Be The Referee: Ratings

December 12, 2019

This week, MHSAA assistant director Brent Rice explains the process by which schools are able to rate the officials who work their competitions. 

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 - Ratings - Listen

Just about every sports fan, at one time or another, has left a game wondering, "How do the officials get evaluated or graded for their performance during a game?" 

At the high school level, the MHSAA has the school rating system to where following each game, both teams submit a rating for the official’s work. The rating is then sent to the MHSAA Office and compiled over a three-year period. An official then has a rating average, and the schools can also indicate areas for improvement or growth that they deem are appropriate.

Those rating numbers then help to determine what officials are used in postseason play.

Past editions

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

Be the Referee: Gymnastics Judges

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

December 8, 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 – Gymnastics Judges - Listen

The gymnastics finals will be held March 10th and 11th where a Team Finals champion and runner-up will be crowned on Friday night and individual event champions in each event and an all-around champion will be crowned in two divisions on Saturday.

At the Finals, 18 gymnastics officials will be on the floor for each championship, and there are many who are already working regular-season events. What are they all doing?

The meet referee is the head official in charge. They handle all inquiries and disputes.

And then each event will have a set of judges. It can be four different sets, one set for each event. Or the same set could judge each of the four events. One of these judges serves as the chief judge, and each will score the performance. The two scores are averaged for a gymnast’s final score.

Previous Editions:

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 ZoneListen
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