Youth Referee Banned for Grabbing Player’s Face Mask

The family of a youth football player in Alabama is asking a referee for an apology after the official aggressively grabbed their son’s face mask.

The referee, who was not named, was officiating a game between 11 and 12-year-olds from Jasper and Corner.

In a video provided by the local NBC affiliate, the official can be seen grabbing the player by the face mask after the play is dead. Coaches stepped in to break up the fight and all the officials left the game.

The president of All-County Youth Football has since confirmed that the official has been banned from the league.

The official was wearing an Alabama High School Athletic Association shirt, but the AHSAA said they had no comment because the official was an independent contractor working a non-sanctioned game.