Parents Attacking Umpires

[schwabach]

Agree that something needs to be done to address this, but people who attack umpires aren't rational enough to be deterred by the fear of assault charges and lifetime suspensions, IMO. It's already against the law. Perhaps laws should be more severe to protect youth officials, but free speech protects verbal abuse and heckling. You can make those offenses that are subjection to ejection (I guess they already are), but then you're potentially inviting more confrontations and needing security and police to be at games. Tough situation. I don't know the solution.

I suspect that if a few parents are perp-walked off the fields in cuffs, their will be a sharp increase in reasonableness.

 

[Dabears17]

THE FACE OF YOUTH SPORTS?

‘Mother of the Year’ charged with ‘sucker-punching’ umpire; officials say behavior will not be tolerated

www.leader-call.com

 

[CrazyNani]

I suspect that if a few parents are perp-walked off the fields in cuffs, their will be a sharp increase in reasonableness.

Maybe perp walk them around the bases first.

 

[EdLovrich]

The best umps identify the situation early and take immediate action. Call time. Call the manager over and tell him/her that if your parents continue to chirp, I am going to throw you out. Period. Smile, turn away and holler, "play ball!"
It may not work all the time but the sucess rate is very high. The manager has to go talk to his child like parents threw the fence and it is really quite embarrassing.

Unfortunately, unless a local league has home-brew rules, very few sanctions in ANY sport extend an on-field official's authority to the crowd (thank goodness). It is up to coaches, TDs, League administrators, ADs to police the crowds. If an on field official in any sport turns his/her attention to the crowd, they are creating a bigger mess than they started with.

CROWD CONTROL IS NOT AN UMPIRE'S RESPONSIBILITY.

 

[PapaBear]

Just another reason to limit "travel tournaments" to under two to three national affiliations. Get rid of the pay my mortgage tournaments that offer false hope and bad softball.

 

[PapaBear]

Unfortunately, unless a local league has home-brew rules, very few sanctions in ANY sport extend an on-field official's authority to the crowd (thank goodness). It is up to coaches, TDs, League administrators, ADs to police the crowds. If an on field official in any sport turns his/her attention to the crowd, they are creating a bigger mess than they started with.

CROWD CONTROL IS NOT AN UMPIRE'S RESPONSIBILITY.

Agree, ban the coach.

 

[PapaBear]

So long as organizations do nothing it will continue to happen… file assault charges, suspend the person for life from attending AND suspend their DD for at least a game if not longer…get extremely tough and it will stop…


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USFA needs to ban tournaments for one to two years in that area or pull out all together.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Unfortunately, unless a local league has home-brew rules, very few sanctions in ANY sport extend an on-field official's authority to the crowd (thank goodness). It is up to coaches, TDs, League administrators, ADs to police the crowds. If an on field official in any sport turns his/her attention to the crowd, they are creating a bigger mess than they started with.

CROWD CONTROL IS NOT AN UMPIRE'S RESPONSIBILITY.

I agree. That is why I said' Call the manager over and tell him/her that if your parents continue to chirp, I am going to throw you out. Period. Smile, turn away and holler, "play ball!"
I works.

 

[Strike2]

Arrested and banned...note the "Mother of the Year" graphic on her T-Shirt in her booking photo.

Woman arrested after umpire is punched at 12-year-old softball game in Laurel

Kiara Thomas is now banned from all recreational facilities in Laurel.

www.wlbt.com

 

[EdLovrich]

I agree. That is why I said' Call the manager over and tell him/her that if your parents continue to chirp, I am going to throw you out. Period. Smile, turn away and holler, "play ball!"
I works.

The problem with this logic/solution is this: What are you ejecting the coach for? S/he has not broken any rule. You are assuming that the problem in the crowd is the parent of one of his/her players. Crows will be what they are and as an umpire we deal with it by trying to tune it out. Nothing else you can do that doesn't in the end make the situation worse. The OTHER people (Coaches, TDs, ADs, league admins) need to step up and take care of this part of the sport (no matter what sport we are talking about)