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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: Officials Reports

    March 23, 2017

    In this week's final "Be the Referee" of the 2016-17 school year, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains how officials report to the MHSAA office and schools when they experience a situation outside the norm, and the importance of those reports.

    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 – Officials Reports - Listen

    One of the ways officials provide feedback on the games they work is through an online Officials Report form process, where officials provide the MHSAA Office and the schools involved follow-up information whenever odd or unusual things take place.

    The form can be used to report praise for a school, and it can also be used for concerns – everything form a sportsmanship concern to an equipment or facility problem which might need some further attention. The form is also used on those few occasions where ejections from games occur. Schools which receive no negative officials reports are annually sent a congratulatory letter from the MHSAA, and last year, over 250 schools were so recognized.

      Past editions
      March 16: Under the Bus - Listen
      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