Assault on Officials
November 29, 2011A couple of years ago I was working the championship game of the 16 year old division in small tournament in the San Diego area. During the game my partner got into an argument with the coach of the home team which quickly escalated. As the coached retreated to the dugout, he hurled the F word and was promptly ejected from the game. Being the loan coach, the game was called and the tournament was called to the field. The facility sold beer in the "clubhouse" and the parents were not shy about consuming it.
Once the game was over and the director was on the field our path out of the facility was cut off by a half a dozen drunk and very disorderly parents. An exchange of profanity between my partner and the parents further intensified the situation to the point of threats of violence.
This experience prompted me to research the Penal Code section regarding violence against sports officials. Below is a handy little piece of information regarding the subject.
(The following is from the NASO Legislation Website)
"California Penal Code Section 243.8 provides: (a) When a battery is committed against a sports official immediately prior to, during, or immediately following an interscholastic, intercollegiate, or any other organized amateur or professional athletic contest in which the sports official is participating, and the person who commits the offense knows or reasonably should know that the victim is engaged in the performance of his or her duties, the offense shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment. (b) For the purposes of this section, "sports official" means nay individual who serves as a referee, umpire, linesman, or who serves in similar capacity but may be known by a different title or name and is duly registered by, or a member of a local, state, regional or national organization engaged in part in providing education and training to sports officials. (Adopted October 5, 1991)"
Posted by RICHARD JENKINS. Posted In : Editorials
