Wild Video Shows Refs Brawling During Children’s Basketball Game

A viral video shows three referees throwing punches and tackling one another at a Colorado children’s basketball game on Saturday morning, and now police are investigating the incident.

The brawl erupted during the game’s fourth quarter at the Gold Crown Foundation’s (GCF) Field House in Lakewood. GCF provides young children with sports programs and mentorships. TMZ Sports reported that two teams of fourth-grade boys, Cherry Creek and Legend Blue, were squaring off when tensions boiled over.

The wild footage shows one man, who appears to be younger, dodging and then charging at an older man. The older man falls to the floor and is restrained by another, as he furiously tries to get up to punch the younger man. Just as someone pins the younger man to the floor, the older man rises and begins trying to fight the person who restrained him. Other refs and spectators then rushed from the sidelines to break up the brawl.

During the clip, young children can be seen milling about near the fight and watching the ordeal. One woman runs from behind the scorekeeping counter to a team of kids to hide their view of the fight.

Uhhh, real life at my sisters kids bball tourney…. Kids close your eyes pic.twitter.com/sELdSjKosX

— Tyler Polumbus (@Tyler_Polumbus) December 11, 2023

On Monday, local police informed TMZ that they were investigating the incident. Lakewood police told the outlet that no arrests were made on Saturday because “the involved parties had already left the gym” when officers responded.

GCF did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Men’s Journal. However, they told TMZ that the referees in question had been indefinitely relieved of their duties with GCF, and suspended from the league.

“We have informed these independently contracted officials that they are suspended indefinitely from working for Gold Crown Foundation,” GCF confirmed. “Most importantly we apologize to everyone that had to witness their unacceptable behavior—especially the kids.”

GCF separately confirmed to The New York Post that “no children, coaches, or parents were directly involved” in the skirmish.

“Through our in-house camera system, we were able to identify everyone involved and our staff removed all three officials from the premises,” GCF told The Post. “This is an unfortunate reminder that we all need to keep the kids’ best interest in mind and that our adult behavior plays a pivotal role in youth sports…Gold Crown has zero tolerance for any adult behavior that puts the kids’ experience or safety at risk.”

This is a developing story. Check back later for more information.