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Be the Referee: We Get Letters
March 15, 2018
In this week's edition, assistant director Mark Uyl tells of a letter that caught our attention, sent by one of our member school superintendents in support of officials and pledging to improve sportsmanship.
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 – We Get Letters - Listen
Over the course of any school year, the MHSAA receives thousands of pieces of correspondence. We recently received a letter from a member school superintendent that really caught our attention.
The letter was addressed to the officials in this superintendent’s local area; and in that was a pledge – it was a pledge by that individual school, along with the entire league – that they were going to improve sportsmanship in their area, and also improve the experience that officials had when working at those schools.
The superintendent promised more accountability for his coaches, his players, and especially his adult spectators in raising the bar for those sportsmanship expectations, to keep those officials in the game.
Past editions
February 22: Block/Charge Calls - Listen
February 15: Dog Days of February - Listen
February 8: National Playing Rules Process - Listen
February 1: Calling Intentional Fouls - Listen
January 25: Points at the Edge of the Mat - Listen
January 18: Behavior Warning - Listen
January 11: Ice Hockey Safe & Sound - Listen
January 4: Why No Shot Clock - Listen
December 21: Coaches Responsible for Equipment - Listen
December 14: Mentoring New Officials - Listen
December 7: Dive on the Floor - Listen
November 30: Wrestling Weight Monitoring - Listen
November 23: Ejections - Listen
November 16: Toughest Call - Listen
November 9: Hurdling - Listen
November 2: The Survey Says - Listen
October 26: Helmet Comes Off - Listen
October 19: Goal Line Rules - Listen
October 12: No 1st-Year Fee - Listen
October 5: Athletic Empty Nesters - Listen
September 28: Misunderstood Football Rules: Kicking - Listen
September 21: Preparation for Officials - Listen
September 14: Always Stay Registered - Listen
September 7: Other Football Rules Changes - Listen
August 31: Pop-Up Onside Kicks - Listen
August 24: Blindside Blocks - Listen
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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