Back to Good Sports Home

Make Sure Officials Get Their Deserved Respect

Posted: December 9, 2002

The high school basketball referee knows the game he's working on Friday night is a big one. The teams, coaches and fans are going to be psyched. But he's not nervous. For starters, he's fully prepared. He has reffed for a long time, and he knows by heart the rules of the game. Sure, he gets paid a few bucks for his efforts, but it's certainly not about the money. He just loves hoops, and he takes great pride in calling an honest, objective, clean game.

The contest is a nail-biter, and the outcome hinges on one close call he makes. To do so impartially, he relies upon his years of experience, his instincts and his sense of fairness. But as happens with all close calls by officials, one side of the gym erupts in instant elation, and the other side erupts in immediate disappointment and anger.

He's lucky it isn't worse. For years fans would just grumble a bit if a call didn't go their way. Nowadays it can reach far beyond that, far beyond even screaming and yelling. How far? Consider that some officials have liability insurance in case someone sues them over a bad call or injury. And their medical insurance is vital too, with the alarming number of physical assaults they face. Bob Still, communications manager for the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), has folders on incidents from across the country, and the folders keep growing. He gathers reports of despicable parents, coaches and players attacking officials or threatening them with bats, knives and guns.

"We happen to live in a society where we tend to blame other people when things don't go our way, and to me, that's a major reason why so many sports parents blame the ump if the kid strikes out," Still says. "It's not a question of whether the kid ever learned how to hit properly. He struck out looking because the ump didn't know the strike zone. The ump has become an easy target for frustrated parents who want to blame someone."

Does this mean all coaches, parents and players are guilty of unsportsmanlike behavior toward the refs? No, of course not. Thankfully most spectators and participants understand that they must respect the official and his judgment at all costs. But far too many do not.

NASO has more than 17,500 members nationwide, from youth league officials all the way to NFL and NBA referees. To help their members handle unruly crowds, NASO published a brochure called When They're In Your Face and How to Deal With It. It provides essential tips on defusing emotional situations. Sections include Seven Ways to Develop Thick Skin, How to Handle Verbal Challenges, When a Fight Breaks Out and If You're Attacked. It's sad that such a booklet even exists, but it's full of important information that should be mandatory reading for anyone involved in youth sports, not just officials. (To obtain a copy, go to www.naso.org.)

The brochure lets you see these situations from the official's perspective, one way to help make sure you and others treat officials properly. But a better way is to set an example. So the next time you're at your kid's game and you want to scream at or insult the officials, keep in mind that many rush from their day jobs to handle these youth and high school games. Remember that they're out there working as hard and sweating as much as the players. Understand that most officials take their jobs quite seriously, and they're doing their best to "call 'em as they see 'em." But most important, know that without them, there wouldn't be any games at all.

Back to top

Back to Good Sports Home