Ever Deal With Fans off-court? Do You Always Ignore On-Court?
 

Anyone have some memorable experiences with fans screaming at them? I mean, it's always amazing how that mom from the home-team see's a play that you missed :rolleyes:

So my question(s), what are some memorable experiences you've had on-court with fans? Did any try to come out and fight you? Did you ever get boo'd by the entire gymnasium? Did you ever look up into an angry crowd and see more people that want to kill you than ever? lol

Also, anything off-court? Anyone try giving you an earful after the game was over and you were ready to leave?

I wear contact lens when I officiate and glasses the rest of the time. (Still afraid of having the laser surgery.)

Anyway after showering and changing following a game, I was leaving the gym with my partners and a mother still standing around talking to some other parents said, "Now he puts his glasses on!" :D

Even I found that amusing.

Even though you know they're just kidding, when the whole gym chants: "Find a tall tree, and hang the referee," it will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

They are just kidding, right?

They never chant that when Bhuck Elics is on the court. :D

Tall tree not needed?

I had something sad and then amusing Saturday. It's an 8th grade girls game. Very small gym. Dad in the second row at half court is riding my case real hard about EVERYTHING. I called a carry (incredibly obvious--girl caught the ball up by her armpit and then dribbled again) and he says "wow you really have it out for her today, don't you". Keep in mind the second quarter has just started. I tried to be nice and said "sir, I've heard enough out of you. I don't want you to miss your daughter's game, but if you continue to act like you are now, I'll have you removed from the gym." He starts to say something and I interrupt and say "no, sir. That's enough. I don't need to hear anything else." So then his wife says "fine, if he isn't allowed to talk, then I'll say it...you're bad!!!"

I thought that was amusing. They were quiet until there were 15 seconds left in the game and then he started being a jackass again.

And to add one more, I was doing a G JV game and one of my good friends has a sister on one of the teams so he was there watching. He gave me a little good natured grief when I was close to where he was sitting through the game. In the 3rd quarter, a kid runs on the court (like 3 y/o) after a made basket. I put air in the whistle to stop play, the whole places goes quiet and he yells "you picked a fine time to get one right, ref!!!"

Pretty funny.

A local fan
 

in a somewhat tight game kept on yelling "get the hair out of your eyes, ref!"
The scorers table kept on chuckling every time he'd yell it as I came over to report a foul.

I'm bald.

But do you have bushy eyebrows?

Now that's pretty funny.

Had one situation during a VG game. I'm in the "C" slot, with the coach near me, and we hear a fan yell "I'll be waiting for you in the parking lot ref" in a manner where I really couldn't tell if he was joking or not, or to which ref he was talking to. I hit my whistle and turned around at the same time the coach turns around, points to the fan and looks at the local sherrif's deputy and gives the head nod gesture towards to the fan and the fan was gone.. Apparently the fan was joking because when I initially looked up he was smiling and laughing. He didn't think it was funny when he was removed from the gym.

When I was just starting out I had the same situation, except I tossed the guy out of the gym. He was sitting in the front row of a crowded small grammar school gym and was literally yelling into my azz as I was putting the ball in play on the sideline. I asked him to take it easy, he said he didn't have to so we stopped the game while he was escorted out. Two things I remember. The guy (who was with the visitors) was so mad that I had the nerve to boot him that he left the gym without his coat. He wanted to know my name so he could "report" me. That was back before I knew Chuck so I told him my name was Teddy Valentine. It was a cold february night and the people at the door wouldn't let him back in, they wouldn't even go to get his coat for him. I worked a lot of games for those people, they really ran a good program. The other thing is that just after the guy left his daughter came to me and apologized for her father's behavior, she was nearly in tears. Later her coach thanked me, said he always made an azz of himself and was glad someone finally did something about it.

At about the same time I was working a freshman game against 2 middle schools that were close by and really didn't like each other. Both schools made a big deal out of it and the place was pretty packed for a freshman game. And being where it was there was a local cop on duty. Midway thru the game during a time out this one really big guy gets up off his seat and starts slowly walking towards me. I could tell he had a few adult beverages in him. So I put the ball on the floor just in case and as the cop and 2 school security guys get to him he smiles and says he just wanted to shake my hand and tell me what a great job I'm doing. I told him it wouldn't look good if I shook hands with him, he agreed and was walked back to his seat.

Fouls are 6 to 6 late second quarter I'm lead and I see the two big kids heading right toward each other going for the same spot so I say, "Easy." Does no good smash, no first contact to call, neither got there first, so I give them a, "Clean it up." Nope they are intent on beating the crap out of each other and smash together again...Bam, double foul.

Go to report, white 55, red 40 double foul white ball on the side when I hear...wait for it..."Call it both ways!"

Now I normally don't react to the crowd but I turned to where it came from and gave the WTF look and the gym cracked up.

Later in the game had a foul on white bonus coming for red, same voice, "Oh sure that's a foul you never call anything on him." The kid shooting fouled out about 30 seconds later.


Had a full gym one night, home was having a white out so one entire section was nothing but white tee shirts, late in the game loose ball kids diving, ball OOB, and a big wet spot. I call for game management and a towel when a kid jumps from 3 rows up, leap frogs off his buddies in the 2nd row and lands on the court. He whips off his shirt, gets down on all fours and starts wiping up the spot. I see a spot about a foot from my feet so I say, "You missed a spot," and point, he gets the spot and then buffs my shoes.


I had about 1,500 kids in a student crazies section start a you suck chant when I called a clear-out PC foul on their star player on a dunk attempt. The assistant principle was in charge of GM and she came running across the gym waving a no-no finger at that section.

Nice!!!

BlindZebra - Man, I gotta come to some of your games! Good stuff! :)

I don't know if the has been posted here, but this is a good example of how to or not to deal with fans.



Association Leaders,
this was reported the situation below. Please remind your
officials that they should never attempt to deal with unruly fans but
should follow protocol and report the situation to the game management
and allow that group to deal with the unruly fan. You never know what
might happen and you should not put yourself in danger.

Theresia D. Wynns
Assistant Commissioner
Indiana High School Athletic Association



Theresia, One of my young officials had a game at New Castle Saturday
night. A fan in the crowd from Marion was cussing at the girls and
officials. Game management was made aware of the situation. They
called
police and he was arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct. However
during the pat down a loaded hand gun was discovered. I have sent out a
note to our members telling them if they have a problem with a spectator
get game management.