A Missouri prep referee has been put on indefinite leave after putting his hands on a player
Oct 11, 2026 at 10:59 am ET • 1 min read
The Missouri State High School Activities Association has suspended one of its football officials for putting his hands on a player after a touchdown celebration during Thursday night's matchup between Glendale and Kickapoo.
Glendale wide receiver Joelle Rover began celebrating a 43-yard touchdown reception before referee Kevin Elmer grabbed him by the jersey in the end zone and put an end to his dance.
Elmer can be seen putting his hands on the player, redirecting him and appears to be yelling at the wide receiver in the video.
"I think it really tarnished the whole game with that," Glendale coach Frank Tristan, said via the Springfield News-Leader.
In the video taken from the sideline, Tristan can be heard yelling "he doesn't need to be touching my player, you talk to me, that's ridiculous, you need to grow up" at the officiating crew working the game.
According to reports of the game, Glendale had received two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties earlier in the contest, which was won by Glendale 35-6;
Rover, a 6-foot-3 senior, has offers from Princeton, Western Illinois and Lindenwood, according to 247Sports. He finished last season with 11 touchdown receptions and 1,017 yards.
