ASA - out of control fans

[MD Longhorn]

We had a "fun" game in a round robin this weekend. Interested in a couple of things regarding how this sort of thing is handled by the rest of you.

First - how do you handle fans who are simply out of control. No cussing, but louder and louder escalating of constant complaints (including accusations of cheating, accusations of bribery...) from only one side.

For those that say, "Don't get rabbit ears", I ask - have you NEVER had a situation where fans became so beligerent that you interrupted the game?

For those that would call the coach over directly and tell him he needs to get his fans under control or HE would be ejected - how often does that work - and how have you handled it when it didn't work. (Until 2 days ago, this is what I'd used and seen used to 100% effectiveness... this time, partner said this and it got worse)

For those that address the fans directly - what would you say? How do you address general loud and constant complaints... how do you handle, after a fielder warming up makes a great catch on one that was coming at your head, a mom says, "You should have let it hit him." Or how do you handle, "OK, that's it, I'm going to kick your @$$" while his wife has both hands on his shirt trying to keep him in his chair.

[Welpe]

Wowsee...where was this?

In a tournament with unruly fans, I think it is better to get either the UIC or TD involved. This seems to fall more into a game administration issue.

I always try to stick to my rule of NEVER directly addressing the fans. I've almost never seen that end well when another official has done it.

[surf24]

I call the coaches to me and tell them that I don't tolerate beligerant fans. They then in turn send their teammates out to quiet down their people. So far this has worked for me.

In fact, I throw a fund raising tournament every year. For the first two years the same team came back -- the third year I told them I'd love to have them if they left their fans at home. Seems a couple of the players wives got a real kick out of being the loud mouth beer _______. Anyway, one of the "fans" was that managers wife. I still don't feel bad about it though.

This is also a reason that I won't umpire for a tournament that is for "travel teams" of younger age groups. I don't mind the kids or coaches. The parents though..........they get ridiculous.

[Dakota]

I've never faced anything like what you describe. I've always dealt with unruly fans through the coach, and it has always worked. If you have fans threatening bodily harm, call the police.

[Gulf Coast Blue]

Wow Mike....I have never seen it get that bad and I think I am only 50 or so miles up the coast from you.

Hopefully there is a site administrator, TD or a league official there that can take care of the problem spectators. I would have halted the game at the "kick your a$$" threat and point out the violator to the aforementioned and request they call the police. If they refuse to have your back.....that might be the last game I call for them.....but the game is not continuing until the crowd settles down.

Good luck in future games if you run into this team again. I am curious as to where they were from......Hopefully not our District.

Joel

[MD Longhorn]

Honestly, this was 3-4 degrees worse than any fan problem I've ever seen. I admit I handled a few things wrong... should have gotten the TD and/or UIC involved earlier, and I probably let my emotions get too high from the "You should have let it hit him" comment. I think my PU handled things as composed as he could have all things considered. I've never EVER seen "Coach, you need to get a handle on your fans" not succeed in calming things down. It was suggested later that we should have simply not reacted to the fans. In hindsight, that probably would have at least not added fuel to the fire.

I don't think abandoning this group is the best idea - to be honest, as a whole it's the best group of umpires I've worked with and the best UIC as well. I've learned more in several weeks with this group than I did in the last 10 years or so. And generally the players/parents/fans/coaches of these teams have all been what one should expect from teams.

I'm hoping to use this incident as a learning experience as well. I posted here not really to rant about the incident itself but rather to garner input regarding whether most of you guys out there simply completely ignore fan abuse - or use the coach to corral things when they get out of hand -- and whether using the coach to do so has ever backfired on anyone else.

[CecilOne]

I generally ignore spectator misbehavior, except to mentally add to my funny comments and new rules collection. BUT,
- violence
- threats
- inciting players
- offensive comments (racial, ethnic, some language, etc.)
all require control by the HC, TD, AD, or ... (not umpires).

[Steve M]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

I generally ignore spectator misbehavior, except to mentally add to my funny comments and new rules collection. BUT,
- violence
- threats
- inciting players
- offensive comments (racial, ethnic, some language, etc.)
all require control by the HC, TD, AD, or ... (not umpires).

I agree. There are 2 times in 40-some years that I have involved somebody for dealing with fans. First time was for a threat of violence - and I had the TD's designee for my location handle that. The second was for fans (frat brothers) making sexual comments to players (college game) and I had the OSA handle that. Other than that, I just don't hear the stuff.

[NCASAUmp]

Look, I the part I play in this game: I'm the umpire. I'm the most hated person on the field, even more hated than the opposing team. I'm loved by few, liked by some, hated by most. I accept that. Hell, I have to. I don't have a choice!

That being said, there's a certain amount of thick skin that we have to wear out on the field. Being hated is just part of the game, and all you can do is laugh it off when everyone else boos your calls.

Because hey, guess what. I didn't kick that call, you (the fans) did. You didn't see the pulled foot or the missed tag. I did. Joke's on you, fans.

You tough it out. You turn off the rabbit ears and you call YOUR game. Not the crowd's game, not the players' game, not the coaches' game.

Your game.

If you play into their trap (and I guaran-damn-tee you it's a trap, Ackbar-style), you'll stop calling your game. You'll be off balance. You'll start getting out of position and make bad calls. You'll become the umpire THEY think you are.

I will, however, draw certain lines. Threats, sexual comments (unless they're pretty original and about me), and the like will force me to act. Aggressive acts like throwing things or banging on the fence like a bunch of caged animals will also get the like.

That's what I call BOTH coaches out of the dugout, tell them that it stops NOW, or this game goes no further until it DOES stop.

But hey, sometimes, we just have to remember to wear our kevlar when we're out there and accept the fact that we're just a target for a bit of hatred. Most of it goes nowhere, and some of it is actually kind of amusing (in a sick way).

Just don't make yourself the bullseye by playing into their hand.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Fans? What are fans?

The folk behind the fence? What do they have to do with the game?

Wait a minute, it's coming to me.........NOTHING!

Don't care about the fans. Most are idiots who haven't a clue, just chasing a carrot that isn't there.

If spectators get to the point of affecting the game, just stop the game. That's all.

[TwoBits]

In these cases, I remind myself that these fans paid an admission fee, and their fee is going straight into my pocket. Thank you, rowdy fans, for giving me money to do something I love.

[Dutch Alex]

Once, only once I was on a playing field where a "view fans" misbehaved. Thet didn't insult me or my partner but a collourd female player, who used to play for them. She hammered lots of balls over the fence in their favor and now did it for the opponent...
When it real got out of hand, I just simply bluffed my out of it. Streching the rules we play by. I had the coach, from the team those fans were chearing for, asked over for a chat. I informed her that if those 4 individuals didn't watch the rest of the game from their canteen (no sight on the field possible), I was forced to end the game. It would be a regular loss for their team...
Since that team needed only 2 points to secure the play-offs this coach (not knowing the rules, nor understanding that I was bending the rules) immediatly send away those men.
After the game, when the men offered me a peace-pint she again directed them away from me and my partner. I still love the angry face she turned on, towards those men I've never told her that I was completely out of line in my request and threatning...

[MD Longhorn]

Noted and understood gentlemen.

[charliej47]

I can remember Walking off the field once because of fans - I did not go back to that location.

I remember once flagging down the local police and asking for some people to be removed from the park.

I remember once having a BU partner that was a senior detective who gave a fan to choice of leaving or gong to jail. The fan offered to kick my partner's behind. My partner said he might but he would be gone for at lease a year.

I remember being assaulted once and causing the team to loose the game.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by charliej47

I can remember Walking off the field once because of fans - I did not go back to that location.

I remember once flagging down the local police and asking for some people to be removed from the park.

I remember once having a BU partner that was a senior detective who gave a fan to choice of leaving or gong to jail. The fan offered to kick my partner's behind. My partner said he might but he would be gone for at lease a year.

I remember being assaulted once and causing the team to loose the game.

And this statement right here concerns me the most. Threats are bad enough, but this obviously escalated beyond just words. No umpire, no matter WHAT the situation, should ever have to endure this.