Be the Referee: Registration - Part 2

December 18, 2014

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl continues last week's explanation of the steps to becoming an MHSAA registered official.

"Be the Referee" is designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating and to recruit officials. The segment can be heard on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the school year on The Drive With Jack Ebling on WVFN-AM, East Lansing.  

Below is this week's segment - Registration Part 2 - Listen

Today we are going to build on last week’s segment which dealt with how a person becomes an MHSAA Registered Official.

Once a person completes the first step in the process – passing the basic Officiating Exam through the MHSAA Office, the next step is to get that person connected with a local officials association that specializes in that sport across our state.

These local associations are the ones that do the training – whether it’s on the court, on the field or video training – to get, for example, that person interested in basketball completely immersed in the rules, mechanics and coverages of what it takes to become a good basketball official.

Past editions
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: Basketball Measurements

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

January 4, 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 – Basketball Measurements - Listen

If you’ve seen the movie “Hoosiers,” you know that a basketball rim is 10 feet above the ground. That’s the same if you are in the gym at Beaver Island High School or at Little Caesars Arena. But what are the other court dimensions?

To start – courts are typically 84 feet long but can be up to 94 feet long. They are 50 feet wide.

The free throw line is 15 feet from the face of the backboard and the high school 3-point line is 19 feet, 9 inches from the basket.

Each hoop is a circle, 18 inches in diameter.

The boys play with a basketball 29½ inches in circumference, the girls with one 28½ inches in circumference.

And believe it or not, two girls balls will go through a standard rim at the same time.

Previous Editions:

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 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