What will Pop Warner do about alleged bounties?

• Pop Warner's national organization has reopened an investigation into a southern California team
• Allegations are that players were given $20 to $50 for knocking opponents out of games
• A three-member panel will hear the new information, but the national group will decide penalties

On another big Saturday of youth games across the nation, the executive director of Pop Warner football's national organization, Jon Butler, was dealing with accusations that coaches of a southern California team offered cash bounties to kids for knocking foes out of games. Has Butler heard of other such cases in 22 years in his post?

"Never. I've been asked that question several times, and my response to myself is, 'Just when you think you been doing this long enough that you think that you've seen it all. … This is a first for any of us,' " Butler, whose group is based in Langhorne, Pa., told USA TODAY Sports.

Pop Warner, which oversees football played by about 290,000 youngsters, has announced it will hold its own hearing to investigate claims that in the 2011 season coaches of the Tustin Junior Pee Wee Red Cobras offered bounties ranging from $20 to $50 to 10 and 11-year-old players.

The allegations were reported earlier this month by The (Santa Ana, Calif.) Orange County Register, which said one opponent who was the target of a bounty sustained a concussion.

Pending its investigation, Pop Warner has suspended the coach of the 2011 Red Cobras, Darren Crawford, and the president of the Tustin league, Pat Galentine. Both have denied the allegations.

Butler said Galentine's suspension is because he was listed on the roster as an assistant coach and should not suggest any league involvement in the alleged bounty system. The Red Cobras were undefeated in the 2011 regular season. The bounties allegedly were paid months before the NFL announced its investigation last March into an alleged bounty system among the New Orleans Saints.

Butler said the national body stepped in because new information had come to light since early this summer, when the Orange Empire Conference held a hearing on the matter and decided no disciplinary action was warranted.

"At that time (of the initial hearing) there were three boys who were on the team who said, yes, indeed money did change hands," Butler said in a phone interview.

"The parents of two of them would not allow their sons to testify at that hearing, so really only one actual witness testified at the hearing (that), yes, it did happen. At the same time there were six boys from the team who said, no, that it never occurred and they never saw any of that and they didn't believe it did happen. The conference at that point said, (because of) conflicting testimony, we don't have enough to make any further decision on this."

What is the new information?

"At this point, according to some of the local media sources, they're saying there are now six boys who'd say that it did happen," said Butler. "We still have conflicting testimony, but it sounds like a much more strong position on the one side than was heard at the hearing."

Butler said the next hearing would be held by a tribunal that would include Ed Phillips, vice regional director of the Westcon Region (which includes Tustin), and Joe Tobia, Pop Warner regional director for the Pacific Northwest Region. Butler said a third member would be named.

If the accusations are verified, what might be the sanctions?

"Certainly we could have the coaches suspended and /or put on probation. If we find this is true, then at minimum the coach involved would be suspended for a significant period of time – if not banned for life," said Butler.

Butler said the tribunal would make a recommendation after the hearing but that the final decision would be made by a commission at the Pop Warner national office.

"We will make the ultimate decision. … Typically, we would go along with whatever they recommend. They're the ones hearing it firsthand," said Butler.

Pop Warner has more than 40,000 volunteers nationally who are involved with its football, cheerleading and dance programs, he said. This season, Pop Warner football stepped up efforts to reduce head injuries by limiting contact in practices and stressing keeping the head out of blocking and tackling.

"Anytime anything negative comes up, it certainly is a black mark against your organization," said Butler. "There are bound to be a few in there (among the volunteers) that decide they are not going to play by all the rules. … We don't like anything negative to happen. We tell everybody at our Super Bowl, 'If you as a player or a cheerleader or a coach misbehave at our championships, that's potentially a black mark for all of us.' "