High School Referee Suspended Indefinitely After Grabbing Player

A high school football referee has been indefinitely suspended after forcibly grabbing a player who was celebrating a touchdown. The incident occurred during a game on Thursday night between Glendale and Kickapoo, which Glendale won 35-6.

Video footage captured by photographer ShotzByLogan and shared by local news outlet KY3 shows the referee approaching senior Joelle Rover after he scored a long touchdown. The official then grabbed Rover by his chest plate and appeared to shout at him, while Rover stood with his arms outstretched and seemingly confused.

Glendale's head coach, Frank Tristan, was seen reacting negatively to the interaction on the sideline, stating, "He doesn't need to be touching my player. You talk to me, that's ridiculous. He needs to grow up."

The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) confirmed the official's indefinite suspension. "We were made aware of the situation, and the official in question has been suspended indefinitely," the MSHSAA said in a statement.

Glendale principal Josh Groves was informed of the incident by a parent the day after the game. He stated that upon reviewing the video, the school communicated with Rover and his parents. "We talked with Joelle himself, our athletic director checked in with him and let him know that we were going to take appropriate action and just make sure that we followed the proper channels," Groves told KY3.

Following a complaint filed by the school with the MSHSAA, Groves expressed satisfaction with the swift response. "We know that that's not appropriate and they handled it really well, I think, and really promptly. And so it felt nice for us because we know that they supported us and our players."

The suspended referee has the option to appeal the decision, though any such appeal will not be reviewed until the following week.