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Officials Honored for Service Milestones
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 25, 2020
The MHSAA annually honors high school game officials with 20, 30, 40, 45 and 50 years of service at its Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet.
However, this spring’s banquet was canceled due to COVID-19. Instead, we present this virtual recognition for 322 officials who celebrated a milestone school year.
Twenty-three officials with 50 years of service are honored below, along with 55 officials with 45 years. A 40-year award has been presented to 55 officials. In addition, 108 officials with 30 years and 181 officials with 20 years of experience are honored.
![Lake Orion lines up for a play against Livonia Stevenson on Aug. 24.](/sites/default/files/2023-08/230830_referee_2H.png)
Be the Referee: Football Rules Similarities
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
August 30, 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 – Football Rules Similarities - Listen
Last week we highlighted some major differences between high school football and the college and pros. This week — how about some of the things that are similar?
New as of last year is the addition of a tackle box when judging intentional grounding. In high school, like college and pros, the QB must be outside of the tackle box and throw it past the line of scrimmage for it to NOT be intentional grounding.
Horse collar tackles are penalties at all three levels of play. The ball carrier must be pulled down backward or to one side for there to be a foul … but if there is, it’s 15 yards.
And a receiver at the high school level needs to have a body part down in bounds, the same as in college. But the NFL requires two feet in for a catch.
Previous Editions
Aug. 23: Football Rules Differences - Listen
(PHOTO by Douglas Bargerstock.)