Officials need to know they have some recourse. And it is a result, said Art Taylor, a professor with Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, of too many parent living vicariously through their children. Officials, most of whom have other full-time jobs, are considered independent contractors and not employees of the schools. But it is the school's athletic fields that can be scary places for game officials. Schools can provide security to help maintain the peace, but officials are on their own when it comes to paying medical bills or pursuing legal complaints because of unruly fans.
Reports abound of officials filing police reports because of such fans.
Last spring, a local recreational soccer game was canceled and the police contacted after coaches and fans threatened a referee. I pointed at him and said the fans here don't want to listen to that foul-mouthed stuff. That is a concern. Abusive behavior among adult sports fans is a symptom of an increasingly violent society, said White Cloud athletic director Dave Roberts. Words hurt, too While physical abuse of officials remains relatively rare, verbal abuse is common place.