Q: Can I be prosecuted if I am a fan refusing to leave a high school sports game (soccer), and the referee asks me to?
I witnessed this happen last fall at a regional tournament, although the guy the ref kicked out was not being offensive to the ref or threatening him. He never cussed him out or anything like that either. He just happened to be the loudest one there. Though this situation has never happened to me personally, I can say that If I was ever put in that situation, but I was not making threats or cussing the ref out, I would refuse to leave. I am aware of KY statutes dealing with assault of a sports official (which only deals with physical injuries or threats) and tampering with a sports match. Can the latter be applied to this case? FYI, the man in question at the tournament was not the only one screaming and yelling. Like I said, he was simply one of the loudest people there.
As a side note, I’ve already asked soccer refs about this issue on a site called Ask the Ref. They said that refs do not have power to eject fans. They note that only the school’s athletic director can do that.
A: The ref does not have the authority to eject or remove anyone from the game or stadium and you do not have to leave. However, if school officials ask you to leave the game, you should leave becacuase if you remain you could be arrested and charged with Criminal Trespass.
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