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Be the Referee: Under the Bus

March 16, 2017

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains why officials are not the correct target for criticism when a basketball game gets chippy or sloppy. 

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 – Under the Bus - Listen

It seems whenever a high school game breaks down in a negative way, the coaches, players, fans, and school administrators quickly blame the officials. It’s easy to take out aggression on these nameless, faceless, almost inanimate objects.

But sloppy or chippy play is on the coaches to control – not the officials – as they simply call what happens. Fans up in the stands then quickly follow the lead of their coach berating the officials, thinking they are so well versed in the art of officiating – but often don’t have the guts to put on the stripes themselves. Officials aren’t perfect, but often they have to clean up messes created by others during the game – the people who should really be thrown under the bus.

    Past editions
    March 9: Hockey Hits - Listen
    March 2: Deciding the Game - Listen
    Feb. 23: Pitch Counts - Listen
    Feb. 16: Recruiting Officials - Listen
    Feb. 9: Ejections - Listen
    Feb. 2: Wrestling & Technology - Listen
    Jan. 26: Post Play - Listen
    Jan. 19: Ice Hockey Overtime - Listen
    Jan. 12: Free Throw Change - Listen
    Jan. 5: Ratings - Listen
    Dec. 22: Video Review - Part 2 - Listen
    Dec. 15: Video Review - Part 1 - Listen
    Dec. 8: Registration - Part 2 - Listen
    Dec. 1: Registration - Part 1 - Listen
    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: Selecting Finals Officials

    April 9, 2018

    In this final edition for the 2017-18 school year, assistant director Mark Uyl explains how officials are selected to work the MHSAA's biggest tournament events.

    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 – Selecting Finals Officials - Listen

    During every season and every tournament, we get the question, “How were these officials chosen to be working the championship games?”

    Just like the tournament progression has the best teams playing until the bitter end, we have a process to where the best officials are also identified to be working those Semifinal and Final games.

    Every official gets rated by both schools (every time she or he work a game) over a three-year period on a 1-4 scale. All of this data is compiled to where we then produce the top third, middle third and bottom third in terms of school ratings.

    We then also look at recommendations from associations, assigners and leagues and conferences to identify the very best officials being on the very best games.

    Past editions
    March 15: We Get Letters - Listen
    February 22: Block/Charge Calls - Listen
    February 15: Dog Days of February - Listen
    February 8: National Playing Rules Process - Listen
    February 1: Calling Intentional Fouls - Listen
    January 25: Points at the Edge of the Mat - Listen
    January 18: Behavior Warning - Listen
    January 11: Ice Hockey Safe & Sound - Listen
    January 4: Why No Shot Clock - Listen
    December 21: Coaches Responsible for Equipment - Listen
    December 14: Mentoring New Officials - Listen
    December 7: Dive on the Floor - Listen
    November 30: Wrestling Weight Monitoring - Listen
    November 23: Ejections - Listen
    November 16: Toughest Call - Listen
    November 9: Hurdling - Listen
    November 2: The Survey Says - Listen
    October 26: Helmet Comes Off -     Listen
    October 19: Goal Line Rules - Listen
    October 12: No 1st-Year Fee - Listen
    October 5: Athletic Empty Nesters - Listen
     September 28: Misunderstood Football Rules: Kicking - Listen
    September 21: Preparation for Officials - Listen
    September 14: Always Stay Registered - Listen
    September 7: Other Football Rules Changes - Listen
    August 31: Pop-Up Onside Kicks - Listen
    August 24: Blindside Blocks - Listen