Be the Referee: Use of the Monitor

March 29, 2016

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses when instant replay can be used for basketball at the high school level. 

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 - Use of the Monitor - Listen

The use of instant replay is a conversation and debate that’s taking place in all levels of sport, all across the board. One thing I’ve noticed when fans are talking about college basketball is the frustration over seeing more and more times in the college game the officials going to the monitor to check a situation late in a game.

At the high school level, the monitor can only be used at the Semifinal and Final levels of the girls and boys tournament. The monitor then can only be used at the end of a fourth quarter or overtime to determine if a shot was released in time, and if that shot was a  two-point basket or a three-point basket with a potential shooter’s foot being on the line. 

Past editions:
March 17: Block/Charge - Listen
March 10: Ball Stuck on the Rim - Listen
March 3: Three Seconds - Listen
Feb. 25: Deciding the Game - Listen
Feb. 18 : Cheer Safety - Listen
Feb. 11: Primary Areas - Listen
Feb. 4: Block/Charge Calls - Listen
Jan. 28: Dive on the Floor - Listen
Jan. 21: Hockey Officials' Options - Listen
Jan. 14: Recruiting Officials - Listen
Jan. 7: Wrestling Weight Monitoring - Listen
Dec. 31: Respect for Referees - Listen
Dec. 24: Basketball Instant Replay - Listen
Dec. 17: Basketball Communication - Listen
Dec. 10: Basketball Excessive Contact - Listen
Nov. 26: Pregame Communication - Listen
Nov. 19: Trick Plays - Listen
Nov. 12: 7-Person Football Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 5: Make the Call: Personal Fouls - Listen
Oct. 29: Officials Demographics - Listen
Oct. 15: Make the Call: Intentional Grounding - Listen
Oct. 8: Playoff Selection - Listen
Oct. 1: Kick Returns - Listen
Sept. 24: Concussions - Listen
Sept. 17: Automatic First Downs - Listen
Sept. 10: Correcting a Down - Listen
Sept 3:
Spearing - Listen
Aug. 27: Missed Field Goal - Listen

Be the Referee: Kick Returns

October 1, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains the difference in high school kick return rules from those in the college and professional games. 

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 - Kick Returns - Listen



One of the biggest differences in high school football rules and those in college and pro deal with kick returns. In the high school game, once a kick (a punt or kickoff) breaks the plane of the goal line, the ball is dead and a touchback is awarded. 


The key is the position of the ball … if it breaks the plane of the goal line, it is a touchback. It does not matter where the feet of the returner are located. That is why the longest kick return possible under high school rules is 99 yards.

Past editions:
Sept. 24: Concussions - Listen
Sept. 17: Automatic First Downs - Listen
Sept. 10: Correcting a Down - Listen
Sept 3:
Spearing - Listen
Aug. 27: Missed Field Goal - Listen