Be the Referee: Soccer Rule Change
September 13, 2018
In this week's edition, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis explains a significant change in soccer regarding fouls in the penalty area.
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 – Soccer Rules Change - Listen
There’s a big change in soccer rules this year on plays where a defender denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity within his or her own penalty area.
The penalty has been amended depending on whether or not the referee determines that the defensive player was attempting to play the ball when committing the foul. If so, the defender will receive a yellow card rather than a red card – and a penalty kick will be awarded. This eliminates the previous double jeopardy on the play – a P-K and a red card.
Of course, in those circumstances where there was no attempt to play the ball, the defender is still disqualified. This brings the high school rule in line with college and international rules.
Past editions
September 3: You Make the Call: Face Guarding - Listen
August 30: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen
August 23: Football Rules Changes - Listen
Be the Referee: Protocols & Mechanics
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
August 26, 2021
“Be the Referee” is back for 2021-22 with MHSAA assistant director Brent Rice explaining how rules have reverted or been modified due to last year’s COVID-19 adjustments.
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 – Protocols and Mechanics – Listen
Other than a few select instances, all MHSAA protocols, procedures and playing rules have returned to what they were pre-COVID.
This means that football team boxes will return to the area between the 25-yard lines, traditional ball-handling and other officials mechanics will return in all sports and postgame handshakes will be permitted as each school sees fit.
Additionally, there will be some rules modifications that were adopted during the pandemic that will likely be kept as part of the normal playing rules moving forward. The one that stands out for this upcoming fall season is that in volleyball, teams will not switch benches or sides of the net unless the referee determines that a team is at a disadvantage due to the layout of the facilities and obstructions.