A Florida youth football coach pulled his team off the field last year after a dangerous helmet-to-helmet hit—and it wasn’t the first time this had happened.
Jim McDuffie, coach of the Bartram Bears, made headlines last month when he refused to let his team continue playing due to repeated illegal hits that referees ignored.
The retired Army veteran was initially suspended for a year by league officials, but after public backlash, the penalty was reduced to one week.
Repeated Safety Concerns
It turns out McDuffie wasn’t the first coach to forfeit a game against the Callahan Warriors for the same reason.
During a game last year featuring 8- and 9-year-olds, a Callahan player—part of the same team McDuffie faced in August—delivered a dangerous hit that sent a child flying out of bounds and onto his back.
Video of the hit, obtained by The Citizen, shows a running back taking the ball, turning left, and sprinting about 10 yards before a Callahan defender spears him out of bounds.
Sources say a referee initially threw a penalty flag but later picked it up after learning that ejecting the player would make him ineligible for the next week’s playoff game.
Shocked by the decision, the opposing coach immediately pulled his team from the game.
McDuffie Stands Firm
McDuffie, who also works as a sports referee, says he won’t return to coaching until the North Florida Athletic League apologizes and officially cancels his suspension.
“I have a moral obligation here,” McDuffie said. “I won’t coach in a league that doesn’t protect kids. On the first day of practice, I tell the boys and their parents that we’ll play safe, play right, and be respectful. And if we do that, we’ll probably win a few games.”
McDuffie said his players were in tears during the game, telling him, “Coach, they’re trying to kill me.”
According to him, Callahan players kept leading with their helmets, and referees ignored it. When he protested, one smirked at him and refused to call a penalty.
League Suspends McDuffie
The North Florida Youth Football and Cheer Conference (NFYFC) sent McDuffie a suspension letter, accusing him of:
- Inciting unsportsmanlike conduct
- Removing his team from the field before the game ended
Some Callahan coaches were reportedly angry that the forfeit only gave them a 1-0 win and didn’t count toward playoff points.
The NFYFC warned McDuffie to stay away from games for a full year, saying, “If James McDuffie is found at any NFYFC event, practice, or competition, additional sanctions will follow.”
But after Bartram parents contacted local news station ActionJax, the league quickly reduced his suspension to one week.
McDuffie said the league delivered their final decision in a tense Zoom meeting, where he wasn’t allowed to explain himself.
“They talked to me like I was a 2-year-old and cut me off,” he said.
A Coach Who Won’t Compromise
The 50-year-old retired Sgt. Maj. says he loves coaching but refuses to work in a league that ignores safety.
“I love those kids,” McDuffie said. “But the game has changed. People who don’t understand that are going to get left behind.”