Be the Referee: YMTC - Face Guarding

September 6, 2018

In this week's edition, MHSAA officials coordinator Sam Davis takes us through a "You Make the Call" scenario regarding football face guarding.

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 – You Make the Call: Face Guarding - Listen

Let’s check out your knowledge of high school football rules with a “you make the call.”

The quarterback drops back to pass, and his intended receiver gets a step on the cornerback. As the ball approaches the receiver, the defensive player sticks his hands and arms out in front of the receiver’s face without contact. The receiver loses sight of the ball, and the pass falls to the ground.

What’s the call?

A national high school playing rule instituted last year removed the penalty for face guarding without contact. The change brought high school football rules in line with collegiate and professional rules. The pass is incomplete and there is no flag for defensive pass interference.

Past editions

August 30: 40-Second Play Clock - Listen
August 23: Football Rules Changes - Listen

Be the Referee: Basketball Measurements

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

January 4, 2023

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 – Basketball Measurements - Listen

If you’ve seen the movie “Hoosiers,” you know that a basketball rim is 10 feet above the ground. That’s the same if you are in the gym at Beaver Island High School or at Little Caesars Arena. But what are the other court dimensions?

To start – courts are typically 84 feet long but can be up to 94 feet long. They are 50 feet wide.

The free throw line is 15 feet from the face of the backboard and the high school 3-point line is 19 feet, 9 inches from the basket.

Each hoop is a circle, 18 inches in diameter.

The boys play with a basketball 29½ inches in circumference, the girls with one 28½ inches in circumference.

And believe it or not, two girls balls will go through a standard rim at the same time.

Previous Editions:

Dec. 13: Pregame Dunks - Listen
Dec. 6: Gymnastics Judges - Listen
Nov. 22: Football Finals Replay - Listen
Nov. 15: Back Row Illegal Blocker - Listen
Nov. 8: Swim Turn Judges - Listen
Nov. 1: Soccer Referee Jersey Colors - Listen
Oct. 25: Cross Country Tie-Breaker - Listen
Oct. 18: Soccer Shootouts - Listen
Oct. 11: Safety in End ZoneListen
Oct. 4: Football Overtime Penalty - Listen
Sept. 27: Kickoff Goal - Listen
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