Be the Referee: Vern L. Norris Award

April 30, 2015

This week, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl discusses the MHSAA's highest honor awarded annually to officials. 

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 - Vern L. Norris Award - Listen

The Vern Norris Award is the most prestigious award the MHSAA has for officials. The Norris Award, named after former MHSAA Executive Director and long-time official Vern Norris, doesn’t just go to the official of the year. The award is for leaders in the officiating industry, those who have recruited new people into officiating and have been leaders in the areas of training and preparing young new officials.

This year’s winner, right here from the Lansing area, is Sam Davis, a long-time wrestling leader and official, and we could not be more proud of Sam as this year’s winner of the Vern Norris Award.

Past editions
March 23 - Deciding the Game - Listen
March 16 - Block/Charge Call - Listen
March 9 - Dive on the Floor - Listen
March 2 - Primary Areas - Listen
Feb. 23 - Too Much TV - Listen
Feb. 16 - Video Clip Library - Listen
Feb. 9 - Cheer Safety - Listen
Feb. 2 - Basketball PA Announcers - Listen
Jan. 26 - Wrestling Health Concerns - Listen
Jan. 19 - Basketball Physical Contact -
 Listen
Jan. 12 - Video Review Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 29 - Video Review Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 17 - Registration Part 2 - Listen
Dec. 10 - Registration Part 1 - Listen
Dec. 3 - Legacy Program - Listen
Nov. 26 - Sideline Management - Listen
Nov. 19 - 7-Person Mechanics - Listen
Nov. 12 - Blocking Below the Waist - Listen
Nov. 5 - Tournament Selection - Listen
Oct. 29 - Uncatchable Pass - Listen
Oct. 22 - Preparation for Officials - Listen
Oct. 15 - Automatic First Downs - Listen
Oct. 8 - Officials & Injuries - Listen
Oct. 1 - Overtime - Listen
Sept. 25 - Field Goals - Listen
Sept. 18 - Tackle Box - Listen
Sept. 11 - Pass Interference - Listen
Aug. 25 - Targeting - Listen

Be the Referee: Kickoff Goal

By Brent Rice
MHSAA Assistant Director

September 27, 2022

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 – Kickoff Goal - Listen

We’ve got a 2-1 soccer game at halftime, and the trailing team is set to kick off to start the second half. The teams get lined up and number 11 from the trailing team gives it a healthy boot. It flies, untouched by any other player, and gets past the goalkeeper into the back of the net. They start celebrating, thinking they’ve tied the game at 2. But should they be?

Can a team score directly from kickoff? They can. There are a number of ways soccer teams can score. A goal can be scored directly from a kickoff, a corner kick, and a direct free kick.

Goals cannot be scored from an in-direct free kick or a throw-in. But from a kickoff? Count it!

Previous Editions:

Sept. 20: Soccer Timing - Listen
Sept. 13: Volleyball Replays - Listen
Sept. 6: Switching Sides - Listen
Aug. 30: Play Clock - Listen
Aug. 23: Intentional Grounding Change
- Listen