The fact is most fans, and quite a few coaches, are not even qualified to comment on the quality of the officiating. Comments, whether good or bad, should be treated as displays of manners, or the lack thereof.

This. If a coach shakes my hand after a game to show sportsmanship, I tell him good game and then move on. If they leave without a word, no problem. If they are obviously upset with the outcome, I get out of the way as to not attract any unnecessary trouble

(rec ball)

My favorite fan comments are when I'm called a racist for daring to call a foul against a player that is of a different race from myself. I find it especially amusing when none of the 10 players are of the same race as I am.

My other favorite was hearing "Two wrongs don't make a right!" after I T'd up a coach who didn't like a disconcertion call I made on one of his players.

I have a fan removed if I need to but otherwise, they just amuse me.

1. An official can absolutely have a perfect game regardless of perfection from the players.
2. Even though the odds are heavily stacked against us, the goal should always be a perfectly called game. That will include some calls and non-calls. Do you think basketball teams set out to miss shots?
3. Would you really respond like that? Smart comebacks are something I wouldn't recommend any official use. If you are just thinking it...waste of time. IMO

Get in line, pal. :cool:

The Stanislavski Method ...
 

Are you motivated now?

It has with the source, period.

A coach wins a 1 point game, runs into you in the hallway after the game, and says, "You guys did a great job tonight."

Six weeks later, he loses a 1 point game, runs into you in the hallway after the game and says, "You guys cheated us tonight."

Now, if you're gonna bust your arm, patting yourself on the back after he makes the first comment, then you have to take his second comment to heart as well. Or did that highly perceptive coach from game 1 suddenly become a dumba$$ after game 2?

The point is, fans are always gonna be fans, coaches are always gonna be coaches, players are...you get it. They're your best friend when they win and your worst enemy when they lose. They don't care about you, only what you can do for them. You can't get a big head because a coach said you did a good job anymore than you should beat yourself up when he says you suck. Let it all go in one ear and out the other, because none of it means anything.

If a fan called an official a racist loud enough that everyone in the gym heard, wouldn't that be an automatic ejection for the fan?

While such a remark has no place in an athletic contest, the answer is no. And here is why:

99% of the game officials' attention should be directed toward knowing what is happening between the lines and the other 1% should be directed toward knowing what is happening in the bench areas. The only time that game officials should take action regarding spectator conduct is if any of the following this happen: 1) A spectator comes onto the playing court; 2) A spectator makes a threat of physical violence against a game official, player(s), bench personnel, or Scorer/Timer Table personnel; or 3) A spectator makes physical contact with a game official or any other participant in the contest. When any of these things happen do not address the spectator. Instead, stop the game and notify Game Management and let them handle the situation.

MTD, Sr.

Unlike Mark, I will have a fan removed if I can identify them and am 100% certain who it was. But when it's coming from somewhere in the crowd (or an entire section of fans), there's not much that I can do. I'm not going to expend a lot of energy in trying to figure out who it was either but if it's obvious, I will have it dealt with.

Automatic ejection around here.

Welpe and Juggling Referee
 

Why? Somebody in the stands called you a name. So what! The fans, except in the situations I have already noted, are not our concern. When you address their behavior you reward them; they know that you are paying attention to them instead of doing your job on the court. That is what these types of idiots want from you. Ignore them! You sound like officials who only officiate soccer.

MTD, Sr.

For the same reason that I would have a fan removed that uses vulgar or obscene language.

They are when their actions have the ability to poision the game.

I didn't realize that in Ohio an ejection was considered an award. Is a traffic ticket there considered a prize?

If a fan's behavior rises to the point where it grabs my attention, having them removed ensures I can get back to doing my job. I'm sorry you don't think so. What I do know is that in the rare occasions I've had to have a fan removed, the atmosphere and tone of the game have noticeably improved. I'll keep doing what I'm doing.

While it's nice to hear (we are human, after all), it becomes less meaningful when we realize that the fans know absolutely nothing about officiating.

Depending on the level, in order for the fans to think I did a good job, I would need to call "over the back," "reach," "high dribble," "three seconds," and "something."

Welpe:

You are missing my point. By reward, I mean the "fans" now knows that you are listening to him and not doing your job on the court. Let them scream their lungs out. Is their behavior a disgrace? Yes. Do we care? No.

I have had game management involved only three times with regard to spectator conduct in 41 years of basketball officiating. And I have also umpired HJ.S. and youth baseball and fastpitch softball since 1993 and H.S. soccer from 1993 to 2006.

1) Almost 40 years ago I had a sheriff deputy remove a very large male spectator who stepped onto the court and pushed me from behind just after a throw-in had been completed in boys' H.S. jr. varsity game.

2) Almost 25 years ago I had an A.D. remove a group of boys who goosed a female player with an Alf stuffed doll while she was attempting to make a throw-in.

3) About 15 years ago I had game managment remove two spectators from a AAU Boys' National Championship tournament game because they ran onto the court to protest a Held Ball call my partner had made on a blocked shot.

Does this mean I don't know what is going on in the stands or fans never get upset with my officiating? Absolutely not. I haven't done my job as an official if I haven't pi$$ed off at least half of the fans, :D. The point is don't be an official who only officiates soccer, especially ones from Ohio; they think that their job is to control not only the players but the spectators.

If you think that spectator conduct is affecting the way the players are acting, let the coach know and he will deal with his players.

MTD, Sr.