Be the Referee: Tournament Selection

November 6, 2014

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how officials are selected to work MHSAA football playoff games. 

"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 - Tournament Selection - Listen

Today we are going to talk about how officials are selected for the MHSAA Football Playoffs. 

Just as the best teams advance in the tournament week after week, the best officiating crews advance in the tournament in much the same way. 

For a crew to be eligible for assignment, many requirements have to be met prior to the season. Verification that the crew has worked a full schedule, making sure that the crew has completed the annual rules meeting, as well as a football rules test. Much weight is given to ratings -- each crew is rated by schools on a 1-5 scale following each game -- as well as observation reports where officiating experts go out and either watch crews work live or on video to make sure that the best crews advance throughout the tournament.

Past editions
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: Soccer Overtime

By Paige Winne
MHSAA Marketing & Social Media Coordinator

October 24, 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 – Soccer Overtime - Listen

Soccer games in the postseason have one big noticeable difference from the regular season. In the postseason, games cannot end in a tie – so games go to overtime and possibly a shootout.

Here’s how that works:

If the game is tied at the end of regulation, it will go to overtime, which is two 10-minute periods played in its entirety. There is no sudden death or golden goal winner. If there is a winner at the end of the 20 minutes, that team wins and advances to the next round. If there’s still a tie, we move to a shootout.

In the shootout, the teams alternate taking five penalty kicks. If it’s still tied after five kicks, they each kick until the tie is broken.

Previous Editions

Oct. 17: Tennis Spin - Listen
Oct. 10: Blocked Kick - Listen
Oct. 3: Volleyball Double & Lift - Listen
Sept. 26: Registration Process - Listen
Sept. 20: Animal Interference - Listen
Sept. 13: Feet Rule on Soccer Throw-In - Listen
Sept. 6: Volleyball Jewelry - Listen
Aug. 30: Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen