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Attacks Against Officials (click here for site administrator's liability) (For Surveys and Reports on Attacks Against Officials, see: Assaults on Basketball Referees: A Statewide Survey by Rainey and Duggan, Journal of Sport Behavior, March 1998, p 113; Assaults and Batteries on Basketball Referees: The Northern California Survey by Collins; and Officials Under Assault: Update 2002, NASO Special Report).
What do you do if you’re attacked? Most officials associations don’t discuss this. But the Western Pennsylvania Hockey Officials Association provides very good pamphlets to guide an official through that most trying of times. Click here for the Pennsylvania pamphlet.
Chronological Listing Of Attacks
Sarasota, FL - August 27, 2011 - Referee Attacked In Florida Youth Football Game. This one's caught on film, and the film does not match the television headline or story. The story is entitled Sheriff's Deputies Investigate Brawl Between Coach, Referee, And Youth Football Players reported by James Jackson, WFMT - TV, August 27, 2011. The reporter states that the referee had a heated discussion with the coach. Now, if you click on the link and watch the video you will see that the referee did not have a "brawl" with the coach. He also did not have a heated discussion with the coach. Rather, the video shows a coach who is clearly heated being restrained and then breaking free to pursue a referee who is walking away. The referee clearly had addressed something that took place on some other part of the field prior to being pursued by the coach. However, there is nothing in the referee's demeanor that indicates that he wants to confront the coach. Unless there's something that we don't know, this looks like a news station that is trying a bit too hard to be "fair" and not call an assault an assault. For far more accurate coverage of a referee being attacked, see Referee Plans To Keep Officiating by Halle Stockton, St. Petersburg Herald-Tribune, September 2, 2011. This story makes it clear that the referee was attacked. He didn't have a hot dispute and then start fighting.
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Burleson, TX - June 16, 2011 - Coach Gives Umpire A Facial: Caught On Film. See Youth Baseball Coach Shoves Umpire In Face by David Schechter, KHOU.com, June 16, 2011. Think that's bad? It gets worse. There were two attacks on umps that day. See Police Called To Second Youth Baseball Coach Fight In North Texas by David Schechter, WFAA.com, June 24, 2011.
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Fletcher, NC - May 28, 2011 - Samuel Cody, a 37 year-old assistant baseball coach, has been charged with assault. WYFF TV in Greenville reported the story, stating that Letcher police claim Cody hit a 16-year-old who was serving as an umpire in a baseball league for 11 and 12 year-olds. Parents on Cody's team allegedly have reported that the 16-year-old umpire attacked Cody first. It would be extremely rare for an umpire to attack a coach, and I note that it is alarmingly common for child sports officials to be attacked by adult coaches. In short, I believe the umpire. We'll see what happens with this one. See Youth Coach Charged With Assault After Umpire Attack, WYFF TV 4, Greenville, NC, May 30, 2011, and Police: NC Coach Punched Teen Umpire During Little League, reported by Jonathan Carlson, WSPA TV Channel 7, Asheville, NC.
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San Francisco, CA - March 20, 2011- Angry Player KOs Soccer Official. See Soccer Ref Kicked In Face, Knocked Out Over Call, ABC TV Channel 7, San Francisco, March 23, 2011; and Soccer Player Kicks Referee In The Face by Mike Aldax, San Francisco Examiner, March 23, 2011.
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Miami, FL - April 14, 2011 – School Suspends Volleyball Player For Allegedly Spiking Ball At Referee, Breaking Her Nose! Hear referee Olivia Harrington’s perspective at Referee Talks About Alleged Attack By Player, WSVN TV, Miami, FL, April 14, 2011. WSVN reports that the student wrote on his Facebook page that the incident looks bad, but it was just an accident. See a report on the student’s perspective at Volleyball Player Comments About Alleged Attack, WSVN TV, Miami, FL, April 14, 2011.
School officials who investigated this matter clearly believed that the student didn't spike the referee accidentally. The school officials suspended the student for the last month of the school year. One reason the school officials would be inclined to believe that this was not an accident is the appalling lack of regret showed by the student’s family. The student’s mother is quoted as saying that the charges are a “way of destroying a young man’s life”, and that the referee was “ill prepared to deal with any unfavorable situation.” Well, that sure doesn’t sound too sympathetic. I can see how a school may be unimpressed by a family with that attitude, and I can see how people with that attitude could have a difficult time convincing school investigators that an act that looks like a pretty bad, intentional act was actually a mistake. Perhaps somebody could have told the family to say that it was an accident, and they’re very sorry that the official was injured. An expression of remorse and a bit of sincerity is more compelling than attempting to demonize somebody who got injured.
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California - February 25, 2011 - 8 Assaults On Officials, 787 Ejected Athletes, 82 Ejected Coaches: HS Soccer Fails The Smell Test In Southern California. It's the dirty little secret of youth and high school sports, but it's not a secret anymore - at least not in Southern California. Youth and high school leagues all across the country are having a terrible time managing soccer. Soccer has more ejections and worse sportsmanship than every other sport in leagues all across the country. The CIF's Southern Section quantified the problem and found that soccer has more ejections and incidents of inappropriate behavior than all other sports combined. There are some soccer aficionados who contend that soccer lacks an intermediate step such as a technical foul in basketball. Those people are right, but they miss the point. This is not an issue that revolves around the technicality of whether a playing call is a foul or not. This is an issue about attitudes. There are no other sports in which 8 officials are assaulted in a playing season. If that happened in basketball or football there'd be a scandal, and an enormous media outcry. As sports administrators everywhere can attest, there's something wrong in the soccer community and the normal procedures of ejecting and suspending players is not sufficient to deter the problem. See CIF Officials Seeing Red Over Soccer by Cindy Rhodes, City of Industry Walnut Patch, February 25, 2011.
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Lake County, CA - January 28, 2011 - Lifetime Ban For Middletown High School Basketball Player by Phil Barber, Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, February 11, 2011. Middletown HS Basketball player, Brandon Thomas, receives lifetime ban after he shoves a basketball referee. This incident comes slightly over a month after a very high profile attack on an official in Florida, and reminds us of the dangers that our sports officials face.
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Arcadia, FL - December 13, 2010 - Mason Holland, a high school basketball player, is caught on film pushing and then body-slamming a basketball referee who ejected him from a contest. Holland is up on felony charges, his team forfeited its game, and many more penalties will likely follow. See Florida High School Basketball Player Attacks Referee Over Ejection, FoxNews.com, December 15, 2010 (with video).
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Maryland - October 12, 2010 - Three Officials Assaulted in Maryland State Youth Soccer Association Contests from July to October. See Maryland State Youth Soccer Association Suspension List. We're not singling Maryland out. Soccer is no longer safe to officiate ... in many states. Similar numbers are popping up in a number of places. The question is why? What are the factors that are leading soccer to have so many problems?
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Whitesburg, KY - October 6, 2010 - Kentucky youth basketball referee Michael Eldridge attacked by spectator at middle school girls' basketball game. See Man Accused of Beating Referee After Game, reported by Marcus Conroy, WKYT Kentucky.
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East Pennsbro Township, PA - September 22, 2010 - Coach Pleads Guilty: Attempted to Bribe CYO Referees. Go figure! Is there any CYO game worth bribing someone over? Michael Kman, the guilty coach, was stupid and unethical. He offered CYO referees $2,5000 to rig a basketball game. Youth sports isn't worth the offer of $2,500, and it shouldn't be worth $2,500 to any official to sell out for $2,500. This is truly insane. For the joy of reading about an idiot who shouldn't be coaching kids, see Youth Basketball Coach From East Pennsbro Pleads Guilty To Harassment In Referee-Bribing Case by Chris A. Gourogen, The Central Pennsylvania Patriot-News, September 22, 2010; and Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg Ignored Coach's Past Crime, The Central Pennsylvania Patriot-News, May 14, 2010.
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Vallejo, CA - July 20, 2010 - Umpire knocked unconscious in Vallejo, CA Babe Ruth summer league game. See Coach Knocks Out Umpire In Teen Game, reported by Steve Large, CBS 13 Vallejo, CA, July 20, 2010.
Harrogate, TN - July 16, 2010 - Tennessee Little League coach attacks umpire. See Blount County Little League Coach Arrested For Attacking Umpire by Josh Ault, WATE.com, July 16, 2010.
Eagle-Vail, CO - June 12, 2010 - Goalie Allegedly Assaults Referee in Eagle-Vail, Vail Daily, June 12, 2010. Referees are frequently under attack, but people should take note that in many of these attacks (but not enough of them), the assailant is arrested and prosecuted. Batteries on sports officials are not worth the legal problems. Assailants will eventually learn this lesson - we hope.
Natomas, CA - May 19, 2010 - Soccer Referee Stabbed By Heckler, CBS 13 Sacramento, CA.
Fredericksburg, VA – May 4, 2010 - Sometimes you just wonder about these grown men who coach young kids and attack youth umpires. In Virginia, Jason Adkins, a 34 year old youth soccer coach, was arrested for an alleged attack against a 16 year old boy who was officiating a game in a league for 11 year old kids. Adkins allegedly entered the field of play to complain about a call, grabbing the 16 year old by the shirt. When the 16 year old official’s 20 year old partner came to assist, Adkins allegedly pushed him and broke his sunglasses. Quite a guy, - and he’s coaching somebody’s kids. See Soccer Coach Arrested For Assaulting Ref, Fox Channel 5, Washington, D.C., May 5, 2010; and Youth Soccer Coach Charged With Assaulting Young Refs by Keith Epps, Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, May 5, 2010.
Temecula, CA - April 4, 2010 - Another Referee Attacked & Hospitalized. This time it's an adult soccer game. See Police: SoCal Soccer Referee Attacked By Ejected Player, Associated Press report in Signonsandiego.com, April 6, 2010.
Camillus, N.Y. - February 10, 2010 - Hard Foul In Youth Basketball Game Sparks Attack on Ref and Full-Scale Brawl Involving Parents and Players. See Brawl Breaks Out At Youth Basketball Game by Brandon Roth, CNY Central.com, February 10, 2010.
Fort Mill, S.C. - April 9, 2010 - Flag Football Player Charged In Assault On Refs at Leroy Springs, Fort Mill Herald, April 12, 2010.
San Marino, CA - January 20, 2010 - California High School Coach Makes Physical Contact With Referee ... And Some Folks Blame the Referee. This is a case that shows how little sympathy an official gets in an ugly incident. Coach Basil Woodruff, the girls' coach at Monrovia High School in California, approached two officials after a tough overtime loss. The officials were using a standard technique of coach-avoidance by standing together at half court well away from the bench area. This technique assures that the officials won't be an easy target for an angry player or coach as the player or coach would have to walk across the gym to get at the official... and sure enough, Coach Woodruff took the long walk and engaged in a dispute with the officials. Woodruff is wrong in a big way the moment he takes that walk as he has actively pursued a referee. It gets worse, though. Woodruff and the officials allegedly make contact. Woodruff's technical defense is that the referee initiated the contact. Allegedly, the referee put her hand out and that's when the contact occurred. So, let me see if I've got this right. Some guy goes out of his way to come after you at the end of a game. You stick your hand out to gesture, "back off, please." The guy doesn't back off and claims that any contact is your fault. Some people will accept Woodruff's defense.. some won't. But this illustrates the problems referees have. They work in an environment where many people think it's acceptable to chase them down and get in their face; then, those same people blame the referee when contact occurs. Woodruff quite properly got suspended. His school didnt' have the guts to fire him... yet. They may be waiting for the end of the year. See Girls Basketball: Woodruff To Stay on As Monrovia Coach, From The Sidelines Column by Miguel Melendez, Pasadena Star-News, Jan. 25, 2010.
Amarillo, TX - December 21, 2009 - Angry Player Spits On College Basketball Referee. Why, you ask? Well, he didn't like the calls. Officiating is the only business where someone thinks they're justified in attacking someone if they disagree with them. This is a disgrace and here's hoping that the player who did this is suspended for an extremely long time. See Buffs Impressive in Rout of Lions by Lance Lahnert, Amarillo Globe-News, December 22, 2009.
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Rochester, N.Y. - October 24, 2009 - Ref Attacked! Almost all the bones in his face were broken! Adult semi-pro football player attacks ref; is charged with first-degree felony assault for hitting an official over the head with his helmet. See Football Attack Stuns Team, Referees, Rochester Democrat Chronicle, October 29, 2009; and Referee Seriously Injured After Football Game, WHEC News 10, Rochester, N.Y., October 26, 2009. Referee Peter McCabe credits his partners with saving his life. Talk about timing: NY Assembly Bill 829, criminalizing batteries against sports officials, is currently before the New York State Legislature. Leon Woods, the attacker, ultimately pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and received a 10 year prison sentence. See Football Player Imprisoned For NY Referee Attack, Associated Press Wire in Lexington Herald Leader, September 3, 2010; and click here for coverage in Huffington Post.
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Shade Township, PA - October 18, 2009 - Ugly Ending to Pennsylvania Youth Football Game. See Charges Filed After Crowd Confronts Ref After Youth Game by Dan DiPaolo, Somerset Daily American, November 30, 2009.
Carrolton, IL - October 17, 2009 - Woman Charged With Battery For Alleged Referee Attack. Julie Teno of Roodhouse, Il. allegedly charged the field and hit the referee during a youth football game in Carrolton, IL. See Woman Charged For Allegedly Striking Referee by Maggie Borman, The Illinois Telegraph, December 15, 2009.
Kingston, Ontario - June 23, 2009 - Kyle Pike, a 19-year old baseball player, allegedly punches out a 16-year old youth umpire. See Kingston Thunder Suspend Player Indefinitely After Attack on Umpire by Mike Koreen, Kingston Whig Standard, June, 2009; Cops Called To Baseball Brawl, K-Town Sports Report, Kingston, July 1, 2009.
Bartlesville, OK - May 9, 2009 - Coach's Wife Charged In Alleged Attack on Umpires by Laura Summers, Tulsa World, May 22, 2009. A JC coach's wife allegedly entered the umpires' locker room and grabbed one of the umpires by the throat after her husband's team lost a playoff game.
Alberta, Canada - April 18, 2009 - Junior Hockey Player Gets 13 Month Suspension For Attacking Referee. See Hockey Alberta Hits Grossman Hard For Abuse of Official At Doyle Cup by Pete Lucarotti, Grande Prairie, Alberta Daily Herald Tribune, May 2009; and Junior Hockey Player Attacks Referee by Sarah Miller, Canada National Post, April 22, 2009.
Kenya - March 14, 2009 - Kenyan youth soccer fans literally "killed the ref." That's right. Fans in Kenya killed the ref in a youth match sponsored by a "Christian" league. Youth sport spectators are violent all over the world. Click here for details from KenyaTV. and for newspaper coverage see Referee Killed On Duty by Gilbert Wandera, Nairobi (Kenya) Standard, March 18, 2009.
Colorado Springs, CO - February 21, 2009 - Ref Attacked at YMCA Basketball Game. See Police Say Parent Attacked Referee, ABC News Channel 7; and Police: Parent Attacked Ref at Cheyenne Mountain Game by Andrea Brown, Colorado Springs Gazette, February 2,1, 2009.
Washington Township, IN - February 2, 2009 - Stupid Fan Attacks The Wrong Ref! See Fan Attacks Ref Who Is Also A State Trooper by Ken Kosky, Northwest Indiana Times, February 2, 2009; and Ref Doubles As Cop, Arrests Rowdy Fan by Reid Cherner and Tom Weir, USA Today.Com Game On Blog, February 3, 2009.
Seattle, WA - January 31, 2009 - Basketball Player Suspended For Season For Pushing Official - But The Player Was Defending His Father Who Was Involved In An Altercation With the Official. In this strange and ugly incident, a parent verbally abused the official throughout a basketball game. At some point, the parent picked up an out of bounds ball and threw it onto the court, hitting the official. The official thought he was hit on purpose so he confronted the parent. In the ensuing altercation, the parent, who uses a walker, was knocked to the ground. The player then ran to his father's defense, pushing the official to the ground. All in all, a pretty ugly scene. See Incident at Basketball Game Under Scrutiny by Tom Wyrwich, The Seattle Times, February 3, 2009.
Houston, TX - January 28, 2009 - "Sammy the Owl" Ejected For Headbutting Ref. Yes, the mascot did it. As mascots are in some rather awkward uniforms, this was not one of the more injurious of acts but still, it is true that the mascot headbutted a ref. See Sims' Coast-to-Coast Buzzer Beater Caps Furious Second Half Comeback at Rice, 61-59, NOLA.com, January 29, 2009; Rice's Owl Mascot Ejected - Yes, Ejected - by Referee by Eamonn Brennan, yahoo.com, January 29, 2009.
Jackson, MS - December 11, 2008 - Referees Take Action Against Irate Parent by Ruth Ingram, Clinton News, Dec. 11, 2008. Spectator Jim Gulley charged with assault after alleged attack against two soccer referees.
Irving, TX - December 6, 2008 - Texas HS Football Player Intentionally Runs Over Official. See Euless Trinity Football Player Disciplined For Hit On Official by Keith Whitmire, Dallas Morning News, December 20, 2008 (republished in hsgametime.com). Click here for original story in Dallas Morning News.
Ventura, CA - October 19, 2008 - 14 Year Old Attacks Soccer Ref After Yellow Card: think what he would have done if he got a red card! See Youth Soccer Player Accused of Beating Up Referee, KTLA Television.
Corbin, KY - October 8, 2008 - Football Ref Attacked At Middle School Football Game. See Middle School Football Game Turns Violent reported by Jeff Allen, WKYT (Kentucky). For more, see Coach Charged After Football Referee Punched, Associated Press Story on Bluegrass Beat Blog, Oct. 9, 2008.
Chicago, IL - October 7, 2008 - Chicago Soccer Ref Attacked ... Is It Okay To Attack An Unlicensed Ref? This one's a bit unusual. A high school official gets attacked by a player, and most of the coverage revolves around whether the official was licensed or not. See Public League Referee Afraid of Backlash If Charges Are Filed by Joe Trost, Chicago Sun Times, October 7, 2008; Sunday Investigation: IHSA Zeros In On City Soccer by Joe Trost, Chicago Sun Times, October 12, 2008.
Pittsburgh, PA - August 15, 2008 - Sportsmanship 'Bottoms' Out. Coach Charged With 'Mooning' Umpire, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Fayette County, PA youth coach "Jeffrey Kelley" is facing a disorderly conduct charge for his alleged "mooning" incident. For more see, Local Youth Baseball Coach Accused of Mooning Umpire, WPIX, Pittsburgh, Pa., August 15, 2008.
Philadelphia, PA - July 21, 2008 - Referee Gets Shot - Youth League Cancelled. See Shooting Victim Had Been Target Before by Kia Gregory, Philadelphia Inquirer, July 23, 2008.
Wheaton, IL - July 13, 2008 - Spectator Michael Beck Curses, Threatens Umpire and Spits on Sheriff's Deputy In Foolish Tirade Over His Daughter's Softball Game. You may get away with cursing out the umpire, but spitting on the sheriff's deputy is not smart! Beck ends up with a conviction for misdemeanor battery and assault, serves five days in jail and has to apologize to the official and the sheriff's deputy. See Father Jailed Five Days For Softball Tirade, Associated Press Wire in Chicago Tribune, January 7, 2009.
Omaha, NB - July 12, 2008 - Ump Attacked, Fans Cheer. See Assault on Umpire 'Sickening', Fans Say by Kevin Cole and Susan Szalewski, Omaha World-Herald (Umpire Charles Andersen attacked, alleged assailant, Jeffrey Johnson, was father of one of the players). For More See: Umpire Alleges He Was Assaulted at Boys' Baseball Game, KETV 7, Omaha, NB, July 14, 2008. The Gretna Youth Baseball and Softball Association Took Strong Action Here. See Dad Banned From Games After Ump Bump: Gretna League Also Suspends Coaches, KETV 7, July 18, 2008, and The Umpire Strikes Back. See Bumped Umpire Files Lawsuit: Attorney Says He's Asking For Damages, KETV 7, Omaha, NB, July 30, 2008.
Jersey City, N.J. - July 5, 2008 - New Jersey Umpire Attack May Lead To Sports Rage Legislation. After New Jersey Parole Officer Thomas Lambert was charged with assaulting a 14 year old youth baseball umpire, New Jersey Assemblyman Ruben Ramos decided to work on sports rage legislation, mandating signage and public service announcements at all ball fields throughout the state reminding spectators about existing statutes that guard against sports rage at children's events.. Will it pass? We'll keep track of it. For details on the attack click here Also, see Covering All The Bases - Melinda Vickerman's Jersey Mom Column, The Jersey Journal, July 24, 2008.
June, 2008 - Plate Umpires Literally Under Attack: A plate umpire is hit by a pitch in a Georgia High School Game. Was it on purpose? Sure looks like it. The Georgia High School Association thought it was on purpose. They fined the school. The catcher lost his college scholarship - the college didn't want anybody who'd do this. Were they right? You can see the stills and the video by clicking on the June 18, 2008 Life of Reilly Column from ESPN The Magazine. Think this is the only time, think again: A California catcher told the ump what was coming! The catcher told the umpire he was gonna miss one. The ump took a fastball in his mask, ejected the catcher and the California Interscholastic Federation's North Coast Section did the right thing - a lifetime suspension! As of June 27, 2008, the catcher's appeal is pending. It's dangerous enough without catcher's trying to get the umps hurt. See Home-Plate Umpires Find Themselves In The Line of Fire by Paul White, USA Today, June 18, 2008 (foul balls lead to rash of concussions for plate umpires.
New Jersey Dad Closes High School Season By Allegedly Choking Ump: See Randolph Dad Accused of Choking An Umpire During High School Game by Bill Swayze, Newark Star-Ledger, May 13, 2008; Randolph Man Jailed For Assaulting Umpire by Matt Mahochio, New Jersey Daily Record, May 13, 2008..
Nashville, TN, May 12, 2008 - It's A Cowardly Knockout of The Worst Sort: Youth Coach Allegedly Attacks From Behind/Knocks Out Ump. See Coach Accused of Knocking Out Umpire, WSMV TV.
Flint, MI - March 6, 2008 - Columbiaville Amateur Hockey Player Pleads Guilty In Assault of Referee by Paul Janczewski, The Flint Journal (65 year old player in Rec League attacks 17 year old teen-age ref).
Charleston, AR - March 6, 2008 - Youth Basketball Ref Assaulted by Parent, 4029tv.com, Charleston, AR and Teen Referee Assaulted; Man, 33, Pleads Innocent, Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
Clackamas, OR - February 17, 2008 - 6th Grade Girls' Coach Leads Fans In Abuse of Referee and Physical Attack on School Administrator Who Tries To Invervene. Coach is arrested and charged with "criminal trespassing of a sporting event." See Aggressive Behavior at Game Leads To Arrest of Basketball Coach, SalemNews.com, February 17, 2008, and Tempers Flare at Girls' Basketball Game by Joe English and KATU TV Staff, KATU TV Portland, Or., February 17, 2008. One interesting note is that Oregon actually has a law that requires spectators, coaches and participants to leave a game site when ordered to do so by an official. This is part of a modern trend to empower and protect officials. See Oregon Revised Statutes 164-276 and 164-278.
Pacific, MO - February 11, 2008 - Fan Assaults Referee at PHS Basketball Game, emissourian.com.
Violence Against Officials Hits Canada: 4 Attacks Against Hockey Officials Casts Pall Over Youth Hockey Community. See Hockey Officials Fed Up With Abuse by Don Campbell, The Ottawa Citizen, January 17, 2008.
Montgomery County, MD - January 12, 2008 - Coach Admits He Assaults Official: The Coach admits pushing official's face out of anger where his athlete was disqualified from a track meet because her uniform didn't meet NFHS standards. The coach was reacting to an incident that made national headlines as the Muslim athlete claimed religious discrimination. Details of the incident can be found on the officials page at the officials and the law link. The key point to note is that all coaches who attack contest officials feel that an injustice has been committed, but the way to resolve a matter is not, should not be, and cannot be to attack the official. For details on the controvery see When The Rules Run Up Against Faith: Prep Athlete Wearing Muslim Clothing Disqualified From Meet by Alan Goldenbach, Washington Post, January 16, 2008 page A01. For the coach's admission see Hate Mail Follows Controversy Over Muslim Track Star, WUSA 9 Washington, D.C., January 16, 2008. For a rules explanation: Click here for the National Federation of High School's Explanation of The Rules and see Officials: Religion Not Issue In Runners Exclusion by Chay Rao and Stephanie Siegel, Montgomery County Gazette Net, January 30, 2008.
Morris, IL - October 16, 2007 - Felony Charge Filed After Soccer Game Altercation: Morris man grabbed referee by throat during soccer game by Michael Farrell, Morris Daily Herald, Oct. 16, 2007.
Aspen Hill, MD - Sept. 22, 2007 - Pee Wee Football Coach Takes "Kill The Ref" Seriously - Pulls Gun on Ref at Little League Football Game. See Youth Football Coach Charged With Assaulting Ref by Dennis Edwards, WKJZ TV 13 Baltimore, Sept. 30, 2007. The coach was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms on Oct. 11, 2007. Click here for DOJ press release. The League immediately issued a no-tolerance rule. See New Code of Conduct Issued For Baltimore Sports by Dennis Edwards, WKJZ TV 13 Baltimore, October 13, 2007. The coach pleaded guilty in May, 2008. See DOJ Press Release, Football Coach Pleads Guilty, March 14, 2008. Also, see Youth Football Coach Pleads Guilty To Threatening Referee, NBC4, Washington, D.C., March 14, 2008.
Ridgeville Man Faces Charge of Hitting Ref At Pee Wee Game, by Stephen Szucs, Loraine County (Ohio) Chronicle-Telegram, September 19, 2007.
Concord, NH - August 4, 2007 - Angry Fan Charged With Assault For Throwing Pizza At Little League Umpire. See Police Say Pizza Toss Was Assault by Joelle Farrell, Concord Monitor, August 4, 2007.
Canada, July 24, 2007 - Irate Soccer Mom Brings Game to Screeching Halt by Nick Kyonka, Toronto Star, July 24, 2007 (soccer mom attacks 14 year old female ref).
Canada - July 12, 2007 - Player, Coach Suspended After Attack On Soccer Referee, CBC News, Canada, July 12, 2007.
Utah, June 20, 2007 - Utah soccer players spit on one official, shove another in state tournament - State imposes probation on entire sport. See Boys' Soccer Teams On Probation, ksl.com, June 20, 2007; Penalty Kick by Michael Popke, Athletic Business, October 2007; Soccer Teams Get Probation by Amy Donaldson, Deseret Morning News, June 19, 2007. For original publication click here.
Manitoba, CA - May 24, 2007 - Team and Spectators Chase Referee Around Field At Canadian High School Game. See Players Reportedly Attack, Chase Ref by Ross Romaniuk, Slam Sports On-Line, May 25, 2007; and Player, Coach Suspended After Attack On Referee, Canadian Broadcast Association, July 12, 2007.
Chattanooga, TN - May 13, 2007 - Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Takes Tough Stand Where Soccer Fans Attack Official. See Beware of Behavior by Jaime Lackey, Chattanooga Times Free Press, May 13, 2007.
Jacksonville, Fl. - April 30, 2007 - Parent Throws Soda At Teenage Volunteer Umpire/Husband Allegedly Attacks the Ump. See Little League Baseball Brawl by Kirsten Smith, First Coast News.Com - ABC 25/NBC 12 - Jacksonville, FL. For more, see Unbelievable: Parents Attack Umpire Over Call In Game by Florida Today Staff, May 4, 2007. Click here for Florida Today's special website covering Florida Little League Sportsmanship Problems.
Brevard County, FL. January 25, 2007 - Charges Fly After Ballgame Brawl: Relatives, Game Official in Fracas by Jeff Schweers, Florida Today, January 25, 2007.
Redding, CA, January 21, 2007 - Referees Need To Give Technicals to Blowhard Obnoxious Fans by Aaron Williams, Redding Record, Jan. 21, 2007 (article observing fan conduct and demeanor over a two week period - no assaults or attacks but reveals verbal abuse officials are subject to on a regular basis).
Westchester, N.Y., November 4, 2007 - The Hazardous World of High School Referees by Jake Thomases, USA Today, Nov. 4, 2006.
Moline, IL July 26, 2006 - Coach Arrested For Slapping Umpire by Sloane Heller, WHBF TV On line, Rock Island, IL. Adult Little League baseball coach loses cool and slaps teenage umpire.
Grapevine, TX - June 20, 2006 - Arrest to Be Made In Referee Attack by Ben Tinsley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram (republished on RedOrbit.com), June 20, 2006.
Click Here For Ire For The Umpires Gets Split Decision, The Fort-Wayne Journal Gazette's Survey of Abuse Against Sports Officials, by Sarah Trotto, June 18, 2006.
Salt Lake City, Utah - March 2, 2006 - Woman Kicks Pregnant Referee For Unfair Officiating In a League For 10 Year Olds. Click here for coverage from Deseret Morning News, March 2, 2006, Anger Over Referee's Call Triggers A Bigger Foul After Game by Ben Winslow.
Oakland, CA - Feb. 28, 2006 - Mob Scares Off Top High School Soccer Official by Dennis Miller, Oakland Tribune.
Honolulu, Hawaii, Feb. 16, 2006 - Ejected Basketball Player Tries To Tackle Ref. (Feb. 16, 2005 Honolulu Star Bulletin).
Richmond, Ca. - Dec. 2005 - 6'10" Center shoves basketball official - gets ejected. 18 month suspension imposed under California athletic rules.
Rockford, Illinois - Nov. 10, 2005 - Players Spit on Referee in High School Soccer Match.
Springfield, Indiana, October 26, 2005 - Martin Smith, an upset father, allegedly sucker punches soccer referee Jeffrey Rousseau following a high school soccer game between Indiana's Central and Westfield High Schools. Rousseau says he never saw the punch coming. Rousseau was knocked unconscious and suffered a dislocated jaw.
Cumberland County, NJ September 2005 - Youth Coach Charged With Assaulting Official (the coach may be the first person charged under a recent statute enhancing penalties for assault at youth athletic events)
Rohnert Park, CA 2005 - A rugby coach and multiple parents attack referee, and kick and beat coach who tries to protect him.
Cumberland County, NJ September 2005 - Youth Coach Charged With Assaulting Official (the coach may be the first person charged under a recent statute enhancing penalties for assault at youth athletic events)
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, July 2005 - Black eye for umpire in dustup with coach. Charges against coach dropped (this coach got away with his attack on the umpire - a black eye for sportsmanship).
Newark, NJ 2005 - Father attacks 15 year old umpire in Little League game.
Rohnert Park, CA 2005 - A rugby coach and multiple parents attack referee, and kick and beat coach who tries to protect him.
Honolulu, Hawaii, Feb. 9, 2005 - Ejected Basketball Player Tries To Tackle Ref. (Feb. 16, 2005 Honolulu Star Bulletin). For more on this story, see Caught On Tape: Ref Attacked In Prep Basketbrawl, WKMG (Orlando, FL), February 14, 2005.
Sturgeon Bay, WI - July 29, 1988 - Little League Umpire Takes Four Stitches In Attack by Coach/Parent. See Where Children Play, Grown-Ups Often Brawl by Bill Dedman, New York Times, July 29, 1998.
Philadelphia, PA - January 10, 1997 - A Sudden Swing At A Referee Rocks A Sport And A City by Jere Longman, New York Times, Jan. 10, 1997.
Compton, CA - Ref Attacked: Player Alleges Ref Used the "N" Word. See Racial Furor In Compton, CA Over High School Gridder Who Punched Referee For Allegedly Calling Him "Nigger.", Jet Magazine, December 11, 1995; Incident In Black and White by Bill Topp, Referee Magazine, February 1996; and Player, Referee At Odds Over Punch by Deborah Hastings, Associated Press published in South Coast (Massachusetts) Today, November 18, 1995.
St. Louis, MO - February 1994 - St. Louis Youth Basketball Coach Charles Taylor Knocks Referee's Teeth Out In Brutal Attack. For an editorial on this incident, see The Quest For Winning: It's Out of Focus From Top To Bottom by William C. Rhoden, New York Times, February 27, 1994.
Round Lake, Il - December 13, 2010 - Officials have a lot of heart attacks on the courts and fields every year. Whenever I tell people this, they tell me that I must be kidding because they've never seen it. However, each of us only sees a small subset of all the games played in a given year. Also, we tend to see Division I college and professional games, where the officials are probably in their officiating prime and in better shape than many of the people at lower levels. The massive amount of games played each year combined with the fact that most lower level officials tend to be older will lead the officials to have some heart problems on the field each year. So, when a school buys an AED they may need to be prepared to use it to save a referee. Just last month an official suffered a heart attack in Round Lake, Il. See Heart Attack Strikes Referee At High School Game, CBS News, Chicago, December 13, 2010. Since that time, there have probably been other officials who suffered heart attacks.
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Nashville, TN - September 24, 2010 - Highly Respected Nashville Dies After Heart Attack. See Referee Has Heart Attack On Field, Dies Following Game, Reported by Deanna Lambert, Nashville TV 4, September 25, 2010.
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Roanoke Rapids, N.C. - July 3, 2010 - Umpire Fights Back From Heart Attack. See Two Local Umpires Will Strike At State Tournament Spence, Crossen Will Make The Trip To Kinston by Jonas Pope, IV, Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, July 3, 2010.
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Elyria, Ohio – April 29, 2010 – Another Umpire Dies of Heart Attack. See Umpire Who Collapsed At Game Dies by Megan Rozsa, Northern Ohio Morning Journal, May 2010.
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Granite Bay, CA - November 13, 2009 - Referee Recovering After Heart Attack at GB Football Game by Kurt Johnson, Folsom Press Tribune, November 13, 2009.
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San Jose, CA - Nov 3, 2009 - Football Referee Has Heart Attack On Field, Returns To Work The Next Day, Officiates 5 Weeks Later. See Heart Attack Can't Stop This Referee by Dennis Knight, San Jose Mercury News, November 3, 2009.
Massachusetts - October 16, 2009 - He's Giving Back By Teaching Kids To Save Lives: Football Ref Bob Schriever flatlined on a football field in 2002. He was saved by an AED. Now, he gives back by teaching CPR and conducting AED training. See Bob on Cheating Death reported by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Oct. 16, 2009 reposted (with transcript) on cardiacscience.com.
Menlo Park, CA - Jan. 29, 2009 - Update: Referee Collapses, Game Cancelled by Keith Peters and Colin Becht, Menlo Park Almanac, January 29, 2009.
Ellinwood, KS - Jan. 6, 2009 - See Referee's Close Call: When Official Collapses in Cardiac Arrest, Spectators Take Charge, Saving His Life, Hutchinson News (Kansas), January 14, 2009, and FirstAidCorps.org.
Collinsville, IL - December 30, 2008 - Referee Stable After Collapse At Collinville Title Game by David Wilhelm, Collinsville News Democrat, December 31, 2008; also see Basketball Referee Revived On Court After Heart Attack, KSDK TV, Jan. 2, 2009.
East Hampton, N.Y. - Dec. 5, 2008 - Ref Revived at Hoops Game, East Hampton Star, December 11, 2008 and see FirstAidCorps.org.
Atlanta, GA - November 7, 2008 - Game Delayed. Why? The Ref Had a Heart Attack Earlier in The Week and Everybody Had To Scramble to Replace Him. See Lack of Referees Delays Rome-Sprayberry Start by Chris Whitfield, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 7, 2008.
Minooka, IL - October 23, 2008 - Four Parents Charge The Court At Middle School Basketball Game ... And They Save The Official. See Parents Use AED To Save Stricken Ref by Heidi Terry-Litchfield, Morris Daily Herald, October 25, 2008.
Metuchen, N.J. - September 2, 2008 - Soccer Ref Revived After Heart Attack at St. Joseph High by Harry Thomas, The Catholic Spirit (Metuchen, N.J.), October 16, 2008.
Forest Grove, OR - May 2, 2008 - Umpire Suffers Fatal Heart Attack during JV Game by Christian Gaston, The Forest Grove News-Times, May 7, 2008.
Harrisburg, PA - February 16, 2008 - Pa. High School Referee Dies of Apparent Heart Attack After Game, Harrisburg Patriot News, February 16, 2008.
Holland, MI - February 8, 2008 - Update: Quick Actions, Prayers, Help Referee Who Collapsed by Chris Fleszar and Sarah Sell, WZZM TV 13, Western Michigan, Feb. 8, 2008.
MA - December 3, 2011 - Controversy Ensues As Go-Ahead Touchdown Called Back Due To Celebration: High School Administrators Refuse To Overturn Controversial Call. Massachusett's Cathedral High School had their go-ahead touchdown called back when their quarterback raised his arm to celebrate. This touched off a national controversy, and an appeal to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). The MIAA couldn't - and didn't - reverse the call. How could they? It's an officials' judgment call that occurred with six minutes left in the game. We saw a similar problem in November where some New Mexico football officials allegedly missed a call, and a court was asked to intervene. The court ruled that it is not the role of courts to overturn officials' judgment calls. In Massachusetts, it is not the role of administrators to do so either. To quote the New Mexico court, “To agree with the plaintiffs that the courts can serve in that role would set a very bad precedent for high school teams, YAFL teams, little league, AYSO ... Any kind of scholastic sporting team would say if you disagree with the call of a ref or umpire or some other official, that you don’t need to worry about it; you don’t need to live with the decision; that it is up to a court, ultimately, to decide that call, and that’s not the role of the Court.” The MIAA got it right. The call must stand. Cathedral must lose. See Controversial High School Football Call To Stand, WCVB TV (Boston), December 8, 2011. To get a sense of the scope of coverage, see how the story was covered as far away as Ohio where the Cleveland News-Herald ran a column by Bob Frantz: NFL Egomaniacs Are To Blame For High School Official's Big Blunder by Bob Frantz, Cleveland News-Herald, December 7, 2011. For pure local anger, see the Boston Mayor's comments in Mayor Slams MIAA As Frustrated Athletes Who Ruined Super Bowl by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald, December 7, 2011.
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Atrisco, NM - November 9, 2011 - Court Upholds Game Result Even Though Officials Missed Call. Why, you might ask? Because, the game is played on the field, and parties that don't like the results of the game don't get to run to court to reverse officials' calls or challenge the results of games where they think officials missed a call - or in this case, where the officials did miss a call. This was put more eloquently by New Mexico State Judge Shannon Baker, who stated, “To agree with the plaintiffs that the courts can serve in that role would set a very bad precedent for high school teams, YAFL teams, little league, AYSO ... Any kind of scholastic sporting team would say if you disagree with the call of a ref or umpire or some other official, that you don’t need to worry about it; you don’t need to live with the decision; that it is up to a court, ultimately, to decide that call, and that’s not the role of the Court.” Well said. At the end of the day, this was a case brought by parents who didn't like a result. The parents were correct that the officials missed a call, but that's not really the point. One of the things that we all must learn in sports is to live with results, and to live with human error. We can try to reduce errors with replay and other devices, and we should. In sports, we all must strive to do our best, and replay helps. But, ultimately, we must acknowledge that errors are an inherent part of every sports event, and our obligation to learn to confront adversity with grace outweighs the parental impulse to never let go to the extent of attempting to have courts become the arbiter of games. See Atrisco Heritage Parents Seek Injunction by James Yodice, Albuquerque Journal, November 9, 2011; Atrisco's Request Denied by Judge by James Yodice, Albuquerque Journal, November 11, 2011.
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Wisconsin - August, 2011 - Officials: What Happens When You Eject The Coach, and There’s Nobody Else To Run The Team? See No Coach, Now What? Ejection of Team’s Staff Presents Rules, Liability Challenges by Matt Moore, naso.org, August, 2011.
Charleston, WV – February 10, 2011 - Attack A West Virginia Official and You Might Go Straight To Jail! West Virginia’s Senate just passed a Bill criminalizing attacks on sports officials. West Virginia’s SB 385 now moves to the West Virginia House of Delegates. If the Bill passes the West Virginia House, West Virginia will become the 20th state to pass legislation criminalizing batteries upon sports officials.
Sports officials assault legislation (or, to be more accurate “battery legislation” since the legal phrase for an attack is “battery” in most states) reflects the ugly reality that sports officials are frequently attacked by parents, coaches, and participants who don’t like their calls. The legislation comes in the wake of some extremely ugly national incidents.
The worst recent incident occurred when a Florida high school basketball player body slammed an official to the ground to protest a foul call. This ugly incident was captured on film, and displayed rather prominently on youtube and in a number of other places. The news coverage implies that attacks upon officials are an uncommon, and therefore newsworthy, event. While the Florida attack was uncommon in its severity, the truth is that there’s an ugly attack on a sports official almost every day somewhere in this country. West Virginia Senators put it best, noting that sports officials are more likely to be attacked than most people, and there’s often little recourse for them when they’re attacked. Well, there will be some recourse in the future – assuming the West Virginia House passes the Bill.
There are surprisingly few studies on attacks on sports officials. Indeed, I only know of two such studies.
In my 2001 survey of San Francisco basketball officials, 39.6% of the respondents stated that they had been attacked at some point in their career. A much larger 1998 survey of 756 Ohio officials found that 13.6% of respondents had been attacked. Assaults on Basketball Referees: A Statewide Survey, by David Rainey and Peter Duggan, Journal of Sport Behavior, March 1998, p 113.
Differences in questions and methodology probably account for some of the differences between my study and the Rainey/Duggan study. Also, it should be noted that the San Franciscans likely worked a disproportionate number of adult Rec-League games. Only 10.4% of officials in my study were attacked at high school games (and yes it should be noted that I am a high school commissioner in San Francisco, but the study was conducted in 2001 prior to my tenure as commissioner and I didn’t ask whether officials were attacked in games featuring the schools that I would eventually govern).
Differences in methodology aside, the numbers are high enough to justify assault legislation. Ask yourself whether you would want to work in a job where 13.6% of the job-holders had been physically attacked. You probably wouldn’t want that job. Of course, we do know that mail carriers are the exception that proves the rule as we can assume that a disproportionately high number of mail carriers have been attacked by dogs. However, mail carriers aside, how many people would be willing to accept such a high frequency of attacks in their profession or avocation?
The sad dilemma of it all is that our sports world creates an environment that drives away prospective officials. This leads to officiating shortages, which drive down the pool of quality officials. This limited pool has led numerous youth leagues to hire teenagers to officiate. These teenagers appear non-threatening, leading more people to attack them, driving away the next generation of officials. This vicious circle continues, harming the games that we hold dear, with no end in sight. Hopefully, the legislation helps reduce the attacks. See Senators Pass Bill To Protect Coaches, Referees by Matthew Earle, The State Journal (Charleston, WV), February 10, 2011.
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Memphis University Mascot Caretaker Says, Safety First For Everyone Else But Me! Football Official Removes Obstruction From Field - And Gets Criticized For It. Two years ago, a football player suffered a very severe injury during a Houston vs. Marshall college football game. The player ran into a club car located behind an end-zone. The player sued the officials - and he was right to do so. Last Saturday (Oct. 16, 2010), Wayne Winkler, one of the referees who worked that Houston vs. Marshall game, was assigned to a University of Memphis game. Winkler noticed that Memphis set up a tiger cage for its mascot in the back of one of the end zones. So, being responsible for safety (and not wanting to be sued again), Winkler did the right thing. He told Memphis to move the mascot cage. Memphis's mascot caretaker complained, stalled, delayed, and had to be threatened with a fifteen yard penalty against Memphis before he complied. The mascot caretaker then criticized Winkler in the campus newspaper following the game - proving once again that for some people the motto is "safety first for everyone else but me." For the the campus newspaper article, see C-USA Referee Forces TOM III Off Field, Breaks Longstanding Tradition by John Martin, The Daily Helmsman, October 21, 2010.
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Officials Association Leaders: What do you do when the fans abuse the officials? See When A Fan's Comments Go Too Far by Alan Goldberger and Donald C. Collins, It's Official, Monthly Newsletter Of The National Association Of Sports Officials, December 2009, page N5 (inside this month's Referee Magazine).
June 6, 2009 - Payment Delays Create E-Problems For Eastern Colleges, Officials. The speed of the high tech world can make even the most sophisticated of businesses forget some of the the deliberate prerequisites to doing business properly. A number of colleges simplified their lives by using PaymentsFirst, an electronic officials' payment system. The schools didn't have to cut checks to every official, greatly simplifying their lives and providing the type of efficiency that the e-world often brags about. One small problem, though. Pennsylvania law requires groups that serve as a payment "pass through" to receive a license from the Pennsylvania Department of Banking. PaymentsFirst failed to do so, and their business was frozen until they complied. The resulting delays are a major inconvenience to leagues, schools and, of course, the officials. A valuable e-lesson will be learned by all. See Officially, It's Become A Giant Mess by John Powers, Boston Globe, June 6, 2009.
New Haven, CT - May 15, 2009 - Officials are constantly reminded to check facilities for safety problems prior to every contest. Recently, an injured pole vaulter won $6.4 million because track meet officials were negligent in inspecting for safety. See Paralyzed Pole Vaulter Wins Lawsuit by Randall Beach, New Haven Register, May 15, 2009. Note: If legal liability does not motivate an official to conduct a facilities inspection, perhaps the human factor will. The pole vaulter who won $6.4 million may have some money, but he paid a severe price as he is paralyzed for life.
Pittsburgh, PA - March 11, 2009. In September of 2008, I predicted that the PIAA, which governs Pennsylvania high school sports, would require their officials to fingerprint in reaction to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article that found that a lot of Pennsylvania sports officials had criminal backgrounds. I was right. See PIAA to Require Background Checks by George Guido, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 11, 2009. For the 2008 article that led to my prediction, see
Many With Criminal Pasts Found On PIAA's Roster Of Sports Referees by Bill Moushey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 14, 2008.
Sharon City, PA - February 20, 2009 - Sharon City School District Loses Case, Challenging Player Ejection. You've seen it before. A player gets ejected in a place that suspends ejected players. The school or the family seek an injunction. Sometimes they get it and sometimes they don't. However, without fail these players ultimately lose the case if it moves past the injunction phase because courts are not in the business of reviewing officials' calls. In this case, the School District sought an injunction and lost. Case Closed. See Sharon Basketball Player Loses Case To Play, Sharon Herald, Feb. 20, 2009 (reprinted in mgtv.net).
New York, NY - January 2009 - New York requires officials to fingerprint. See Fingerprints Required of PSAL Officials, Referee Magazine, January 2009.
Seattle, WA - November 2008 - Assignors and associations can pay a high price for discriminatory practices: bad publicity and damages can result. The Great Northwest Athletic Conference received bad publicity where it was accused of discrimination against African Americans in its assigning practices. See Refs Looking For A Foul Call by Damon Agnos, Seattle Weekly, November 18, 2008. This story was also covered in It's Not Black & White by Dave Simon, Referee Magazine, June 2009, page 36. The GNAC case is complicated by factors such as who goes to what camps, and who is mentored by whom. Discrimination can be more blatant, of course. A black female NASCAR inspector was called, "Nappy Headed Mo" and subject to sexual advances. She sued for $250 million and ultimately reached a confidential settlement. See Grant Did Well In Settlement by Jay Hart, Yahoosports.com, December 19, 2008 (don't ask how yahoo has information on a confidential settlement); and Mauricia Grant, NASCAR, Chicago Tribune Wires, June 10, 2008. (posted by Collins - Aug. 4, 2009)
New York, N.Y. - Sept. 2008 - New York's PSAL Requires All Officials To Fingerprint. See the PSAL website for details.
September 2008 - This excellent article from Athletic Business magazine sums up the independent contractor problem very well. See Law & Risk: Contract Law by Michael Popke, Athletic Business Magazine, September 2008.
Cleveland, OH - July 2008 - For the ultimate legal presentation, click here to hear Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito speak on sports officiating.
Topeka, KS - Female Ref Banned From Boys' Game! (Story and Video) ABC News by Chris Cuomo, Raquel Hecker, and Olivia Sterns, Feb 18, 2008 (And We Thought It Was The 21st Century)! See Also, Group Looking Into Removal of Female Referee By Religious School by Andale Gross, The Pantagraph, Feb. 13, 2008.
Jan. 2008 - How should officials handle students wearing religious uniforms? What about disabled students?
Juashaunna Kelly, a Washington, D.C. Muslim track student, was DQd from a race because her attire didn't meet track uniform rules. Kelly wore special attire for religious reasons. Was the DQ discriminatory? Out of town officials DQd Kelly, but did local officials blow it by letting Kelly run for three years without briefing her on the rules?
All these issues and more are discussed in Disabilities, Religion, Officials and You by Don Collins, NASO On Board, January 2008, page 4 (National Association of Sports Officials). For information on the Kelly incident see: When The Rules Run Up Against Faith: Prep Athlete Wearing Muslim Clothing Disqualified From Meet by Alan Goldenbach, Washington Post, January 16, 2008 page A01; Muslim Athlete Disqualified Over Uniform, Associated Press, January 17, 2008; and Track Star Banned Over Muslim Clothing, MSNBC, January 16, 2008. The general public reacted poorly to this issue: See Hate Mail Follows Controversy Over Muslim Track Star, WUSA 9 Washington, D.C., January 16, 2008. For a rules explanation: Click here for the National Federation of High School's Explanation of The Rules and see Officials: Religion Not Issue In Runners Exclusion by Chay Rao and Stephanie Siegel, Montgomery County Gazette Net, January 30, 2008. Note: Uniform rules are inherently problematic. Officials are supposed to enforce them, but there is something unseemly about wiping out a result because of a technicality. Most of the time, there's no controversy and the athlete receives a lesson in rules compliance, but every once in a while things get really ugly. In 2010, a coach took the heat where he waited until the end of a meet to point out that a pole vaulter violated a uniform rule. Is this good rules enforcement or petty gamesmanship? See South Pasadena Pole Vaulter Center of National Attention After Bracelet Controversy by Miguel A. Melendez, Pasadena Star, May 12, 2010; and Where's The Sportsmanship? Girl Disqualified For Wearing Bracelet by Dave Wielenga, SI.Com, May 13, 2010.
This issue continues to raise its ugly head. It seems like every year we see a uniform snafu involving an athlete who is penalized for wearing an illegal uniform, claims ignorance of the uniform rules, and then points out that a whole lot of officials allowed him to get away with wearing the illegal uniform. At best, this makes officials look bad. At worst, officials are charged with religious bias when the uniform rule impacts a religious minority. To add insult to injury, the rules themselves look like petty little bureaucratic obstacles when it invariably is revealed that a religious violator could have asked for and easily received a written, religious exemption from uniform requirements.
The officials who enforce the rules aren’t to blame. However, they end up bearing the heat that’s built up from all those officials before them who let things pass. Worse, the later in the year you get, the more important the games are. If uniform violations are enforced early in the season, they’ll be corrected before the spotlight shines brightly on that one official who properly handles the rules late in the year.
A 2011 incident illustrates the harm done by inconsistent uniform rules enforcement. See Headscarf Forces Maryland Girl Basketball Player To Miss First Half, CBS News – Baltimore, MD, January 19, 2011.
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Pittsburgh, PA. - April 16, 2007 - Are Officials Fair Game? Numerous states have passed legislation criminalizing batteries against sports officials. Indeed, I even had the pleasure of working with California Umpire Bob Summers and Oakland attorney Lou Landini on one such Bill (Lou wrote the text, I supported Bob, and Bob did the lobbying). Do these bills help? See: Pa. Law Protecting Sports Officials Rarely Used by Rich Cholodofsky, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 16, 2007. Click Here for the National Association of Sports Officials' Special Report: Officials Under Assault.
How To Handle Coaches, Team Managers and School Officials In Wheelchairs
Clinton, Tennessee August 17, 2006 - This recurring issue was most recently in the news in Tennessee. Kyle Thornton, a wheelchair bound high school football team manager, worked with high school administrators and the Tennessee Disability Law and Advocacy Center to reverse a referee's ruling that he couldn't be on the sidelines. Procedures were established and a training document was produced to help referees work with the disabled. Click on Clinton High Student Can Return To Football Sidelines by Adam Longo WATE Channel 6 website, Knoxville, TN to read about Kyle's big win. Click here for more on Kyle and other wheelchair related news. Click here for more on officials, wheelchairs, and the law.
Big Ten Blind-Ref Lawsuit
Chicago, IL. July 17, 2006 - One-Eyed Ref Sues Big Ten Over Termination (CBS 2 website - story from Chicago Sun-Times Newsgroup Wire). For More, See UM Coach Carr Responds To Blind Ref Lawsuit (Sports Law Blog Aug. 2, 2006).
Huge Independent Contractor Dispute In Connecticut
Elite soccer program refuses to pay employment taxes on coaches; hires ten year old kids to officiate younger kids' games and claims the kids are independent contractors. It's Goalkeeper vs. Bookkeeper as I.R.S. Audits Youth Soccer, by Tina Kelley, New York Times, June 25, 2006. (Schools, leagues, governing bodies, and officials all have a stake in independent contractor issues and generally want officials to be independent contractors, but has the Fairfield United Soccer Association gone too far?). For more, see IRS Targets Local Soccer League by Edward J. Crowder, Connecticut Post Online, July 8, 2006.
Oklahoma - December 2005 - Oklahoma Supreme Court upholds Oklahoma QB's Suspension. Playoffs will resume. The Tucker Brown case was a classic case of a modern day athlete lacking the composure to comport himself in a sportsmanlike manner and then complaining and suing when he received his penalty. Brown got ejected from a playoff game for kicking an opponent. He then went to court and argued that the Oklahoma high school code's suspension language shouldn't apply to playoff games and that the officials weren't good so he had no choice except to kick the opponent. When all else fails, sue and blame the officials Read the Oklahoma Supreme Court's Opinion here.
Click here for earlier reports on this story. The Oklahoma Supreme Court refused to substitute its judgment for the officials. For a similar incident with a similar result see this article about the 1999 Iowa golf championships.
Oregon 2003 Law Part of Modern Trend To Empower Officials
An Oregon law passed in 2003 reflects a modern trend to empower officials by requiring spectators, coaches and participants to leave a game site when ordered to do so by an official. See Oregon Revised Statutes 164-276 and 164-278.
Child Labor Law Issues
Darien, IL. - May, 2002 - Red Tape Behind The Plate by Dave Kindred, The Sporting News, May 27, 2002 (paid youth umpires may violate Illinois' child labor laws). For local coverage see, Labor Agency Plays Hardball With 12, 13 Year Old Umps by Ted Gregory, Chicago Tribune, April 18, 2002. The problem was solved in less than three months. See State Goes To Bat For Young Umps by Christi Parsons and Ted Gregory, Chicago Tribune, June 28, 2002 (reprinted in Minnesota Issue Watch, September 2002) (reporting on 2002 Illinois exception to child labor laws, allowing children as young as 13 years old to officiate youth athletic contests). Click here for Governor's Press Release. Click here for Illinois's Child Labor Laws.
Note: A number of states have enacted youth sports official exemptions to their child labor laws in the past few years, but I am sure that a lot of states still don't have an exception. People who employ children as sports officials should check their local laws.
State Exemptions To Child Labor Laws: Minnesota, Missouri (12 year olds may officiate - see Missouri Rev. Stats. 294.011(7)(d)., Washington (youth soccer referee exemption) also click here for the Washington Bill Report on SB 559 (2007), Virginia (12 year olds can officiate),
Site Administrator's Liability To Attacked Officials. Schools need to provide "appropriate" security or they can be liable for injuries to spectators and officials. Schools can be found liable for things that are foreseeable. So if you don't provide security for your site when you have the big game with 3,000 fans your school could pay the legal price if someone is injured. On the other hand, you probably won't be liable when you don't provide security for the JV game on Saturday morning before 30 parents - unless those parents have some history of violence. The site administrator may be enough security for that game. For more, see my Jan. 2007 article: When Security Leaves You On Your Own. Also, click here for Talaszan v. Northridge Arena Soccer League (arena was liable because previous violence made need for security foreseeable) and see McKee v. Gilg, 96 Ohio. App.3d 764, 766 (1994) (baseball team not liable where fan misconduct was not foreseeable).
Corvallis, OR - November 3, 2011 - High School Referee Arrested, License Revoked, Reported by Heather Turner, KEZI TV, Corvallis, OR., November 3, 2011. Normally, poor change areas and poorly secured change areas are a problem for high school sports officials - assuming there's a change area at all. LaJames Sweet of Oregon allegedly turned this problem on its head. Sweet allegedly took advantage of poor locker room security by sneaking into a girls' locker room and stealing $35. It gets worse, though. After Sweet's arrest on the alleged theft charges, authorities discovered that he had allegedly lied on his application to be a substitute teacher, and also allegedly used fingerprints other than his own to pass background checks. For more see High School Sports Official Arrested by Emily Gillespie, Corvallis Gazette-Times, November 3, 2011.
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Surprise, AZ - September 26, 2011 - Umpire Accused of Paying Teens For Sex, reported by Navideh Forghani, ABC TV, Phoenix, AZ., September 26, 2011. Edward Lee Hartley, the softball official who stands accused, should be a case study in sleaze and the limits of our ability to detect it. First, Hartley was an Arizona high school softball official. All Arizona sports officials must pass a criminal background check. Hartley passed even though ABC has discovered that he has a criminal history, including "sexual assault, sexual misconduct and rape... [and] at least six prior sex crimes violations." Hartley shows us the limits of background checks. There are different levels of such checks, and at some levels you can miss crimes in other jurisdictions, and even some older criminal convictions. Hartley also shows us the limits of reporting. ABC reports on Hartley's criminal history but fails to tell us whether Hartley's criminal history includes arrests or convictions. A curious reader may wonder how a person with such an extensive criminal history is out walking the streets; they won't get their answer from ABC. Finally, Hartley's story is an illustration in criminal comeuppance. ABC reports that Hartley's victims were a 13 and a 14 year old girl. According to ABC, Hartley offered them $400 for sex. The enterprising children accepted Hartley's offer, but ABC reports that they "called police after they realized the money Hartley gave them was counterfeit." Oddly, Hartley doesn't appear to have been umpiring when he committed this crime so it is a bit odd to see the headlines reporting on him as an umpire. Most people don't think of high school umpiring as a part-time vocation, and would tend to classify most umpires by their full-time occupation. For example, someone may be a school teacher who umpires or a doctor who referees basketball. For Hartley to be classified as an umpire may be a bit of bad luck for the officiating industry in that it indicates that he has done nothing else in life that merits mentioning. Anyway, enough on Hartley. You can read the ABC story for more.
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Washington State - September 2011 - Even When They're Right - Some People Still Think They're Wrong! A year ago the Washington Officials Association, which governs sports officials in Washington State, made news when it barred one of its member associations from wearing pink whistles for breast cancer awareness. The WOA's argument that they did many support activities, but member associations needed to get authorization to do them was lost in the firestorm of publicity that made the WOA look like bad bureaucrats. Well, the WOA was telling the truth! They just finished their fourth annual blue flag day, where every official in the state uses blue football penalty flags instead of yellow ones to show support for prostate cancer. How much publicity has the WOA gotten for this? Can you say, very little? Of course, after the pink whistle flap it was just a matter of time before somebody said, hmmm, you supported prostate cancer but not breast cancer. The WOA's arguments about the blue flags coming through their process and the pink whistles resulting from a group going off on their own won't dissuade those critics. In other words, even when the WOA wins, it loses in the eyes of some critics. The moral of all this - no matter what you do and how well you do it, nobody likes you if you look like a bureaucrat. The WOA deserves some credit here, and I'm sure that many people will give it to them. Will that balance the critics? Only time will tell. See Referees To Throw Blue Flags For Prostate Cancer Awareness by Bob Taylor, Issaquah Press, September 14, 2011; but also see Referees' Blue Flags Called 'Sexist' After Pink Whistle Flap, King - 5 News-TV, Seattle, WA - September 16, 2011.
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Sacramento, CA - October 27, 2011 - Sacramento Volleyball Officials Dispute Turns Officiating On Its Head. When Sacramento’s elite volleyball officials broke away from their old association, officiating contracts forced local high school leaders to use rookie officials, leading the elite varsity and college officials to work a middle school slate. Nobody’s happy and the mess can’t be sorted out this year. We’ll have to stand by and see what happens down the road. See Top Refs Form New Group, Are Shut Out of Prep Volleyball by John Parker, Sacramento Bee, October 27, 2011, page 1-C.
Reno, NV - August 24, 2011 - Schools Can Lay Down Their Best Plans But Without Officials, They're Not Going to Happen. See High School Football: Referee Shortage Likely Means Fewer Friday Games by Chris Gable, Reno Gazette-Journal, August 24, 2011.
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Louisville, Ohio - August 29, 2011 - AD Defends Excessive Celebration Penalty Called Against His School - Even Though His School Had A Most Sympathetic Reason For Their Celebration. Louisville High School's Alex Schooley was called for an excessive celebration penalty after scoring a fourth quarter touchdown with 1:15 remaining in the game. The penalty helped Louisville's opponent gain good field position, and ultimately helped them get into position for a game winning kick. Schooley was penalized for pointing at the sky after his score, but he had good cause. His friend had died and Schooley was one of the pallbearers. In short, this was an understandable gesture - but it was only understandable if you knew Schooley and knew what had occurred. If you didn't, then the penalty was simply an act of rules enforcement. And that's the whole point. We have excessive celebration rules to deter a team sport from being marred by acts of self-aggrandizement. Officials are supposed to enforce those rules, and they're not supposed to waive the rules for subjective factors. Of course, it is most unlikely that the officials knew why Schooley was celebrating. However, what if they did? Do we want officials to arbitrarily waive rules based on their sympathy with one player? This may be a sympathetic starting point, but where would it stop. Anyway, you know what happened after the game ... or at least you think you know. Yes, the hometown fans ripped the mean old official, and Hank Zaborniak, the assistant commissioner for the state high school sports association, explained the rationale behind the rule. See After Losing Friend, Player Penalized For Show of Emotion, reported by Dave Nethers, Fox Channel 8, Louisville, August 29, 2011. However, the story doesn't end with the fans ripping the official and the state governing body looking like bureaucrats. Oh, no. One man rose above it all. Louisville Athletic Director Rich Venuto went on television the day after the game, and pointed out that the official did exactly what he was supposed to do, and stated that he hoped his fans would accept the call and move on. See AD Responds To Call That Penalized Show of Emotion, reported by Dave Nethers, Fox Channel 8, Louisville, August 30, 2011; and An Unpopular Stance by R. J. Anderson, Athletic Management Blog, September 5, 2011. The AD is correct here. There are lessons to be learned in sports. One lesson, which is particularly painful, is that we must display the attributes that we value even in the most adverse moments. This was the most adverse moment, and we should sympathize with the student who was penalized. However, we must also do what the AD did, and tell that child and his supporters that even though we sympathize, we are still held to our standard.
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Natomas, CA – May 23, 2011 – Indecent Exposure Charges Against Natomas, CA Man Who Worked As A Youth Soccer Referee. This didn’t happen on the field, and it wouldn’t normally be worth mentioning on this website. However, CBS Channel 13 noted that background checks are not required for youth sports officials in California. Of course, Channel 13 then immediately noted why many places don’t require youth sports officials to have background checks by observing that referees don’t have unsupervised contact with players. Indeed, since referees are so often assaulted by parents, players, and coaches, it is pretty important for a referee to always be either with their officiating partner, with security or game management, or in an area where they can be seen by as many people as possible. See Accused Groper Worked As Youth Soccer Ref, CBS Channel 13, Sacramento, CA, May 23, 2011.
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Buenos Aires, Argentina - May 17, 2011 - Argentine soccer may have found its Tim Donaghy .. or worse, they may have a whole bunch of Tim Donaghys if one believes former soccer official Javier Ruiz. Ruiz says that Argentinian soccer officiating is riddled with corruption. While there's no evidence to support Ruiz's claim, I'm sure there'll be ample investigations of his charges and we'll ultimately get a better sense of corruption - or lack of such - in Argentine soccer. See Report: Ex-referee Makes Fix Claims In Argentina, Yahoo Sports, May 17, 2011.
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Norfolk, VA - April 12, 2011 - We all know some official who's dedicated his life to serving our youth. These officials seldom are recognized. That's what makes this article so refreshing. See High School Umpire's Career Spans Generations by Rich Radord, The Virginian-Pilot, April 12, 2011 (reporting on Virginia baseball umpire Bob Barry).
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New York, N.Y. - June 10, 2010 - NFL Attacks Officiating Shortages By Going To ...... The Projects? That's Right. The Projects. See N.F.L. Scouts For Refs In Public Housing by Emily B. Hager, New York Times, June 10, 2010.
East Lansing, MI - May 4, 2010 - Mid-Michigan Umpires Associations To Conduct Officials For Kids Give-A-Game Donations Thursday. MHSAA Press Release, May 4, 2010. This is as good as it gets. Umpires already give back by calling our kids' games, and they give back even more with their annual charitable program for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
Connecticut - March 23, 2010 - Connecticut Takes Strong Steps To Stop Coaches From Publicly Criticizing Game Officials. See CIAC Passes New Coach Rules by Ken Lipshez, New Britain Herald, March 23, 2010 (click here for Lipshez's article in the Bristol Press).
Philadelphia, PA - March 16, 2010 - Philadelphia School Loses By 30 In Playoffs, Blames "Racist" Officials. Nothing New, Here. They Lost In Playoffs In 2009, and Blamed "Racist" Officials For That Loss Too. Sometimes you're inclined to feel sorry for high school teams in State Playoff competition. They're playing out of their area, facing different skill levels, and styles of play. The officials may be seeing a different style of play, too. You can almost begin to feel sorry for the Math, Civics and Sciences Charter High School of Philadelphia - even if you're inclined to disagree with their charges of racist and biased officiating. Then you realize that they received seven technical fouls, and the game was called with 13 seconds to go when a MC&S Charter "whipped the ball" into the stands. Now, it's harder to feel sorry for this team. They didn't carry themselves with dignity on the court, and their charges of racially biased officiating certainly don't indicate a lot of off-court dignity. When you lose by 30 points and accuse people whom you don't know of racism without any evidence other than a disagreement with some calls, you simply don't have dignity. For more, see Math, Civics, and Science Founder Alleges 'Discrimination' by Referees by Ted Silary, Philadelphia Daily News, March 23, 2010.
Houston, TX – January 14, 2010 - TASO vs. UIL. A battle for control of Texas’s sports officials. For three decades, Texas sports officials registered through the Texas Association of Sports Officials. This school year, the University Interscholastic League, the organization that governs Texas high school sports decided that they wanted control. Well, as you can imagine, TASO didn’t look too kindly on being run out of business. The fight for Texas was on. This is a long, ugly battle. For details, see Officials’ Tug of War Reaches New Level by San Khan, Jr., Houston Chronicle, January 14, 2010.
Tecumseh, MI - January 23, 2010 - Official Grabs Throat To Stop Confrontation by Mickey Alvarado, Tecumseh Herald, January 25, 2010. The official (Erich Schifter) grabbed a wrestler (Tim Elkins of Tecumseh HS) by the throat to break up two wrestlers who were wrestling while out of bounds. The official then walked the wrestler across the mat while gripping the wrestler's throat and screaming, "You don't misbehave on my mat." The wrestler's reply? "Let go of my throat." Words don't do this justice, but the link provides the video.
California and New Jersey - December 2009 - Female Officials Making the Calls In Football! Terri Valenti hired by United Football League becomes first woman to work in a professional football league. See UFL Hires Valenti As First Female Official, Referee Magazine, December 2009, page 11. Also Robin DeLorenzo becomes first female official to work a high school football championship game. See Female High School Football Referee Robin DeLorenzo Finds Acceptance in Officiating Fraternity by Jackie Friedman, Newark Star-Ledger, October 1, 2009.
Bloomington, IN - November 30, 2009 - Economics gone mad! Two years ago the Moneyball movement hit officiating with a study on whether NBA officials show racial bias in their calls. Click here for Racial Discrimination Among NBA Referees. The NBA study was refuted (and pretty persuasively I might add) by the NBA, but once you let an economist in the room, he's never coming out. Yes, the economists are back. This time, a study claims that basketball refs even out the fouls. See Study Says College Basketball Refs Try To Keep Foul Calls Even by Jonathan Abrams, New York Times, November 30, 2009. Now if you really want to be impressed by superior minds, see the actual Article Abstract of Officiating Bias: The Effect of Foul Differential on Foul Calls In NCAA Basketball by Kyle J. Anderson and David A. Pierce, Journal of Sports Sciences, Vol 27, Issue 7, page 687 (May 2009). Now, I hate to tell you that this article might be a bit shaky. However, a study of 365 games during a season in which 5,550 games are played doesn't strike me as very statistically relevant, but hey, what do I know. Oh, it also might have helped if Anderson and Pierce studied more than the first half; that's right, they only studied the first half because teams might intentionally foul in the second half. Really now? Teams don't intentionally foul for the whole second half. But who am I to question? I'm not an economist.... thank goodness.
U.K. - November 15, 2009 - It's not news to officials that players don't know the rules, but it's probably news to everybody else. The Guardian's Sports Blogger is shocked, shocked! to find out that players don't know the rules. See Arrested Development Over Football's Laws Is Absolutely Criminal, The Sport Blog, The Guardian (UK), November 15, 2009.
Baltimore, MD - October 28, 2009 - Illegal Uniforms: Subject of Constant Controversy - If officials enforce the rule, they're the bad guys and if they don't, well, then the uniform rules lack meaning. The classic darned if you do/darned if you don't situation. In 2008, a track official created a national controversy by disqualifying a Muslim athlete for violating a uniform rule. The runner could cover her body, but she covered it with an illegal uniform. The official enforced the rule, and caught a lot of flack for doing so. See When The Rules Run Up Against Faith: Prep Athlete Wearing Muslim Clothing Disqualified From Meet by Alan Goldenbach, Washington Post, January 16, 2008 page A01. In February, 2009, an Illinois basketball team ran afoul of a uniform rule in the Illinois state playoffs. In October, a Maryland official enforced a uniform rule against a cross country team that had won the Baltimore County Cross Country race. The official struck a cord judging from the media attention. For the story, see Uniform Violation Costs Bulls Title by Jeff Seidel, Baltimore Sun, October 27, 2009; For reactions, see Losing by a Thread: Our View: When a Pinstripe Decides A Championship, Participants Are At A Loss, Baltimore Sun Editorial, October 29, 2009; High-School Running Champs Lose Crown Due To Illegal Undies by Mark Hyman, parentdish.com; October 28, 2009; and the Newark Star-Ledger got so mad about this rule that they confused the boys who violated the rule with girls, titling their story, Girls Cross Country: Wrong Undies, Flawed Officiating by Rich Bevensee, Newark Star-Ledger, November 5, 2009.
August, 2009 - Officials: Those missed calls aren't your fault. That's right, there's a scientific explanation for your errors. See 3 Smart Things About Referees by Candice Chan, Wired Magazine, August 2009, page 32 (noise, color and something called the "100-millisecond lag in our visual systems" may have led to that missed call ); Also see, Perceptual Mislocalization Of Bouncing Ball By Professional Tennis Referees by David Whitney, Nicole Wurnitsch, Byron Hontiveros, and Elizabeth Louie, Current Biology, Vol. 18, Issue 20, Pages R947-R949 (October, 2008); and Tennis Refs are People, Too: Visual Illusion To Blame For All Those Bad Calls, 60-Second Science Blog by Jordan Lite, Scientific American, October 27, 2008 (our brain's produce a visual illusion that makes refs' erroneous calls overwhelmingly more likely to be on balls they call "out" than on ones they judge as "in").
San Diego, Ca and New Mexico - April, 2009 - Officials Face New Licenses and Fees In Changing Economy.
It used to be so simple to handle the business side of officiating. Now, states are broke and they need money. Officials are stuck in the middle. Some states call officials' associations employers, subjecting them to exorbitant employment taxes that have to be passed on to schools. Some states have found officials to be independent contractors. When this happens, the schools and associations breathe a sigh of relief .. but don't hold your breath. Governments have ways of going after independent contractors, too. San Diego sports officials have been hit with expensive business license taxes. New Mexico officials were subject to the New Mexico gross receipts tax until they got a recent exemption. In this changing economic world, officials face new economic challenges. See It's The Law: Athletic Officials Need A License To Call by Nicole Vargas, San Diego Union Tribune, November 4, 2008; and Governor Bill Richardson Signs Bill Supporting School Sports Officials, State of New Mexico Press Release, April 2, 2009.
November 2008 - San Diego Almost Lost The 2008 High School Soccer Season Due To A Threatened Referees' Strike. Read all about it here! What Do You Think? Were the San Diego Officials Underpaid? With The Economy Going South Do People Sympathize With These Officials - Don't Answer Too Fast! Remember, They Don't Make A Lot of Money and They Do Take A Lot of Abuse? See Soccer Officials' Pay Issue Unresolved by Ivan Orosco, San Diego Union Tribune, November 7, 2008; Progress Made In Officials' Strike by Scott Bair, North County Times, November 13, 2008; and HS Season On Despite Stalemate by Erin Murphy, Daily San Diego Soccer News, November 25, 2008. San Diego Soccer Refs Still On Strike: Coaches and Fill-In Refs Make The Call This Soccer Season. See Subs The Rule For Referees: Amid Pay Dispute, Schools and Leagues Around County Scrambling For Soccer Officials by Ivan Orozco, San Diego Union-Tribune, January 13, 2009
November, 2008 - For a Detailed Look At Game Prep and Professionalism, Check Out USA Today's Series: A Ref's Life. Click here for A Ref's Life: To Get Ready Officials Often Go To The Tape by Chris Colston, USA Today, November 17, 2008; A Ref's Life: Much More To The Game Beyond Tipoff to Buzzer by Chris Colston, USA Today, November 18, 2008; A Ref's Life: Officials' Schedule Proves There Is Traveling In NBA by Chris Colston, USA Today, November 19, 2008; A Ref's Life: Critiques, Knowing Matchups All Part of The Job by Chris Colston, USA Today, November 20, 2008; A Ref's Life: Performance On Court Always Under Review by Chris Colston, USA Today, November 21, 2008.
PIAA Football Officials: A Bad Call: See Many With Criminal Pasts Found On PIAA's Roster Of Sports Referees by Bill Moushey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 14, 2008. It won't be long before Pennsylvania requires these guys to fingerprint since they clearly won't self-police. The good news - if good news it is - is that players, coaches and spectators are much more of a threat to the officials than the officials are to them. Still, it looks pretty bad to see the local convict officiating a game..
Torrington, CT - August 15, 2008 - Umpires Association Gives Award to Convicted Sex Offender ... Then They Reverse Their Bad Call. See Torrington Sex Offender Gets Community Award, NBC 30, Connecticut, August 15, 2008; Residents Outraged After Sex Offender Awarded, NBC 30, Connecticut, August 16, 2008; and Umpire Group Wants Award Back From Sex Offender, NBC 30, Connecticut, August 20, 2008. For national coverage see, Baseball Umpires In Connecticut Back Honor For Sex Offender, Associated Press, New York Daily News, August 16, 2008; Connecticut Umpires Group Rescinds Sex Offender's Award, San Francisco Examiner, August 19, 2008
LaFayette, LA - June 18, 2008 - Home-Plate Umpires Find Themselves In The Line of Fire by Paul White, USA Today. Foul balls, missed pitches lead to rash of concussions. Worse, sometimes it's on purpose. A catcher missed a pitch in a Georgia High School Game. Was it on purpose? Sure looks like it. The Georgia High School Association thought it was on purpose. They fined the school. The catcher lost his college scholarship - the college didn't want anybody who'd do this. Were they right? You can see the stills and the video by clicking on the June 18, 2008 Life of Reilly Column from ESPN The Magazine. Think this is the only time, think again: A California catcher told the ump what was coming! The catcher told the umpire he was gonna miss one. The ump took a fastball in his mask, ejected the catcher and the California Interscholastic Federation's North Coast Section did the right thing - a lifetime suspension! As of June 27, 2008, the catcher's appeal is pending.
June 2008 - National Conference of State Legislatures Shines The Light On Attacks Against Officials. See Cease-Fire On The Umpire! by Garry Boulard, State Legislatures Magazine (published by the National Conference of State Legislatures), June 2008 and Cease-Fire On The Umpire! Steven Ellinger Q and A On-line extra by Garry Boulard, State Legislatures Magazine (published by the National Conference of State Legislatures), June 2008.
Memphis, TN - September 14, 2007 - Thomas Will Become First Female Referee In Top Tier of College Football, ESPN.Com, Sept. 14, 2007 (Sarah Thomas was the first woman to work a Mississippi high school championship game and now she's the first woman to officiate a Division I-A College Football game).
New York, N.Y. - July 20, 2007 - FBI Investigates NBA Referee For Betting on Games. See FBI Probes Whether NBA Ref Bet On Games by Pat Milton, Washington Post, July 20, 2007; NBA In A 'Fix' by Murray Weiss, New York Post, July 20, 2007; FBI Probes Whether NBA Referee Bet on Games by Kevin Johnson, USA Today, July 20, 2007.
New York, N.Y. - May 2, 2007 - Study of N.B.A. Sees Racial Bias In Calling Fouls by Alan Schwarz, New York Times, May 2, 2007 page A1. Click here for the actual study on Referees and Racial Bias. It is quite predictable that the publicity generated by the NBA study will lead to more studies. Click here for the December 2007 study on baseball umpires and racial bias: Strike Three: Umpires' Demand For Discrimination by Christopher A. Parsons, Johan Sulaeman, Michael Yates and Daniel S. Hamermesh (aka The Hamermesh Report). Readers should note that there's only a 1% difference in calls. What does that mean? Well, Phil Birnbaum, a baseball sabremetrician, points out that it means that over 7,000 pitches tracked over three seasons, "the two groups of umpires are five pitches away from showing absolutely no racial bias." In short, there may not be any discrimination, but economists must publish - and publish they do. See Birnbaum's comments in Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf, August 2007 (reviewing an earlier version of the Hamermesh report than the one I've linked to).
Albany, N.Y. - Dec. 13, 2005 - Court refuses to reverse official's call: unsportsmanlike conduct penalty decides state wrestling championship - another case of a loser on the field trying to go to court to avoid the consequences of his misconduct. The 2004-05 championship is finally resolved in New York just in time for the 2005-06 championship to be held.
Oklahoma - December 2005 - Oklahoma Supreme Court upholds Oklahoma QB's Suspension. Playoffs will resume. The Tucker Brown case was a classic case of a modern day athlete lacking the composure to comport himself in a sportsmanlike manner and then complaining and suing when he received his penalty. Brown got ejected from a playoff game for kicking an opponent. He then went to court and argued that the Oklahoma high school code's suspension language shouldn't apply to playoff games and that the officials weren't good so he had no choice except to kick the opponent. When all else fails, sue and blame the officials Read the Oklahoma Supreme Court's Opinion here.
Click here for earlier reports on this story.
February 2011 - Louisiana - Sports Officials Stage Walkout. The same budget issues that are impacting schools impact sports officials. Louisiana's sports officials recently asked for a raise for 2011-12, arguing that they were underpaid relative to officials in the rest of the country. When they were denied, they went on strike for two days at the beginning of February. Louisiana school officials cited budget woes in denying the officials a raise. However, the strike led Louisiana High School Athletic Association officials to promise to bring the officials request back to its Executive Committee in March. We'll see what happens, but life presents tradeoffs in tight budget times. Louisiana appears to have underpaid its officials, and they certainly need to pay them. However, if the officials get their raise, it has to come from somewhere. Don't be surprised to see measures ranging from reductions of games to cuts at lower levels of sport in Louisiana - and don't blame the officials for those cuts. States that pay their officials well have taken cost cutting measures, too. See Louisiana High School Referees Return To Action After Meeting With LHSAA by Jude Young, NewOrleans.com, February 2, 2011; and Louisiana Referees Head Back To Work by Michael Popke, Athletic Business, February 3, 2011.
August 2011 - FOLLOW UP - Good News In Louisiana as sports officials get their pay raise. Louisiana officials struck last year due to their low pay. They may have had grounds for disgruntlement as they were amongst the lowest paid officials in the land. They’ll be happier this year as they got a pay raise this summer. See Referee Pay Raise OK'd by Brent St. Germain, Bayoupreps.com, June 3, 2011.
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NASO Conducts National Survey of High School Game Fees. Order Special Report: High School Game Fees, Referee Magazine Staff, Referee Magazine, August 2009, page 44. If you want to maximize your game fees, move to Texas and officiate football and basketball.
Dallas, Texas - June 20, 2007 - Refs Blow Whistle On Pay Structure by Keith Whitmire, Dallas Morning News, June 20, 2007 (fee disputes impact Texas high school sports).
Click Here To See Dick Vitale Help The FHSAA Recruit Officials.
Recruiting
The poor economy is making it easier to recruit officials, but these valuable tips will still help you recruit for your youth league. Click Here for Recruiting Officials For Your Youth League - Exclusive to donaldcollins.org.
August 2009 - Click here for Santa Cruz official, Neville Owen's, excellent article Coach, You Can Help Recruit Better Officials.
Officials' Shortages Still Hinder High School/Youth Sports' Growth
October 2007 - Growing Sports Face Slowdown - They Can't Find Refs. See UHSAA in Dire Need of Soccer Officials by Amy Donaldson and James Edwards, Deseret Morning News, October 8, 2007; See US LaCrosse's Men's Division Officials Council's Shout Out For New Officials, and even youth hockey is affected, US Lacrosse Men's Division Officials Council Web Page; and See Official Shortage Has B-N Youth Hockey Looking For Whistleblowers by Daniel Makarewicz, Bloomington, Indiana's Pantagraph.com., October 29, 2007.
The Christian Perspective On Shortages of Officials: See Football Without Refs by Kelly Boggs, The Baptist Press, July 13, 2007.
Stockton, CA, - Fan Abuse Turns Many Away From Officiating by Roger Phillips and Michael Sudhalter, recordnet.com, April 1, 2007. What can we all do about this shortage? See Relationship Between Coaches, Referees Is Key by Roger Phillips and Michael Sudhalter, recordnet.com, April 1, 2007. See the Special Reports Page for the recordnet.com series on the problems poor sportsmanship causes sports officials and other in youth and high school sports..
More Kids Playing + Poor Pay + Poor Sportsmanship = Too Few Officials!! Click Here For Too Few Officials, Oct. 2006 on California Connected TV
Michigan Officials' Video Reminds Us What It's All About.
In Michigan, the officials are the Caretakers of the Games - MHSAA Officials. Michigan officials also give back on a regular basis through the Officials For Kids program. Under the program, officials regularly donate game fees to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals throughout the state. It’s worth noting that most officials are already making a substantial contribution to youth by giving their time for remarkably low game fees. Indeed, in some sports such as track, golf and swimming, the game fees aren’t just remarkably low; they’re often no fee at all as the officials in those sports often volunteer their services.
this section has information on the officials' role in sportsmanship - for general sportsmanship information click on the sportsmanship page.
West Coast Officials Association in Florida makes sportsmanship and professionalism a priority on its website.
Click here for a Michigan Official's Letter to The Spectators.
Latest Collins Officiating Articles:
Disabilities, Religion, Officials and You by Don Collins, NASO On Board, January 2008, page 4 (National Association of Sports Officials). What should officials do about religious uniform exemptions and athletes wearing prosthetic devices? This article attacks those issues and gives officials guidance. Visit NASO to order.
How To Stay Clear of The Courtroom, Referee Magazine, February 2007, page 42 (National Association of Sports Officials).
Other People's Articles
November 18, 2005 - Parents - Are Your Kids Proud of You? by Mike McQueen, WrestlingGear.com (good article on spectator conduct and spectator abuse of officials).
New Rules for Soccer Parents: 1) No Yelling. 2) No Hitting Ref by Edward Wong, New York Times, May 6, 2001.
Links (National Organizations, State by State, Equipment/Supplies and Tools, Sport Specific Officiating Links)
National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) (Click here for a brief NASO overview)
National Association of Sports Officials - Organizations Network (NASO-On)
National Federation of State High School Associations: (NFHS) Officials Information
NFHS Officials On-Line Discussion Board
USA Football Officiating Center
Alabama High School Athletic Association (contact the state office for Alabama's Officials program).
Alaska School Activities Association Officials Corner
Arizona Interscholastic Association Officials Information
Arkansas Activities Association: Arkansas Officials' Association
California Interscholastic Federation Officials' Center (California is divided into 10 regional Sections due to its size (the CIF has over 1,400 member schools). You can contact the state office for statewide officiating information or you can visit one of the following regional Sections for regional officiating information: CIF Central Section Officials' Page, CIF Central Coast Section Officials' Page, CIF Los Angeles City Section Officials' Organizations Page, CIF North Coast Section Officials' Home Page, CIF Northern Section Officials' Information Page, CIF Oakland Section (no website, but call 510-879-8311), CIF Sac-Joaquin Section (contact the Sac-Joaquin Section office for officials' information), CIF San Diego Section Officials' Information, CIF San Francisco Section Officials' Information, CIF Southern Section Becoming An Official Page.
Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Officials' Association
Colorado High School Activities Association Officials' Center
Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (contact the state office for officiating information).
District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association (no website, but call
(202) 698-3326 for officiating information)
Florida High School Athletic Association Contest Officials' Information
Georgia High School Association Officials' Information
Hawaii High School Athletic Association (contact the state office for officiating information)
Idaho High School Activities Association Officials' Information.
Illinois High School Association Officials' Department
Indiana High School Athletic Association Officials' Information
Iowa High School Athletic Association Officials' Information
Kansas State High School Activities Association Officials' Department - New Officials. Kansas's Registered Officials Should Click Here.
Kentucky High School Athletic Association Officials' Division
Louisiana High School Athletic Association Officials' Information
Maine Principals' Association Officials' Contacts
Maryland Public Secondary Schools Officials' Information
Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Game Officials' Information
Michigan High School Athletic Association Officials' Resources
Mississippi High School Activities Association Officials' Information
Missouri State High School Activities Association Officials' Page
Montana High School Association Officials' Information
Nebraska School Activities Association Referees' Page
Nebraska Officials Log-In Page
Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Officials' Page
Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Officials' Forms
New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association Officials' Application
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Officials' Training and Certification
New Mexico Activities Association Officials Page
New York State Public High School Athletic Association's Officials Coordinating Federation (for residents of New York City visit the New York City Public School Athletic League's Referee's Corner or click the left hand link bar on the PSAL's home page).
North Carolina High School Athletic Association Officiating Information
North Dakota High School Activities' Association Officials' Page
Ohio High School Athletic Association's Officials' Home Page
Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association Officials' Page
Oregon School Activities Association Officials' Page (click here for the Oregon Athletic Officials Association, which runs all athletic officiating in Oregon).
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Officials' Page
Rhode Island Interscholastic League, Inc. (contact the state office for officiating information).
South Carolina High School League's Officials' Information Page
South Dakota High School Activities Association Officials' Information Page
Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association
Texas Association of Sports Officials (TASO certified officials are required by the Texas University Interscholastic League, the governing body for high school sports in Texas).
Utah High School Activities Association Officials' Page.
Vermont Principals' Association (contact the Principals' Association for officiating information)
Virginia High School League Officials' Page
Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (Click here for the Washington Officials Association, which governs all officiating in Washington).
West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission Officials' Information
Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (Officials should access the Officials' Center once they obtain a password).
Wyoming High School Activities Association Officials' Department and Officials' Forms
Assigning Tools
Equipment
S.O.S. Sports - Sports Officials Supplies
Technology
Dartfish Software (video evaluations for officials).
RefNStripes (electronic data cards for officiating statistics and game data).
Sport Specific Officiating Links (listed alphabetically by sport)
Wrestling
WrestlingRef.com. This site has rules information, legal information, rules videos, sportsmanship information, and information on how to become a wrestling official.