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: Soccer Shootouts

By Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials

October 18, 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 – Soccer Shootouts - Listen

It’s tournament time for boys soccer, and that means the return of the shootout. In the regular season, games can end in a tie. But postseason games need to have a winner. If a game is tied at the end of regulation and the 20-minute overtime period, we move to a shootout.

Each team gets five attempts from the penalty spot, alternating between teams. If after five attempts, the teams still remain tied, it moves to one kick for each team until the tie is broken.

Now what happens when a kick is stopped by the keeper but has enough spin on it to roll back across the goal line?

That’s a goal. A shootout attempt isn’t complete until the ball stops moving, goes out of play or the referee stops play. Just because a goalie initially stops an attempt does not mean the play is over.

Previous Editions:

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