Player Carelessly but Unitnentionally Injures Official
 

We had an official in our association injured Friday night. At the end of the play, the runner was on the ground screaming in pain. Turned out he had a cramp. As the offical neared, the player ripped off his helmet and threw it at full force, striking the official in the knee.

According to the crew, there was no doubt he did not mean to strike the official, but is he accountable for his actions? Would your answer change based on whether or not the official could continue to officiate the contest?

DB UNC, 15 yards from the end of the run regardless of whether the official continued or not. This conduct is unacceptable and I doubt if it helped with the cramp!

That's just an accident - whether the official was able to continue to work or not. The player was careless but these are just kids.

I'm letting that go even if he hit me, as he is in pain and frustrated, but interested in what others say. If he hit a guy on my crew, and the official who was hit threw a flag, I'd let it stand.

Players are responsible for their actions. There was a play in the NFL years ago where Jerry Rice spiked the ball after catching a pass and running OOB. The spike bounced up and hit an official in the face. Rice was given 15 yards for that and up until this year they were spiking the ball for anything.

So I would fully back an official for flagging this but would also completely understand if I didn't see a flag either.

Flag it. Throwing the helmet, regardless of circumstances, is a dangerous activity and needs to be stopped.

Ron Marinucci was unavailable for comment.

Would you think twice about flagging this action if the person hit was an opposing player and not an official? I wouldn't think so. It's the act of throwing the helmet that draws the foul, not who it hit.

I've got USC, 15 yards ... whether the official could continue or not... and actually, whether the helmet hit the official in the first place or not. Throwing equipment in anger is USC.

All the more reason to stay away from these little darlings when they are hurt. Nothing we can do for them but give them and their medical staff some room.

As others have said, no excuse for throwing the helmet, regardless of whether it hits someone or not. Flag and 15 for sure. I'd have to see it but it could even be grounds for a DQ.

I've got Objectionable Conduct: 10 yards. No DQ though.

They're kids who are going to grow up into adults who exhibit the same type of behavior we have too much of now if you have the attitude "These are just kids".

Not that this is the same level:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWUQc...elated&search=

In the link an arena football official gets accidentally hit with a spiked ball and two other officials appear to flag it without even thinking.

We almost has something one step similar last week.
At the end of a VERY close game, some chump threw his helmet into the air to celebrate. Our LM was just standing up after retrieving the clip and the helmet came down (from about 5 meters up - 16 feet) about 1/2 inch from the nose of the LM.
It bounced away as well, so no contact was made, but it was darn close!
The player was reported to the league (we have no jurisdiction after the end whistle blows), who gave him a warning. Supposedly he was very appologetic afterwards.

James

I have a 15 yard DB USC and a strongly worded letter to the IHSAA. My crew would disagree with me. I think it is a dangerous action that needs to be punished. Now I think a distinction needs to be made about the way the helmet was thrown. If it goes less than 5 yards, I say look the other way. But based on the description th OP has given, I think at the LEAST and USC is called for and I could even be coaxed into a flagerent foul and ejection.