# College player punches ref in the Face. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 11, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706 "2016-09-11T20:25:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/21 "2016-09-12T18:48:42Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Let’s say I’m in the checkout at a grocery store, and I forgot to buy milk. I do one of those “I shoulda had a V-8!” head smacks, and somehow I miss and KO a bystander. Is someone saying I shouldn’t be arrested for that? Yes, the law. [Mens rea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mens_rea) IANAL, but you would still be liable for any damages done, regardless of your intent so you might have to pay medical bills or lost wages. If your intent wasn’t to injure then you aren’t guilty of assault or whatever the crime would be in that jurisdiction unless there are some extenuating circumstances which some passing lawyer may elaborate on. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/22 "2016-09-12T19:13:17Z")
Looks more and more that this story will fizzle out. Accidents happen. The player was negligent in flailing his arms around and hitting the ref. It may get resolved without criminal charges. The NCAA can handle the punishment. Protecting the game officials is very important in all sports. They are typically much smaller individuals and often wear no protective gear. Sometimes they get caught up in the action and get bumped or run over. That’s part of the risk of being a game official. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/23 "2016-09-12T19:47:19Z")
The link in **Ravenman** ’s post #19 has a lot of info. > [@](#): > > “My friends were trying to pull me back away from the defensive end,” Schirmer said. “I didn’t know the ref was right inside of me, bear hugging me.” > > Schirmer said he often attempts to compose himself by hitting himself on the helmet “so I calm myself down.” > > “I didn’t mean any of that to happen,” Schirmer said. “I’m truly sorry about what happened to the ref.” > [@](#): > > Craig Schirmer said the video shows his son made contact with the referee only after first hitting himself in the helmet. > > “What he does when he gets mad is, he hits himself in the mouth,” Schirmer said. “My son never intentionally swung at the ref. He swung at himself to calm himself down. My son didn’t even notice him there.” > [@](#): > > College officials and police said Saturday that the referee wasn’t interested in pressing charges. > [@](#): > > Mount San Antonio College released a statement on Sunday saying they maintain high standards of conduct for all students. Officials also said they closely reviewed video footage and talked to witnesses and concluded that Schirmer “unintentionally hit the referee.” > > “Mount San Antonio College will continue to complete an assessment of his conduct to determine what sanctions, if any, are appropriate for the incident. Additionally, the college is fully cooperating with investigations by other agencies,” officials said in the statement. In the end this will be much ado about nothing, but franky, I’m glad that we (collectively) film damn near everything now. If this had happened without footage, it’s a better-than-even chance that the kid would go to jail, IMO and have his life ruined. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/24 "2016-09-12T20:37:04Z")
I’m going to hazard a guess that a guy who has a routine of smacking himself in the head “so I can calm myself down” may have problems down the road as well. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/25 "2016-09-12T20:54:08Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I’m going to hazard a guess that a guy who has a routine of smacking himself in the head “so I can calm myself down” may have problems down the road as well. To be honest, I don’t necessarily think so. There’s far worse ways of handling excess anger and energy. I don’t think of myself as an angry person, but sometimes pounding a fist on myself or punching a wall helps dissipate the negative energy. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/26 "2016-09-13T18:09:17Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I’m going to hazard a guess that a guy who has a routine of smacking himself in the head “so I can calm myself down” may have problems down the road as well. :smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack:…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/27 "2016-09-14T11:23:06Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > To be honest, I don’t necessarily think so. There’s far worse ways of handling excess anger and energy. I don’t think of myself as an angry person, but sometimes pounding a fist on myself or punching a wall helps dissipate the negative energy. Are you 6-5 and 270 lbs of muscle? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/28 "2016-09-14T12:24:31Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Are you 6-5 and 270 lbs of muscle? It’s all relative when punching oneself. Don’t see how that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/29 "2016-09-14T13:08:34Z")
Dummy punches himself in the head to calm down. The head punches cause brain damage. Brain damage leads to anger management problems and Dummy punching himself in the head. It’s a closed cycle: ya feed da chickens da pig shit, and ya feed da pigs da chicken shit. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/30 "2016-09-14T15:25:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s all relative when punching oneself. Don’t see how that matters. Himself. Walls. Referees by accident. If Woody Allen does it it’s comical. If Hafpor Bjornsson acts that way it would scare the shit out of me. Either way it is an indication of someone with out of control anger issues. Hitting yourself and punching walls is not controlling your anger. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/31 "2016-09-14T19:24:19Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Himself. Walls. Referees by accident. If Woody Allen does it it’s comical. If Hafpor Bjornsson acts that way it would scare the shit out of me. Either way it is an indication of someone with out of control anger issues. Hitting yourself and punching walls is not controlling your anger. _shrug_ I just don’t think it’s an indication that he will “have problems down the road as well,” as it was put. I don’t see it the same as you. But that’s another conversation about another topic, so I’ll leave it at that. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2016, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/32 "2016-09-14T23:50:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Yes, the law. [Mens rea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mens_rea) > > IANAL, but you would still be liable for any damages done, regardless of your intent so you might have to pay medical bills or lost wages. If your intent wasn’t to injure then you aren’t guilty of assault or whatever the crime would be in that jurisdiction unless there are some extenuating circumstances which some passing lawyer may elaborate on. I’m given to understand that reckless behavior is sufficient for battery. Do you have a cite that says that a person must intend harm to another person to be guilty of battery? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/33 "2016-09-24T22:51:13Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I’m given to understand that reckless behavior is sufficient for battery. Do you have a cite that says that a person must intend harm to another person to be guilty of battery? He just gave you one. Do you have a cite that says otherwise? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706/34 "2016-09-26T05:29:07Z")
This story would mean more if it involved real college teams. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-player-punches-ref-in-the-face/765706.md?page=1)