Be the Referee: What Officials Don't Do
October 11, 2018
This week, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis discusses some of the things that do not fall under officials' many game-day responsibilities.
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 – What Officials Don't Do - Listen
Game officials at all levels have a lot of responsibilities. But there are some critical things that take place at local high school games where officials don’t have the authority that some folks think they do.
Let’s start with injuries – specifically concussions. Concussion management starts and ends with the local school. If an official suspects a concussion – or any injury – all he or she can do is notify the coach of the team. The school makes the decision about whether or not a player stays in the game.
We often get calls about whether or not an official is responsible for enforcing MHSAA Handbook rules. Again, it’s up to the school, which agrees to follow and enforce the rules when joining the Association. Even if the official suspects an ineligible player is in the game, it’s not his or her role to enforce that rule. It’s all on the school.
Past editions
October 4: Always 1st-and-Goal - Listen
September 27: Unique Kickoff Option - Listen
September 20: Uncatchable Pass - Listen
September 13: Soccer Rules Change - Listen
September 6: You Make the Call: Face Guarding - Listen
August 30: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen
August 23: Football Rules Changes - Listen
Lansing Hosts 'Officiate Michigan Day II'
July 30, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
More than 800 sports officials hailing from both peninsulas and all over the state are expected to attend the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s “Officiate Michigan Day II” on August 4 at the Lansing Center to train and learn from clinicians experienced at the high school, college, national and international levels of competition.
The event is designed to benefit officials with any level of experience, veteran to beginner, with opening and closing sessions for the full group and sport-specific sessions for baseball, basketball, competitive cheer, football, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling.
Registration and check-in begin at 7:30 a.m. Aug. 4, with the opening general session scheduled for 9 a.m. Two-hour sport-specific sessions will be conducted in the morning and afternoon, and attendees will receive a box lunch and opportunities to attend one of five workshops during the meal period. The general closing session will conclude the event from 3:30-4 p.m.
The morning general session will be presented by newly-appointed MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl, a past NCAA Baseball College World Series umpire and longtime official in both baseball and football. The closing session will feature retired MHSAA wrestling official James C. McCloughan, who received the Medal of Honor in 2017 for his military service in Vietnam as a combat medic with the U.S. Army.
Registration remains open – those interested may sign up on the MHSAA Website. Cost to attend is $25. A full schedule including clinicians also is available at that link.
The first Officiate Michigan Day was held July 27, 2013, in Grand Rapids.