Be the Referee: Untimed Down
October 13, 2016
This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses untimed downs in football, a hot topic given a scenario involving one of our in-state universities earlier this season.
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 – Untimed Down - Listen
A few weeks back, the Central Michigan-Oklahoma State football game generated a lot of conversation about the playing rules when any period gets extended with an untimed down.
Many times announcers will wrongly talk about an accepted defensive penalty, that it then means the offense gets one more snap. Under high school rules, whenever there’s an accepted penalty on the last play of the period, there is one untimed down. The only exceptions to this – just like the college rules – are those penalties which also bring about a loss of down.
NOTE: Penalties which bring about a loss of down are: Intentional Grounding, Illegally Handing Ball Forward, Illegal Forward Pass and Illegal Touching.
Past editions
October 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
Longtime Official to Receive Medal of Honor
July 31, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
South Haven's James C. McCloughan, a longtime MHSAA wrestling official and coach of multiple sports, will receive the Medal of Honor this afternoon for service in 1969 in Vietnam.
McCloughan, also a retired teacher from South Haven High School, previously received multiple Bronze Stars and Purple Hearts among a number of awards and decorations. During battle May 13-15, 1969, McCloughan risked his life to rescue and treat wounded personnel despite being wounded himself by shrapnel and small-arms fire. A combat medic with the U.S. Army, the 23-year-old McCloughan refused medical evacuation to remain with his comrades.
His rank at the time was private first class. He was discharged from the Army with the rank of specialist.
After his service, McCloughan became a dedicated educator. His bio as a 2008 inductee to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association credits him with 36 years coaching football and coaching 131 teams total from the South Haven athletic program. He also is a member of the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He has served as well 25 years as an MHSAA official and is registered to continue this upcoming wrestling season.
The U.S. Army website produced a tremendous multi-media feature on McCloughan in advance of today's ceremony. To see that feature in full, click here, and watch below the Army's video that details McCloughan's service in receiving this high honor. (The photo above also is taken from the linked feature.)