Making the Right Calls for 50 years
May 7, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Lyle Berry began this track season with about 10-12 events on his officiating schedule.
But when administrators he’s known for decades called for help, that slate quickly doubled in size for this year’s MHSAA Vern L. Norris Award winner.
The Rockford resident has been an official for more than a half century, and was honored for his service at Saturday’s annual Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.
Second Half caught up with Berry a few minutes before he left for another track meet Monday. Click for our Q&A session, including conversation about what keeps him coming back every season and how he continues to mentor and recruit of new officials.
Berry has been a long-time member of both the West Michigan Officials Association and the Association of Track Officials of Michigan. He received ATOM’s Presidential Leadership Award in 2009 and its Bob Bloomer Award in 2010. Berry was the WMOA Basketball Official of the Year in 1988. Next month he'll return to the Division 3 Track and Field Finals, and later this month will officiate Division 1 and 2 Regionals.
Previous recipients of the Norris Award are:
1992 – Ted Wilson, East Detroit
1993 – Fred Briggs, Burton
1994 – Joe Brodie, Flat Rock
1995 – Jim Massar, Flint
1996 – Jim Lamoreaux, St. Ignace
1997 – Ken Myllyla, Escanaba
1998 – Blake Hagman, Kalamazoo
1999 – Richard Kalahar, Jackson
2000 – Barb Beckett, Traverse City; Karl Newingham, Bay City
2001 – Herb Lipschultz, Kalamazoo
2002 – Robert Scholie, Hancock
2003 – Ron Nagy, Hazel Park
2004 – Carl Van Heck, Grand Rapids
2005 – Bruce Moss, Alma
2006 – Jeanne Skinner, Grand Rapids
2007 – Terry Wakeley, Grayling
2008 – Will Lynch, Honor
2009 – James Danhoff, Richland
2010 – John Juday Sr., Petoskey
2011 – Robert Williams, Redford
PHOTO: Lyle Berry speaks to the audience during Saturday's Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.
Be the Referee: 7-Person Football Crews
November 8, 2018
This week, MHSAA assistant director Brent Rice explains why seven-person crews are used at the Semifinals and Finals rounds of the 11-Player Football Playoffs.
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 – 7-Person Football Crews - Listen
Since 2015, the MHSAA has used seven-person football officiating crews at the Semifinal and Final levels of our 11-player tournament. These larger crews replaced the traditional five-person crews in the 24 most important games of the football season.
Seven-person crews, which for many years were the size of NCAA and NFL crews, provide for much better coverage in the passing and running games with all of the spread offenses and wide-open attacks that have become commonplace in recent years in high school football.
By adding the two extra officials on each deep sideline, coaches have now two officials to communicate with on each sideline to answer questions and address concerns.
Past editions
November 1: Overtime Differences - Listen
October 25: Trickery & Communication - Listen
October 18: Punts & Missed Field Goals - Listen
October 11: What Officials Don't Do - Listen
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