Be the Referee: Registration - Part 1

December 1, 2016

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl begins explaining the process for becoming a registered high school official. 

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 – Registration - Part 1 - Listen

Today we are going to talk about how a person becomes an MHSAA registered official. Depending on the sport, that could mean a referee, umpire or judge.

The first step in the process is to contact the MHSAA and identify the sport or sports in which a person wants to become an official. The next step is to complete the MHSAA Officials Guidebook Exam.

The Officials Guidebook covers some of the basic elements and procedures that are necessary in becoming a sports official. Things such as game assignments, payment of game fees, playing rules and ejection protocols are covered in this first step of the process.

Past editions
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

Be the Referee: Wrestling Inspections

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

January 27, 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 – Wrestling Inspections - Listen

Before every individual or team wrestling event, each participant must be inspected by the referee or other authorized personnel. They are looking for any skin infections or evidence of a communicable disease.

A typical inspection will check a wrestler’s mouth for braces, fingernails, hairlines, underarms, back/shoulder area, behind the knee and more.  
 
All inspections are done in the same manner for all wrestlers at a tournament site, both male and female wrestlers. Inspections generally should take place in an area not readily visible by the public because of modesty concerns for the wrestlers. 
 
No wrestler is allowed to compete until they have gone through and passed the inspection. 

Skin inspections are done with the goal of keeping all participants as safe as possible and preventing the spread of contagious skin conditions. 

Previous editions

Dec. 16: Ball Over Backboard - Listen
Dec. 9: Winter Officials Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 26: Instant Replay - Listen
Nov. 11: Tourney Selection - Listen
Nov. 4: Receiver Carried Out of End Zone Listen
Oct. 28: Volleyball Back-Row Block Listen
Oct. 21: Soccer Disallowed Goal Listen
Sept 30: Field Goal Falls Short Listen
Sept. 23: Volleyball Obstruction Listen
Sept. 16: Catch or No Catch  Listen
Sept. 9: Intentional Grounding – Listen 
Sept. 2: Pass Interference – Listen 
Aug. 26: Protocols and Mechanics 
 Listen