Well, if that's the case perhaps you are right! Maybe this particular ref had what we in the profession call rabbit ears! With that said I find it tough to believe that a ref could even be able to locate a fan that is 20 rows up and 50 feet away especially in a crowded gym!I know from personal experience that fans can sometimes get excited over calls that they think are "bad" calls
but typically there's more to the call than there appears to be. I listen to fans all the time whether I'm calling the game or if i'm in the gym watching,and it really is amazing the stuff the "fans" come up with. I know that everyone thinks that they know the game, but there are rule changes every year to make the game either quicker or more scoring friendly! The game has evolved a ton since most of us on this site played or coached. The guys in stripes are out on the floor as many as 4 or 5 nights a week and then their associations usually have a rules meeting twice a month as well. So these people put in a lot of time and money into High School athletics.And I realize most fans think these guys are making money to take this abuse, but it's not what you think! Love of the game is the response I hear the most whenever asked why do you call in high school! So to get off the soap box and answer your question the official does have the authority to have fans removed! And maybe... just maybe that fan was just the one who took the brunt of a long season. And I'll bet you that 9 times out of 10 when the fans get fired up on a call that everyone thinks the officials blew,those very same men or women calling the game,will admit that maybe we did miss it! Remember only three people are watching the game with their eyes ... everyone else is watching with their hearts!!