Be the Referee: Pregame Communication
November 27, 2015
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses how officials prepare for an upcoming football game.
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 - Pregame Communication - Listen
Just like teams and coaches prepare all week for a football game, officials also spend hours every week preparing for their upcoming assignment that Friday night or on Saturday.
Many of our officials around the state are accessing a system called Hudl, which is a video sharing system in which schools are sharing game film with officials to review last week’s performance, as well as look ahead at the style of play that the upcoming opponents will be using.
Also, officials spend a great deal of time pregaming as a crew; talking about rules, mechanics, coverages, and how to best communicate with each sideline during the game.
Past editions:
Nov. 19: Trick Plays - Listen
Nov. 12: 7-Person Football Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 5: Make the Call: Personal Fouls - Listen
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: Ski Finish
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
February 21, 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 – Ski Finish - Listen
The sun is out, the snow is in great condition, I’m zooming down the hill … making all my gates … I’m having a great run at the Ski Finals. But as I near the finish line, I lose a ski. Maybe I lose both skis. But my momentum is enough, or I’m good enough on one ski to cross the finish line. Is that a legal finish?
Ski rules state that the athlete’s feet must cross the finish line. That can be done on both skis, one ski – or no skis.
With electronic timing, the clock stops when any part of the skier crosses the line. With hand timing, the clock should be stopped when the skiers feet cross the line.
If there is a question, the referee and timekeeper are responsible for determining a legal finish.
Previous Editions:
Feb. 14: Swimming Touchpads - Listen
Feb. 7: In or Out-of-Bounds in Wrestling - Listen
Jan. 31: Over the Back - Listen
Jan. 24: Competitive Cheer Judges - Listen
Jan. 17: More Lines - Listen
Jan. 10: On the Line - Listen
Jan. 3: Basketball Measurements - Listen
Dec. 13: Pregame Dunks - Listen
Dec. 6: Gymnastics Judges - Listen
Nov. 22: Football Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 15: Back Row Illegal Blocker - Listen
Nov. 8: Swim Turn Judges - Listen
Nov. 1: Soccer Referee Jersey Colors - Listen
Oct. 25: Cross Country Tie-Breaker - Listen
Oct. 18: Soccer Shootouts - Listen
Oct. 11: Safety in End Zone - Listen
Oct. 4: Football Overtime Penalty - Listen
Sept. 27: Kickoff Goal - Listen
Sept. 20: Soccer Timing - Listen
Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change - Listen