High school soccer players suspended for shoving referee

They simultaneously dole out delight and disappointment, and that leaves referees wide open for abuse. Published reports say that's exactly what a ref for a high school soccer game got last week after a match between Norwell and Martha's Vineyard.

In the last minute of that contest, the official awarded Norwell a penalty kick after calling a handball against Martha's Vineyard. That penalty kick broke a tie, giving Norwell a win.

As the game ended, a video sent to Boston 25 News shows two players, identified as teammates from the Martha's Vineyard team, shoving the ref from the back and front.

"It's so over the top, it's hardly imaginable," said Dave Erbe, who coaches a high-school level girls' soccer team in Arlington. "Almost every game there's something that's up to a line. But [I] think [for] most clubs and most towns, the line is way away from this. I mean this is just shocking to see that."

We showed the video to players and coaches on the pitch in Natick.

"It's not okay to do that to people who are doing something for you," said Alex Freedman, a player.

"I don't think it's fair to disrespect the ref after he's put in time and effort to ref your game," added Matt O'Leary, another player.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association mandates a one-year suspension from all sports for assaulting an official.

"They got the punishment," said Alex Cohen, a player. "But people do get arrested for that out in the real world."

Soccer coaches that Boston 25 News spoke with say it appears those two players may be missing the larger and yet finer point of sports.

"We even complement the other team when they do a good job," said Michael Biundo, the Holliston youth soccer coach. "So there's no reason for beating up on anybody."

"Life doesn't always go the way you want," Erbe added. "How you deal with that is a lot more important than what the score was."

Cox Media Group