Twenty states currently have legislation that delivers tougher penalties to those who attack sports officials. Other states are pushing for such assault laws. What are your feelings about officiating assault legislation?

NASO members said:

40%	It’s important. Thankfully, my state is among those that have passed stiffer penalties.
30%	It’s important, but I’m not involved in pushing for legislation.
25%	It’s important, and I (and my association) have passed that message on to state legislators.
4%	It’s not necessary. The current assault penalties in my state are tough enough.
1%	It’s not necessary. Officiating-related assaults rarely happen in my state.

To view previous issues of NASO LockerRoom

The Most Basic of the Basics

“Back to Basics” debuted in the 11/92 issue of Referee magazine as a feature story. Topics since then have included dealing with players, coaches and crewmates; developing your officiating philosophy; and maintaining physical and mental conditioning.

But the core of the column is the tenets presented in the initial list of basics. You’ve heard them before, but they bear repeating.

Pregame

1. Arrive at the game site early. Never rush to a game. Allow ample time to get there well in advance of game time.

2. Park your car in a well-lit area near the building in which you dress. Try to leave sufficient space to avoid being boxed in.

3. Hold a thorough pregame conference. Do it even if you’ve worked with your partners before.

4. Attend to administrative duties early. Allow enough time to fix problems.

5. Dress in proper, clean uniform. Look sharp and you’re off on the right foot.

6. Inspect the playing area. Correct potential hazards before the game.

7. Conduct a brief meeting with team captains or coaches. Tell the captains that they are the leaders of the team and may be called on to fulfill that role. Keep it brief.

8. Observe players during pregame practice. Opponents occasionally try to intimidate each other before a game. Nip that in the bud.

9. Examine your equipment. Blow your whistle, etc., to make sure it is in working order.

10. Relax. If you appear tense and nervous, the players will recognize it.

During the Game

11. Hustle, but don’t overhustle. Overhustle can be counterproductive.

12. Talk to your crewmates. Let each other know who’s got what, etc.

13. Talk to the players as appropriate. Develop a good rapport by being cordial, but not overly friendly. Use your voice to make players aware that you are in the area.

14. Talk to the coaches. Keep conversations brief and to the point.

15. Keep the game moving. If you need to confer with a partner, do so, but be brief.

16. Make clear signals. All movements should be crisp and sharp without personal adaptations.

17. Never give medical aid or advice to a player. That job belongs to properly trained medical personnel.

18. Stop the game if hazardous weather approaches. Rule of thumb: If you err, err on the side of safety.

19. Keep track of major penalties and ejections. It might be helpful if a lawsuit is filed and you are named as a defendant or a witness.

20. Know where the game manager is located. In emergencies, he or she will need to be found quickly.

Postgame

21. Leave together and without delay. There’s safety in numbers.

22. Don’t talk with reporters. Refer all questions to your assigner.

23. Remove your whistle. When walking through crowds, it could be hooked accidentally or grabbed intentionally.

24. Limit comment to fans. If a fan politely asks a reasonable question, answer it briefly, but be cautious.

25. Relax. Take a deep breath and gather your thoughts.

26. Review the game. Talk about any strange plays or other situations.

27. Solicit constructive criticism. Good partners will tell you what you need to work on. If asked, provide them with the same honest assessment.

28. If appropriate, thank the game manager. If he took care of you, tell him you appreciate it.

29. Leave the locker room the same way you found it. Don’t force someone else to clean up your mess.

30. Walk to your automobiles together. If problems appear imminent, return to the building. Find the game manager or law enforcement authorities.

Tales From the Trenches …

Real stories by officials, for officials. Send in your most memorable recollection from the following topics and tune in incoming months for the best stories.

Pull Up a Chair …

Everyone who’s ever stepped onto a field, court or rink to officiate a game has a story to tell. Here’s a story about an official who spoke up. (Do you have a story to tell? Write it down and e-mail to lastcall@referee.com.)

Silence Screams

By Tim Sloan

When I looked at the scoreboard, it was something like 43-12 and we were only in the second quarter of a junior high boys’ basketball game. Which is why I found this woman sitting in the second row beside the home team’s bench so tragic. From the opening toss, she was filling in for March Cuban and it was a constant stream of, “How come you called it down there but not up here?” and, “We see what’s going on!” Evidently, she didn’t. So, when the spread got to 31 points, the ball happened to go out of bounds right in front of her and, for the only time I can ever remember, I challenged a fan. I bounced the ball, looked right at her with a smile, and said, “Be quiet.”

She acted like I had just given her exactly what she wanted for Christmas and wagged a finger at me. “Oh, I paid to get in her so I’m allowed to say whatever I want.”

“I’m just trying to help,” I offered. That confused her, so I explained, “I’m just trying to help you not make an ass of yourself in front of all these people.”

She never said another word. That was, of course, a miracle but I don’t think it had ever occurred to her that the First Amendment worked both ways, especially when she thought she was driving on a one-way street.

A couple of weeks before that incident, I was working a girls’ varsity game somewhere downstate. I was getting ready to let the visitors put the ball in play to start the second quarter. They were getting kicked and had something like two points. The young lady inbounding the ball was standing in front of the home team’s cheering section. One boy was leaning about six inches from her ear shouting — and I quote, “Are you ever sh---y, You’ve only got two points — where’d you learn to play basketball?”

I looked around and spotted the A.D. holding up the wall at the end of the gym, taking it all in. I made a split-second decision to hush the little ingrate but pass on getting him thrown out since nobody else seemed concerned but me. My 15-year-old son happened to make the trip with me that night and had to endure my grumbles all the way home. At some point, he observed, “I bet they wouldn’t get away with that in class.” That made a permanent change in my attitude — right there.

It dawned on me that even if some schools or individuals seem to have such low standards, we don’t have to play the tolerance game. In fact, it’s just the opposite. My sense for it is that a majority of people are sitting up there in the seats wondering why somebody — anybody — isn’t doing something about some of the little creeps. I guess that’s why I dealt with the other woman the way I did (albeit breaking about every rule in the book).

In the offseason, I coach my younger son’s baseball team and my passions have occasionally run with the events of the game. On a Saturday afternoon several months ago, our boys were playing a scrimmage game and for the first few innings coaches from both teams were all over the two teenage umpires. As I walked back to the dugout from third base, I stopped on home plate and said (no, I shouted), “Why don’t you people grow up and lay off the umpires? Otherwise, you’ll be wondering about halfway through the season why you can’t find any.” Nobody said another word to the umpires the rest of the day.

As Americans, we value courage and conviction and, therefore, we officials perjure ourselves whenever we look the other way on sportsmanship. We have a tremendous opportunity to evaluate our status — and the games we so much love working — by taking our reputation back. And when we do, I don’t believe the participants will say we’re ruining the game or we’re robbing their team. They’re more likely to say something else: “What took you so long?”

Tim Sloan, Bettendorf, Iowa, referees high school football and basketball. He previously umpired baseball and officiated football and soccer at the college level.