Ohio HS Player Disgusted with Officiating, Head Butts Official

[chapmaja]

This goes in the direction of my sports law class' current discussion. At one point does the actions of a participant within a sporting event go beyond the confines of the sporting event and warrant interaction from the court system.

It is my opinion, that this action should be considered as assault and criminally charged as such. This is way beyond the normal actions expected within the game of football. Yes, there is some contact in the sport, but headbutting an official is a clearly defined out of bounds for the sport, which is where I personally draw the line between the sport and criminal charges.

Now, saying I support criminal charges does not mean I support permanently harming the player's future. I would have no problem if the player was sentenced in such a manner that certain conditions being met would result in the removal of the charge from his public record.