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: Spearing

September 3, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl explains the expanded definition of spearing added for football 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 - Spearing - Listen



One of the new changes to the high school football rules for this year is an expanded definition of spearing an opponent with the helmet. With all the attention on player safety and reducing the head-to-head collisions between players, this new definition of illegal helmet contact will better help officials, coaches, players and fans with what is illegal and must be penalized by rule. 

Simply put, a spearing foul has taken place when any player hits an opponent with the crown, or top portion, of his helmet as the first point of contact. These fouls where contact has been initiated by a player first with the crown of the helmet must be called and enforced consistently throughout the season.

Past editions:
Aug. 27: Missed Field Goal - Listen