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A high school soccer referee was tackled by a player in Ohio.
An ugly scene unfolded during a recent high school soccer game in the state of Ohio. An unassuming referee was assaulted by a player after he carded a teammate.
Calls for action have been loud on social media. To this point, no comment has been made by the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Director of Officials.
The confrontation came during a district game between New Philadelphia and Steubenville. It largely overshadowed a competitive contest.
Viewers now await punishment by school administrators. It seems likely that a penalty will follow.
New Philadelphia beat Steubenville.
New Philadelphia travelled to Steubenville on Tuesday night for a district matchup. Both teams compete at the Division III level. The schools are separated by about 60 miles.
Google Maps
A map showing the distance between Steubenville High School and New Philadelphia.
Steubenville is located right along the Ohio River near the borders of West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It’s about 30 miles west of Pittsburgh.
The high school serves grades 9-12 with the Big Red competing in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference.
New Philadelphia is an hour west. It, too, serves grades 9-12 with an enrollment around 800 students. The Quakers are members of the Ohio Cardinal Soccer League and play 70 miles south of Cleveland.
The two programs met for a midweek tournament game on Tuesday night. New Philadelphia won, 2-1. That was not the story most viewers took from the matchup.
Ohio High School Soccer Referee Gets Laid Out.
An ugly incident towards an official in last nights OHSAA District soccer game between New Philadelphia and Steubenville.
We have reached out to the OHSAA Director of Officials who does not have an update at this time.
🎥 Contributed https://t.co/cZQZdfCnKW— Bob Greenburg (@BobGreenburg) October 28, 2026
Radio host Bob Greenburg posted a video to X showing an ugly exchange between a player and referee. It appears to have involved a member of the Steubenville roster.
The altercation came after a teammate was carded. That player mouthed something to an official before walking off the field.
Whatever was said warranted punishment. The player was carded. Afterwards, the referee was tackled by another team member.
Demands for action have been made. Viewers posted their responses to the clip online, a few of which can be seen below.
“Volunteers getting smoked by players. Not ok.”
“Charges SHOULD be pending against the player, once this video cycles around…”
“He should be expelled.”
Greenburg reached out to the OHSAA Director of Officials. He has not gotten an update on the situation or potential punishment.
Unfortunately, this is far from the first player-referee interaction seen in high school sports of late.
In California, a player punched a referee during a playoff basketball loss earlier this year. On the flip side, a referee was suspended for a bizarre physical exchange with a football player in Missouri earlier this month.
This is sports. Things can get heated, but emotions must be controlled. There is no excuse for attacking a referee in a high school soccer game. I’d expect punishment to be handed down in the coming days.