High school soccer ref reportedly sustains broken ribs, collapsed lung after player tackles him

A high school soccer ref in Ohio reportedly sustained broken ribs and a collapsed lung after he was tackled by a player during a game, according to TMZ. The incident occurred moments after the ref gave the player's teammate a red card.

Footage of the penalty, and the hit, were captured during the contest, which took place Tuesday during a game between Steubenville High School and New Philadelphia High School.

In the clip, a player from Steubenville can be seen running toward and possibly saying something to the ref after a stoppage in play. The ref quickly pulls out a red card, prompting a different player from Steubenville to run across the field and body-check the ref to the ground.

The ref laid on the ground for the rest of the clip. One Steubenville player corralled the teammate who hit the ref. Multiple members of the Steubenville team can be spotted bringing their hands to their face in shock following the incident.

The player who tackled the ref was ejected from the contest, which New Philadelphia won 2-1.

On Wednesday, both Steubenville High School and the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) released statements addressing the matter, per WTOV9 in Ohio.

Steubenville City Schools Superintendent Melinda Young said discipline has been imposed, though the district is not allowed to discuss it due to " student privacy laws ." Young said Steubenville High School worked collaboratively with the OHSAA on that punishment.

The OHSAA said it agreed with the punishment, which it said was "significant." The organization used the rest of its statement to condemn physical violence against officials.

The school has indicated that punishment will be significant, which the OHSAA agrees with. Physical violence against an official is among the most serious offenses that a coach, player or fan can commit and the OHSAA will pursue this to the fullest extent possible.

The official was taken to the hospital after the incident, where he was reportedly diagnosed with broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Despite that, the official is reportedly " doing better, " per TMZ.