A referee shoved a coach at an 8-and-under girls’ flag football game, and parents had to separate them after the coach yelled in his face over a call

A coach and a referee got into a physical altercation during an 8-and-under girls’ flag football game in Revere, Massachusetts, at the Ghost Town Showdown tournament at Harry Della Russo Stadium. Parents had to separate them after the coach yelled in the referee’s face over a call.

As reported by BroBible, the trouble started when a coach from the Massachusetts Outlaws began yelling in the referee’s face over a disputed call. Witnesses said the situation escalated until the referee shoved the coach.

A grandparent of one of the players captured the incident on video, and the game was stopped. One grandparent who watched the conflict unfold said, “I was totally outraged.”

The referee said he should have walked away

The referee later said he made a mistake by not walking away, noting that in 20 years of officiating he has never had something like this happen. He said he has walked away from coaches who yelled at him before, and “That’s what I should have done.”

The referee said the situation should never happen in youth sports, adding that “It should never ever be that serious.” He said the players are kids who are learning and should have fun, and that they are not playing for millions of dollars or in the NFL.

According to a statement from the Massachusetts Outlaws, the tension began when the coach grew frustrated over a call about blitzes that shifted in favor of the opposing team during a single play. The team confirmed the situation escalated quickly and the game was stopped entirely. A separate video showed a referee grabbing a football player after a touchdown celebration.

The coach and the referee reportedly apologized to each other once things calmed down. The team said both are generally level-headed and positive around players, and that the situation “is not indicative of their character.” It is unclear whether anyone was injured.