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: Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In
By
Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
September 13, 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 – Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In - Listen
In basketball, when a player is inbounding the ball, his or her feet have to be behind the line when passing the ball. Their feet can’t be touching the line.
But in soccer, a player just has to be on the line to complete a throw-in – even if their heels are both barely touching the line and the majority of their body is in the field of play.
It is considered a legal soccer throw-in if any part of both feet is either touching the line or behind the line, including if the player does a somersault or front-flip style throw-in. As long as they flip and land with both feet on or behind the line and throw the ball – it’s a legal throw-in.
Previous Editions
Sept. 6: Volleyball Jewelry - Listen
Aug. 30: Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen