“Come on ref.” “Let them play.” “That’s awful”
Those statements have echoed around high school gyms and stadiums across the country. Aggravated parents, players and coaches belittling referees every time the whistle blows. While this may seem like something that’s been around for ages, it has reached a boiling point in Indiana. On Jan. 7, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) published an Op-Ed telling parents to “cool it”. This comes in response to the number of official retention declining due to parental behavior. “It’s at a critical point and it’s been trending to that point for the past five year,” said Jimmy Arnett who has reffed high school basketball in the IHSAA for 28 years. “With fans acting up and trying to recruit more officials has been difficult.” According to a survey by the IHSAA, 80 percent of young officials have left the association after two years on the court, with 75 percent saying adult behavior is why they had hung up their whistle. Putting that deduction into perspective, according to the IHSAA, 614 new referees registered in the IHSAA in 2016-17. The following season only 263 of those who had signed up had returned. Out of the 1,885 basketball referees in the state, that number dropped to 1,600 the following season. |
Alongside the most recent numbers, since 2009 around 800 referees have left the IHSAA. From 2015 to 2016, that number took its steepest drop of 400 in one year.
While numbers have declined across all Indiana high school sports, Arnett believes that this it’s been more of a drastic drop in basketball because of how close the fans are to the game.
“In a lot of the other sports, fans don’t quite have the access to the officials on the field as closely as they do in a basketball game,” Arnett said. “There’s just been an embolism in our society of people thinking they paid to get in so they can say and do whatever comes to the top of their mind.”
While numbers have declined across all Indiana high school sports, Arnett believes that this it’s been more of a drastic drop in basketball because of how close the fans are to the game.
“In a lot of the other sports, fans don’t quite have the access to the officials on the field as closely as they do in a basketball game,” Arnett said. “There’s just been an embolism in our society of people thinking they paid to get in so they can say and do whatever comes to the top of their mind.”
The closeness to the fans is all too real for Arnett. After one game, Arnett and the rest of officiating crew were verbally attacked by a coach saying his team didn’t lose the game and pounding on the official locker room door. Another time Arnett was shoved and pushed by parents trying to leave after a game.
“Like most officials today, I experience verbal abuse of all kind and it seems to be accepted as normal during the course of a game,” Arnett said. “This has included some intense profanity and very personal verbal attacks. I’ve also been confronted by parents after a game, threatened physically and have been the target of parents on social media.” |
While the IHSAA is struggling to retain officials, another organization has learned how to retain officials of all ages and combat rowdy fans.
Paired with the Indiana Soccer Association and U.S. Soccer, The Indiana Referee Association (IRA) has taken major steps into training officials to deal with abusive parents and coaches. Referees have been able to file reports of abuse to the IRA and provided resources for parents on how to understand the game.
“U.S. Soccer has come up with training material that helps parents understand what the referees do,” said IRA director of officials and state referee administrator Samir Yasa. “You gotta there are 12 year olds up to 70 year olds officiating the games. It’s a broad perspective when you have parents who don’t know much about the game and others that do.”
The IRA’s website has a specific section dedicated to learning resources which includes the videos and forms. Video’s include examples of fouls, how parents come off to referees and how much an official works during a game. Yasa said this message of how to behave is reiterated by the coaches to the parents.
Paired with the Indiana Soccer Association and U.S. Soccer, The Indiana Referee Association (IRA) has taken major steps into training officials to deal with abusive parents and coaches. Referees have been able to file reports of abuse to the IRA and provided resources for parents on how to understand the game.
“U.S. Soccer has come up with training material that helps parents understand what the referees do,” said IRA director of officials and state referee administrator Samir Yasa. “You gotta there are 12 year olds up to 70 year olds officiating the games. It’s a broad perspective when you have parents who don’t know much about the game and others that do.”
The IRA’s website has a specific section dedicated to learning resources which includes the videos and forms. Video’s include examples of fouls, how parents come off to referees and how much an official works during a game. Yasa said this message of how to behave is reiterated by the coaches to the parents.
In training, U.S. Soccer put the officials into situations in which the parent or coach is getting out of control. This allows those learning to be prepared for when they come across the situation on the job.
“We put them in some situations where we don’t have to abuse them,” Yasa said. “I’ve taken some classes where I’ve selected the youngest and was acting as the coach, a 6-foot-3-inch 260 pound man, drilling them. Most of the time, I would put my hand on their shoulder to feel their body reaction and you see and feel how nervous they are.” Alongside the hands on training, officials are required to take a set of steps in approaching the situation. Yasa said they start off polite before taking further precaution. |
“We first ask them to change their behavior and if the child cannot change the adult’s behavior on the sideline, we tell them their behavior has to change,” Yasa said. “The next thing we do is dismiss them. The minimum interactions between parents and officials is best.”
As U.S. Soccer continues this training process and availability of resources, they have seen improvement within behavior from parents and an appreciation from the players as well. Yasa said the techniques being taught have improved the game.
In traning in the IHSAA, the process is not as extensive. The organization requires personal information, a background check, passing of a 75 percent or higher on a written test, joining of an officials association and learning the rules and interpretations of their respected game.
While the IHSAA rule book did have rules on when to eject fans from games and how many people were ejected, there is no explanation on how to handle the situation when it comes about. We were unable to obtain an officiating test, so we are unaware of what questions might be asked in relation to out of control fans.
As U.S. Soccer continues this training process and availability of resources, they have seen improvement within behavior from parents and an appreciation from the players as well. Yasa said the techniques being taught have improved the game.
In traning in the IHSAA, the process is not as extensive. The organization requires personal information, a background check, passing of a 75 percent or higher on a written test, joining of an officials association and learning the rules and interpretations of their respected game.
While the IHSAA rule book did have rules on when to eject fans from games and how many people were ejected, there is no explanation on how to handle the situation when it comes about. We were unable to obtain an officiating test, so we are unaware of what questions might be asked in relation to out of control fans.
What the IHSAA is lacking is the training of their officials to suppress the situation and educating the fans on the game. This is something the U.S. Soccer has made a primary focus. Arnett said that if fans were educated, this wouldn’t be as big of a problem.
“Lack of education on proper behavior, internal and external politics, lack of willingness by school officials to enforce sporting behavior have all lead to the growing issue,” Arnett said. “Just an overall sense of emboldened entitlement by those who attend sporting events at the high school level has allowed fans feel that they can say what they want.” |
With IHSAA boy’s basketball state playoffs coming to a close this weekend with players and fans from all over the state bring their passions along, IHSAA officials just ask for control. Parents stand as role models for their children and that red faced father in the stands, screaming at the ref, might set the wrong example.
“Please come support the student athletes as it’s good for them personally, for the school(s) and for the communities,” Arnett said. “But use your passion as an example of positive support for the kids as they will have to learn how to deal with both victory and adversity in life and that positive support can have a tremendous impact as they observe the conduct of the “adults” in their lives.”
“Please come support the student athletes as it’s good for them personally, for the school(s) and for the communities,” Arnett said. “But use your passion as an example of positive support for the kids as they will have to learn how to deal with both victory and adversity in life and that positive support can have a tremendous impact as they observe the conduct of the “adults” in their lives.”