Umps, Referees Facing Threats ...

[FlasherZ]

Similar to ChuckS, I don't think that yet another law will really change behavior - it's already illegal to attack another official physically and I doubt that in the moment it crosses their minds. I wouldn't argue if they pass it, but I also don't think it will be all that effective.

I've been left thinking about this pretty extensively, and from a lot of different sides, trying to play devil's advocate. What has been causing the uptick?

Selfishness of players? Personality types changing for officials over past few years? People just angrier these days / political landscape? "Win at all costs" attitudes for schools / administrators? Less accountability for officials (e.g., where assignors aren't used and AD's will grab anyone with a patch)? General lack of public accountability because other minor crimes are no longer punished (shoplifting, etc.)?

What can we do to help combat this type of behavior? Be tougher? Show that we're human / not infallible more often? Make ejected players/coaches/fans fill out a report explaining their behavior before being allowed to attend again?

[Texas Aggie]

Originally Posted by FlasherZ

What can we do to help combat this type of behavior?

There's one, and one thing only: stop working games.

Now, you may not have to altogether quit, but you essentially encourage what you tolerate and it won't stop. They don't fear penalties at the site; they don't fear suspensions because even if those aren't reversed, they're forgotten about. The only thing they fear, it seems, is no games.

I've told my colleagues for years that we have the power but for whatever reason, we're unwilling to use it. STOP going to schools/sites with a history of bad behavior; STOP working with/for assignors who won't support you when you report such behavior; STOP working with co-officials who don't enforce the behavior rules; and STOP allowing more money to "buy" your cooperation.

MLB and NBA allows their players to denigrate umpires and officials because of the "show" factor, but either they don't realize or they don't care about the effect it has on lower level sports. Colleges don't allow as much abuse, but assignors and conference supervisors don't let officials make the calls that are necessary, and thus the same effect happens. While sidelines are largely clear in college football, college basketball coaches set a poor example for their HS counterparts. HS football coaches don't notice the sidelines on Saturday, but still see the assistants screaming at the officials.

Taking a stand ALWAYS involves a cost. If you're not willing to absorb that cost, don't complain about it.

[JamesBCrazy]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

There's one, and one thing only: stop working games.

This is only a good solution if the other officials in your area are willing to back you up. If not, you're just out of a job and you've accomplished nothing. The "trouble" schools will just replace you with a fresh-faced newbie and the cycle of abuse repeats.

The only way out of the loop is to prevent it from happening in the first place. If it's coaches or players causing the problem, it can be directly addressed with gameplay consequences (in basketball, a technical foul,) but if it's fans the only thing we can do is get game management to remove them, knowing that they'll probably be back for the next game a few days later to do the same thing again.

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

I've told my colleagues for years that we have the power but for whatever reason, we're unwilling to use it.

I received a text recently that I had never seen before - a request for officials with this included "Name your price". Which means we may have more power than we think.