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.

[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).

[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.

[txtrooper]

I have also successfully used the coach as a tool to calm fans, although it has backfired on me. I told a coach that if he was not able to control his parents/fans that his team would forfeit the game. The game was not going that coach’s way and he simply stated that he would forfeit; I told him that the choice was his. My partner and I walked off the field at that time.

[Tru_in_Blu]

I've been fortunate to not have any escalated situations. There have been upset players at calls that didn't go their way, and as a result a few ejections.

I'm curious, though, about the comments about contacting the TD, UIC, etc., during the course of a game. In most games I've worked for regular league play, I'm usually the only official at the game, and in some leagues, I will have a partner.

In tournaments, we might see our UIC on occasion but he spends his time moving from one set of fields to another.

I guess my point is that if I need to halt a game to be in search of a tournament official, do I leave the field, send a partner to find someone, what? I don't carry my cell phone with me while doing a game, and at some of our fields, I might have to walk half a mile from my car to the field.

Borrowing someone's cell would work, but I don't have phone numbers memorized. So do you guys keep phone numbers in your pocket?

I did a game this week which resulted in my first ambulance visit to the field. Catcher had her feet taken out by a sliding runner while she was in mid-air trying to field a high throw. She came down hard. People there finally decided to call 911 to get the ambulance there. Coaches decided to call off the game and EMTs had the girl in a neck brace and were getting ready to put her on a back-board/stretcher to take her to the hospital.

I guess the difference here is that folks/fans/parents were being helpful. Agitated folks/fans/parents aren't likely to want to help, unless the "other team" associates step in.

Thanx for any guidance.

[charliej47]

I have never done a tournament where I did not have a UIC or a Field director on-site.

I have been the only umpire on a field during regular season play and as I stated I have walked off and used the police.

I have tossed players and coaches and other than having the police remove ley fans, I don't interact with fans.