Unsportsmanlike Conduct

[Four Seam]

This expression is sometimes mentioned in this and other rules forums, but after searching the ASA rule book I cannot find this expression anywhere in the book. The closest I can find is Rule 10-1-J-3, which refers to ejecting players and coaches for "flagrant misconduct."

I would appreciate it if the umpires here would give some discussion of when or for what they make rulings based on unsportsmanlike conduct, if ever, and if they do, what rule can be cited.

I coach in NFHS and ASA venues and have sometimes had an umpire stop a game and stop players, coaches and even fans from taunting players or insulting the umpires. In my last tournament (ASA) the umpire ejected one of our fans from the game. I said nothing because I agreed with his action, but I wondered what rule he would have cited if I had questioned him.

Thanks for your comments.

[hotmatt]

Unsportsmanlike Conduct is a football term that's used and accepted in every other sport.

NFHS stresses sportsmanship in each sport and puts a section covering it in each book. See Rule 3-6, & 10-2-3c.

I have 2006 ASA book in front of me('07 is in the car), but see 4-7 & 5-4.

[NCASAUmp]

USC is a very grey area for a lot of us, and we all have our different trigger points. For me, it's all a matter of context - something said a certain way in one game may deserve a warning, and the same sentence in another game may not. Sometimes, it's just teams "cutting up" and having some fun, and who am I to spoil their fun if both sides are having a good time? I listen to what was said, the tone of their voice, and the reaction of the players. If it's two buddies on opposing teams who are just teasing each other, I let it slide.

Then you have other instances that are specifically in the book. Throwing a bat in anger should result in an immediate ejection (ASA R/S #52), and I wish more umps would enforce that rule a bit more (some give warnings to be the "nice guy," while others do nothing at all - ARGH!). Flagrantly crashing into a fielder who has the ball = immediate ejection (and an out).

As for fans, yes, we can eject them from the field, but I've only done this once in 15 years. Most of them have no clue, and if I paid attention to everything that's said in the park and tossed people for their comments, we wouldn't have a game, and I'd have a stack of paperwork afterwards. My tolerance is pretty high, but if I hear profanity being directly addressed to me, or if I hear a threat, then I will have them removed. However, most of the time, I'm pretty much deaf to what's behind me (ask some of my other umps who have tried to talk to me between innings - it takes them about 4 or 5 times to get my attention).

Be firm, but be consistent.

[Dutch Alex]

Found it!

rule 10. sec. 9 Violations and Penalties
a) Players, coaches or managers shall not make disparaging, or insulting, remarks to, or about, opposing players, officials, or spectators, or commit other acts that could be considered insportsmanlike conduct.

I'm affraid there's no way (in ISF) that an umpire can send away an insulting fan in the stands. But we can ask the manager to tell his fan that he must go. If he wont go, we wait until he's gone...

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by hotmatt

Unsportsmanlike Conduct is a football term that's used and accepted in every other sport.

NFHS stresses sportsmanship in each sport and puts a section covering it in each book. See Rule 3-6, & 10-2-3c.

I have 2006 ASA book in front of me('07 is in the car), but see 4-7 & 5-4.

Soccer has made it gender-less by calling it "Unsporting Conduct". Of course, there it used to say "Ungentlemanly", which implied a level of behavior that "unsporting" doesn't provide, so probably didn't have to be changed just for pc. The question is then do gentlemen have a higher standard than sportsman or not?