Be the Referee: Penalty Kick Change

October 6, 2016

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how soccer penalty kick rules have been changed this year to dissuade players from hesitating before taking the kick.

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 – Soccer Penalty Kick Change - Listen

In the game of soccer, goals are tough to come by. That’s why in some of the most important games, we see those contests head into overtime and ultimately get decided by penalty kicks – or P-Ks.

The rules dealing with penalty kicks have changed for this year. In years past, whenever a player would hear the referee’s whistle and start to move toward the ball to make a penalty kick, any hesitation, delay or stutter-step would make that kick illegal. In past years, that player always got an opportunity to take a re-kick.

But this year, there is no opportunity for that player to take an additional re-kick.

Past editions
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: Wrestling Start Position

By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director

February 24, 2022

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 – Wrestling Start Position - Listen

Today we’re on the mat, ready for the next wrestling match.

We’ve got a wrestler ready to get into the offensive starting position. Which of these should he or she do?

► Place their head on or above the mid-line of the opponent’s back

► Place their arm loosely around the opponent’s body with the palm of the hand placed loosely over the defensive wrestler’s navel

► Not have their legs or feet in contact with the defensive wrestler.

If you said yes to all of these things – you are correct. The wrestler in the offensive position should do all three of those things.

Do that – and you are ready to wrestle.

Previous editions

Feb. 17: Hockey Delayed Offside - Listen
Feb. 10: Basketball Timeout - Listen
Feb. 3: Basketball Video Review - Listen
Jan. 27: Wrestling Inspections - Listen
Dec. 16: Ball Over Backboard - Listen
Dec. 9: Winter Officials Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 26: Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 11: Tourney Selection - Listen
Nov. 4: Receiver Carried Out of End Zone Listen
Oct. 28: Volleyball Back-Row Block Listen
Oct. 21: Soccer Disallowed Goal Listen
Sept 30: Field Goal Falls Short Listen
Sept. 23: Volleyball Obstruction Listen
Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch  Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen 
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen 
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics 
 Listen