The Official Forum - Just like the commercial

I had one of those special moments that usually seem only to happen at the middle school level.

My partner and I are doing eighth grade B-C level game. The play is pretty sloppy, but the kids are playing hard, having a lot of fun, the fans are cheering for their kids loud and proud, and the coaches are really working hard to coach.

There is a loose ball that a member of Blue team grabs just before it goes out of bounds in the corner. Nine players are now headed his direction ... when he hikes the ball between his legs like a Denver Broncos' center on the first play of the Super Bowl.

Now, we have nine kids crashing into each other as the ball goes shooting through the mess, with a couple of kids making a diving attempt to grab it. It eventually rolls out of bounds, and everybody in the gym is just cracking up, because it truly looked like an old Keystone Kops scene.

I look at my partner and ask if he saw the ball tip off anybody, and he shrugs, still laughing, saying he hasn't a clue. OK, last touched by Blue, White ball.

That's when a kid from the White team walks up to me and says, "I touched it ... I touched it before it went out of bounds."

"You're sure, Kid?" Yeah, he's sure.

I would never do this at a higher level game, but at this moment, with these teams with these fans, it seemed right.

I blew my whistle, get everyone's attention, and tell the crowd that this young man (I had my arm around him at this point) said he was the last one to touch the ball. It's blue team's ball, but let's give him a round of applause."

He got a standing ovation. One of the cooler things I have ever been a part of.