Cease-Fire on the Umpire!
Steven Ellinger Q and A  Online Extra
June 2008
By Garry Boulard Steven Ellinger is the executive director of the Texas Association of Sports Officials, an organization of more than 17,000 members who officiate six high school sports. A former NCAA Division I mens and womens basketball official, Ellinger has officiated high school basketball for more than three decades and is the director of the Southwest Basketball Officials School at Rice University. Q: News reports indicate that there has been a rising incidence of attacks against sports officials over the last decade. If indeed there are more of such incidences, why do you think this is so? Why would anyone want to attack or assault a sports official? A: There is an increase in the number of assaults against sports officials in part because spectators and sports participants often look for someone who they feel is responsible for their misfortune—be it because of a bad call, an incorrect call, or a correct call that went against them or their team—and sports officials are inviting targets. Sports officials are often perceived to be the bad guys, or authoritarian figures, when in reality they are just regular people who want to stay active in sports, give back to their community, work with young people and have the best seat in the house for a sporting event. Q: You have been involved in many aspects of the industry. Have you ever encountered violence yourself? A: I have never personally encountered violence or an assault. However, in my position as the executive director of the Texas Association of Sports Officials, I daily read incident reports which often detail instances of spectators engaging officials and very often crossing the line between being an exuberant fan and an out of control fan. Very often these attacks occur from overzealous fans who decide to take matters into their own hands. Sportsmanship and respect must be stressed and returned to all levels of athletic competition. Q: Should the states try to enhance criminal penalties for those charged and convicted of assaulting sports officials? In other words, do you think such laws can actually serve as deterrents? A: States should enhance penalties for people convicted of assaulting sports officials. Sports officials get involved in officiating to give back to a game that they likely played once. While criticism and yelling at officials is part of the sports culture, and most officials tune out verbal abuse, assaulting sports officials crosses the line. That is not what officials sign up for when they make the decision to enter the officiating profession. Q: What about making sports officials a “defined class,” similar to police officers and teachers? Some lawmakers have run into resistance trying this. Do you think the “defined class” approach works? A: The “defined class” of sports officials works in large part because of the reluctance of prosecutors to vigorously prosecute cases involving assaults against sports officials. Oftentimes the response of the prosecutor is “It’s a part of the game,” or that officials assume the risk of assault or uninvited contact because of the nature of their duties. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Should police officers expect assaults or uninvited contact when carrying out their job responsibilities? They do not, and sports officials should not. Q: What can sports officials themselves do to make their jobs safer? Is this something that has been discussed and talked about within the industry? A: Sports officials can ensure that game administrators are present to address and respond to situations in which an official is confronted during, and more importantly, after a game. Q: And finally this: there has also been talk about legislation that would limit civil liability for sports officials. Do you think this is a good idea? And if so, why? A: Sports officials must be able to perform their duties in a manner which is not affected by the threat of litigation. The threat of a lawsuit is sometimes sufficient to deter people from entering the officiating profession. Sports officials should be held liable for their actions if they act recklessly or with gross negligence. Limited liability legislation can stem the number of lawsuits filed against sports officials. ### Cease-Fire on the Umpire! |