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"2. Umpires should also not try to control the fans. If they make threatening remarks, have the AD, park director, league president, whoever, remove them. Other than that, ignore the fans. Asking an irrate coach to control them is only going to make the coach and the fans louder"
Interesting reading the introductory dozen or so pages of both the NFHS and ASA Umpire's manual. The text is nearly identical. I don't know who wrote it and who copied it, or if it was a collaborative effort. But each organization will modify the text to fit it's particular principles.
Both books say you should "totally ignore remarks from the spectators." However, the NFHS books adds the following sentences: "But high school umpires must keep in mind that certain language and behavior/actions are inappropriate at any school activity. When language/behavior/actions become inappropriate the umpire should notify the site administration of the problem and let them handle the situation.
In most high school contests (in this area) the site administrator is the home team coach. Sure there is probably an AD around - somewhere - but there is probably a baseball game being played, maybe a freshman game or two, a track meet, tennis meet, or kids in the weight room or auxilary gym. So the coach takes the responsiblity.
Whether it is the home team, or the visiting team - I've never had a problem holding the coach responsible for his fans. When the situation becomes intolerable, you tell the coach to control the fans or you will forfeit the game. When the coach tells the fans they will be responsibile for a forteiture, they usually quiet down. Generally it is only a few individuals creating all the problems. The others in the stands are ashamed of the few. After the coaches warning, you now have peer pressure working in the stands. The rest of the fans will control the obnoxious ones.
WMB
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