Tensions escalated during a youth flag football game in Massachusetts last week when a wild brawl broke out between a referee and a coach.
Parents were left ‘outraged’ when an argument between referee Jeff Etienne and a coach from the Massachusetts Outlaws turned physical with the pair exchanging blows in front of the children.
The fight reportedly broke out after the coach, who has not been publicly named, grew frustrated with a number of calls they disagreed with from the official, according to WCVB.
‘Our coach was frustrated with calls being made and was questioning a call about blitzes that were originally in our favor and then flipped to the other team’s favor within the course of one play,’ the Outlaws team said in a statement.
‘The situation unfortunately escalated quickly and got physical. The game was stopped at that point.’
The member of the Outlaws staff is said to have shouted in Etienne’s face about a call before the referee retaliated by shoving him, eyewitnesses told WCVB.
A brawl broke out between a referee and a coach at a youth flag football game. Source: WCVB
Referee Jeff Etienne reportedly shoved the coach after he shouted at him over a call
Etienne claimed that he was defending himself but admitted that he should have walked away from the coach.
In footage of the incident, the two men were seen having to be pulled apart by a group of adult spectators as several children watched on.
‘I was outraged. I was totally outraged. I said, “what the heck is going on here?”‘ one grandparent, who remained anonymous, said.
Etienne, who has two decades of experience officiating flag football, said that he had never witnessed a situation like it.
He claimed that he and the coach spoke following the game to discuss their frustrations and apologized.
‘It should never ever be that serious. We’re not playing for millions of dollars. We’re not playing in the NFL. It’s youth. At the end of the day, these kids are learning. They should have fun. Let’s not make it about us,’ Etienne said.
Meanwhile, the Outlaws condemned the shocking scenes, stressing that the incident does not reflect the team’s standards.
‘This sort of situation should never happen in youth sports… sometimes a negative situation arises in the heat of the moment in a game, and it overshadows many of the more positive moments and outcomes that come from youth sports,’ the organization said.
‘These two people are generally level-headed and positive around players and strive to present a positive influence and this situation is not indicative of their character.’
The incident occurred during one of the Outlaws’ games at the Ghost Town Showdown – a tournament open to girls divisions starting from 6u to 18u in Revere, Massachusetts.
