm. Don’t miss out on postseason opportunities because you put off (then forget) these requirements.
Rule of the Week
CROSS COUNTRY As A1 reaches the 3,000-meter mark, the umpire notices that the runner has multi-color compression shorts with a manufacturer’s logo that extends beneath the runner’s shorts but above her knees.
Ruling: There is no violation and no warning should be given. New NFHS cross country rule 4-3-1 provides that any visible garment(s) worn underneath the uniform top and/or bottom are considered a foundation garment. A foundation garment is any item worn under the uniform top and/or bottom and is not subject to logo/trademark/reference or color restrictions.
It’s Your Call
FOOTBALL On this play, the right guard pulls as the running back receives the handoff. The play results in a half-yard loss, but is there more to this play? What’s the call?
Last Week’s IYC Ruling: In order for the first contact to be considered a “block,” some part of the player’s hands must extend higher than the top of the net. This is a very close call as to whether her hands meet this – probably too close to consider them “below.” (Click to see the video from last week.)
The more pertinent aspect that applies to this play is whether she is still a blocker based on her playing action. One thing we should look at to determine whether this is a defensive or offensive play is arm swing. When the player in the clip takes a swing at the ball, this becomes an attack. As a result, the second contact by the front row member of Team R should be called a double hit violation.