Can you call unnecessary roughness on a dozen players and coaches?
A melee broke out at a 13-year-old football game in Sarasota, Fla., last weekend after a coach charged at a referee and was followed by players and other coaches, FOX-13 reported.
The fight peaked when referee, Jayme Ream, 41, took an open-field hit from one of the players, lifting him from his feet and slamming him into the grass.
“It's absolutely disgusting,” Greg Fabijanczuk, a father at the game reportedly said. “I have never seen anything like that. The coach should be disqualified from coaching altogether.”
The video was obtained by FOX-13 and showed a scuffle break out between coaches and Ream. While Ream squared off with the men, he was taken down by a cheap shot by one of the players. Once down, the referee absorbs kicks and punches form a group that formed around him. Another referee could be seen trying to help his partner.
In all, the scuffle appeared to last about a minute.
The Sarasota School District has since terminated its contract with the Mid-Florida Football and Cheerleading Conference, which means that league games will no longer be played at schools in the district, the station reported.
The Sarasota Sheriff’s Office said it's reviewing the footage and considering criminal charges.
“We've seen it across the nation, but here in our agency,” Chief Deputy Steve Burns said. “This is the worst I've seen regarding violence at a sporting event.”
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