Be the Referee: Primary Areas

March 5, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how seeing the right angle is the most important part of officials making the right call. 

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 - Primary Areas - Listen

In just about every single basketball game ever played, there are times where fans will turn to each other and wonder, “why did that official make the call when there was another member of the crew that was a whole lot closer to the play?”

The most important thing in all of officiating and especially basketball officiating is: angle is the most important element for an official. 

There will be many times during the game that the official that is closest to the play actually has the worst look or the worst angle. Many times the player is going up in the lane for that shot, and the whistle will come from one of the two outside officials because they had the perfect angle to see all the elements of the play and can rule correctly.

Past editions
Feb. 23 - Too Much TV - Listen
Feb. 16 - Video Clip Library - Listen
Feb. 9 - Cheer Safety - Listen
Feb. 2 - Basketball PA Announcers - Listen
Jan. 26 - Wrestling Health Concerns - Listen
Jan. 19 - Basketball Physical Contact -
 Listen
Jan. 12 - Video Review Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 29 - Video Review Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 17 - Registration Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 10 - Registration Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 3 - Legacy Program - Listen
Nov. 26 - Sideline Management - Listen
Nov. 19 - 7-Person Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 12 - Blocking Below the Waist - Listen
Nov. 5 - Tournament Selection - Listen
Oct. 29 - Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Oct. 22 - Preparation for Officials - Listen
Oct. 15 - Automatic First Downs - Listen
Oct. 8 - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Oct. 1 - Overtime - Listen
Sept. 25 - Field Goals - Listen
Sept. 18 - Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 11 - Pass Interference - Listen
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen

Be The Referee: Wrestling Tie-Breaker

January 16, 2020

This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis discusses an addition this winter to the tie-breaker criteria for dual wrestling meets.

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 Tie-Breaker - Listen

In a dual meet in wrestling, if the team score is tied at the conclusion of all 14 weight classes, there are criteria in place that are used to determine a winner. The list is quite extensive, and has expanded to 17 tie-breakers this year.

The newest addition to the list is the sixth tie-breaker to be used – and it is the team giving up the least number of forfeits. Part of the rationale behind the addition is to encourage schools to field wrestlers in as many weight classes as possible to promote participation.

The first tie-breaker continues to be the team penalized the fewest number of team points for flagrant misconduct or unsportsmanlike conduct; and the last tie-breaker continues to be a coin flip.

Past editions

Jan. 9: Pregame Meeting - Listen
Dec. 19: Alternating Possession - Listen
Dec. 12: Ratings - Listen
Dec. 5: Video Review Success - Listen
Nov. 28: 
More Injury Time - Listen
Nov. 21: Football Review - Listen
Nov. 14: Sideline Safety - Listen
Nov. 7: Officials Playlist - Listen
Oct. 31: Most Important Line - Listen
Oct. 24: Automatic 1st Downs - Listen
Oct. 17: Catch Momentum - Listen
Oct. 10: Golf Rules Changes - Listen
Oct. 3: No Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 26: You Make the Overtime Call - Listen
Sept. 19: Swimming Finishing Touch - Listen
Sept. 12: Curbing Gamesmanship By Substitution - Listen
Sept. 5: Football Safety Rules Changes - Listen
Aug. 29: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen