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On a punt from midfield as the ball is rolling dead near the goalline, players and 3-man crew of officials (one a 2nd year official and the other a rookie working one of the first few games in his career) are spread over half the field. Two players started throwing punches down near the goalline. As I run down their way, I pull my card to start writing numbers. I look again and identify "white #8something" and look again. At that moment, both benches and some fans (JV game, no bleachers, fans lined up along the sideline just behind the restraining line on both sides) swarm over and around me and multiple fights break out. I, my partners, coaches and a few adults had all we could do to separate the combatants to restore order. Standing calm in the middle of the storm writing down numbers was not an option.
I've head the speech that you are to remain outside the fray and write down numbers, but like I said, unless you were there, you don't know what it was like.
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