High School

Youth Football Tournament Shut Down After Sudden Chaos Erupts

What started as a 7-on-7 game escalated quickly, involving the crowd and prompting a major multi-agency police response

Levi Payton

Multiple agencies were called to the scene of a large-scale fight that erupted at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa on Sunday during a 7-on-7 youth flag football tournament that involved players, parents and spectators.
Multiple agencies were called to the scene of a large-scale fight that erupted at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa on Sunday during a 7-on-7 youth flag football tournament that involved players, parents and spectators. / CHRISTOPHER WALKER/TIMES RECORD NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A youth flag football game during a 7-on-7 tournament erupted into a large-scale fight Sunday at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, involving players, parents and spectators, and prompting a massive police response that forced the cancellation of the MLK Jamboree Tournament, hosted by Red Zone Elite Tournaments.

Fight Spreads From Field to Crowd

Mesa police said the altercation broke out around 1 p.m. during the game at the sprawling sports complex. What began as a fight between players quickly escalated into a much larger disturbance involving adults in the crowd.

According to Mesa police, about 10 players from each team began fighting during the game. The situation intensified when parents and other spectators became involved, turning the on-field incident into a broader confrontation that spread beyond the sideline.

Off-duty officers at the scene estimated that approximately 100 people were involved in the brawl.

Heavy Police Response Brings Scene Under Control

Law enforcement agencies from across the East Valley responded as the scene deteriorated. In total, about 70 officers were dispatched, including personnel from the Mesa Police Department, Gilbert Police Department, Queen Creek Police Department and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Video from the scene showed police vehicles driving onto the fields as large crowds were directed to leave the complex.

Police said all soccer fields at the complex were cleared approximately 45 minutes after officers arrived.

“We wish to thank all agencies that responded for their assistance in taking control of the situation swiftly and safely,” the Mesa Police Department said in a statement.

Authorities said no injuries to players, parents or spectators were reported. No arrests were made.

Details regarding what initially sparked the altercation were not released by police.

Red Zone Elite Tournaments issued an apology following the incident, stating that safety is its top priority and supporting the decision to cancel the remainder of the event.

“We apologize for the disappointment in the abrupt end to our tournament this afternoon, but we stand behind the Mesa Police Department’s decision in response to the situation — to ensure the safety of everyone at the fields,” the organization said in a statement. “Providing friendly, respectful and safe competition is our mission and we do not support violence, bullying or harassment in any way.”

Tournament Fallout Raises Wider Concerns

All remaining games for both the football and soccer portions of the tournament were canceled.

One of the teams involved in the initial fight issued an apology and said multiple players would be suspended, according to local reports.

Mesa police emphasized that the coordinated response by multiple agencies allowed officers to bring the situation under control without further escalation.

Despite the scale of the disturbance, authorities said the scene was stabilized without physical harm to those involved.

Police said the investigation remains ongoing.

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

Levi’s sports journalism career began in 2005. A Missouri native, he’s won multiple Press Association awards for feature writing and has served as a writer and editor covering high school sports as well as working beats in professional baseball, NCAA football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If you have a good story, he’d love to tell it.

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