Be the Referee: Personal Fouls

November 5, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how personal fouls are penalized at the high school level. 

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 - Make the Call: Personal Fouls - Listen



Late in a key game that’s tied, it’s third down and goal from the 12-yard line after a sack has pushed the offense back. On the third-down play, the quarterback has scrambled and is pulled down again for an apparent sack, but he is pulled to the ground by his facemask. 

The officials throw the flag and correctly rule it’s a personal foul facemask. What’s the next down? Under high school rules, personal fouls are NOT an automatic first down. On this play, the officials would walk off the yardage penalty of half-the-distance (to the goal line) and we would replay third down. The only fouls that give the offense an automatic first down are the roughing fouls … roughing the kicker, passer, holder and long snapper.

Past editions:
Oct. 29: Officials Demographics - Listen
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: Free Throw Change

January 12, 2017

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses one of the most significant rules changes of this winter season, regarding basketball free throws.

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 – Free Throw Change - Listen

One of the big changes in basketball this year deals with the free throw and movement along the lane.

Players who are in the lane in marked spaces can enter the lane as soon as the free throw is released by the shooter. The big change for this year is that no player – defensive or offensive – can enter the semicircle where the shooter has shot the ball from until the ball either hits the rim or the free throw ends.

In recent years, we’ve seen players move into the semi-circle, making early contact with the shooter before the ball has hit the rim.

Past editions
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