It’s a very common gesture in sports. We see it when the wide receiver catches a huge catch, the first baseman hits a walk-off home run to win the game, or after the point guard hits the game winning three pointer. The act of pointing to the skies after a huge accomplishment is seen as an act of gratitude to God for the success athletes have experienced, and a realization that they could not be where they are without Him and His help.

However, never has anyone been punished for such an action, until now. At a track event in Ohio, the anchor of the 4×100-meter relay, Derrick Hayes, ran an amazing split and helped his team finish first, qualifying his team for the State Championships.

“He put his hand by his ear and pointed to the heavens,” Hayes’ father, KC Hayes, said. “It was a reaction. You’re brought up your whole life that God gives you good things, you’re blessed.”

That’s where the problem started. The officials deemed that the act was “excessive celebration” and disqualified the team, denying them the opportunity to participate in the State Championships. The team will not get a chance to race again. The town has gathered around the young boys and have spoken out against the ruling.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Columbus resident Laporchia Miller said. “When people are thanking God, he’s the reason we live.”

While it is not known if the ruling will be overturned, there is an enormous amount of support coming from outside of the town too. Journalist Al Edwards of the Journal Tribune wrote that “students have the right to express religious beliefs” in sporting events and that the ruling is absurd.

All of this public attention is applying pressure to the officials who made the ruling and it will be interesting to see if anything changes in favor of Derrick Hayes and the three other athletes.