Rude Fans

[gsf23]

Well Sunny, if you are still looking in,

In your situation, nothing that an umpire could do, but you or the coach could call a league rep or tournament director or whoever is in charge and tell them to look in on the game, and then they can take care of any problem fans. And as some have said, maybe talk to the parents and ask them to talk to the aunt about what is going on.

[imkcalls]

asked a fan this weekend where she worked, she asked why, I tlod her that I wanted to come to her work and yell at her and tell her what a bad job she did. she did not like it to much but the people around her sure did

[Robmoz]

Originally posted by Dakota
I don't know what the "racial" thing referred to - nothing in this thread hints of anything racial.

But, anyway, if a beligerant fan at a youth game was being disruptive to the game, I would suspend the game until the situation is dealt with by either the coaches, the other fans, or whatever park officials may be present. Beyond suspending the game and informing the coaches why, I would not otherwise intervene. I would consider a continuing stream of loud, disparaging remarks directed at players or coaches to be disrupting the game.

If this was a travel team, then I would also consider the coach's solution of sitting the player whose relative is being disruptive to be entirely within bounds. Next step would be to cut the player from the team.

If this is a rec team, then different standards apply. It should probably at least be taken to the league officials if it continues.

Pray tell, under what rule support would you reference suspending the game? How was the game disrupted that would compel you to suspend play? Sure a heckler can be unnerving to the hecklee but absent profanity or unlawful threats I cannot see how it would concern the umpire. Please, tell me, convince me, teach me!

[Edited by Robmoz on May 31st, 2005 at 03:00 PM]

[SRW]

Originally posted by Robmoz

Pray tell, under what rule support would you reference suspending the game? How was the game disrupted that would compel you to suspend play? Sure a heckler can be unnerving to the hecklee but absent profanity or unlawful threats I cannot see how it would concern the umpire. Please, tell me, convince me, teach me!

[Edited by Robmoz on May 31st, 2005 at 03:00 PM]

I'd use ASA 10-8-A: "Umpires may suspend play when, in their judjement, conditions justify such action."

Then I would use ASA 10-1: "The umpires are the representative of the league or organization by which they have been assigned to a particular game and, as such, are authorized and required to enforce each section of these rules. They have the power to order a player, coach, captain or manager to carry out or to omit any act which, in their judgment is necessary to give force and effect to one or all of these rules, and to inflict penalties as herein prescribed, The plate umpire shall have the authority to make decisions on any situations not specifically covered in the rules."

[Robmoz]

Originally posted by SRW

I'd use ASA 10-8-A: "Umpires may suspend play when, in their judjement, conditions justify such action."

Then I would use ASA 10-1: "The umpires are the representative of the league or organization by which they have been assigned to a particular game and, as such, are authorized and required to enforce each section of these rules. They have the power to order a player, coach, captain or manager to carry out or to omit any act which, in their judgment is necessary to give force and effect to one or all of these rules, and to inflict penalties as herein prescribed, The plate umpire shall have the authority to make decisions on any situations not specifically covered in the rules."

Adressing a heckler is not one of them.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by Robmoz


Adressing a heckler is not one of them.

The umpire isn't suspending the game to address the heckler. S/he will address BOTH coaches and allow them to address the heckler.

BTW, there is also nothing in the rule book that dictates an umpire to work a game. If it is bad enough to stop, I just as well walk away and deal with the consequences at a later date.

[Dakota]

Originally posted by Robmoz
Pray tell, under what rule support would you reference suspending the game? How was the game disrupted that would compel you to suspend play? Sure a heckler can be unnerving to the hecklee but absent profanity or unlawful threats I cannot see how it would concern the umpire. Please, tell me, convince me, teach me!

The rule has already been quoted. 10-8-A. I was speaking in generalities since what was going on exactly was not entirely revealed (and probably properly so). But there was this:

Originally posted by coachfanmom
... she then threatened to come into the dugout and kick the coaches butt ...

Making physical threats against the coach sounds pretty disruptive to me, and would fall under "when ... conditions justify..." in MY judgment.

And, as Mike pointed out, I never did (in my hypothetical)address the fan.

As to sitting the player. Sure it is unfair to the kid, but a travel team does not have to, and should not, put up with disruptive relatives. Most travel teams can choose the players at the coach's discretion, and the coach (among other things) has to consider the good of the team as a whole.