Another High School Football Player Targets A Referee

There have been three high-profile cases within the last two weeks in which refs have been targeted for physical abuse by high school players during games: two in Texas and one in New Jersey.

Assistant Executive Director of the TSSAA Matthew Gillespie believes there was no intent on Easley’s part to target the official. He didn’t realize the person he was running toward was an official.

Roosevelt Sanders, district coordinator for athletics and head of the Athletic Steering Committee, said players should always be aware of where other players and officials are on the field.

Malcolm Easley, who was lined up at linebacker, took a running begin & hit umpire Kyle Gill on a play near the goal line. So if you didn’t hit him on goal, then it’s an accident, and there should be no penalty.

Coach Brandon Easley told the Tennessean newspaper that his son would write a letter to the official because the hit could have been avoided. They register with TSSAA and are required to undergo some training in the TSSAA rules of the game, but they work as independent contractors, hired by the schools through arrangements with local officials associations. From the looks of the video it seems the hit was intentional.

Gil said he had spoken to Easley before the play and that the player had been warned about his behavior.

“It was brought to our attention this afternoon that a particular football official may not have fully and accurately disclosed his background as we require when someone applies for registration as a TSSAA official”. “And are they going to wait for that to happen?” If you did plow him intentionally, you should be ejected.

Gillespie with TSSAA said it’s a contact sport and these type incidents happen all the time accidentally.

TSSAA officials said they spoke with Glencliff administrators who described Easley as a “straight A” student and a leader at the school.