As an umpire, it's your responsibility to call baseball games fairly and within your knowledge of the sport. Unfortunately, overzealous parents make your position more difficult when they yell, berate and harass you while you try and do your job. As the umpire, you have control as the official of the game and are well within your rights to control an obnoxious sport parent. Working with the league organizers, you'll have the power to stop obnoxious parents from interrupting the game.
Step 1
Suggest to the league owners that parents sign a behavior contract before registering their kids for baseball. The contract should have information about the proper behavior at Little League games and what could happen should they ignore the rules. Ask that the organizers institute fines and punishment for parents that cannot act respectfully in the game. That way, you'll have a signed contract to back up and discipline you carry out against an obnoxious parent.
Step 2
Ask the parent to quiet down as a first warning. A parent could be yelling and cheering for his child without realizing that he's disrupting the game. Simply asking the parent to quiet down and allow you to make the calls is often enough to stop the problem quickly and respectfully.
Step 3
Talk to the coach of the team for whom the parent's child plays. Explain that the parent is being disruptive and disrespectful and ask that the coach ensure the parent stops. Issue a warning that the parent will be asked to leave should the poor sportsmanship and behavior continue. If the parent won't listen to you as an umpire, the coach of his child's team holds more influence over an obnoxious parent.
Step 4
Focus on the game and avoid punishing a child for her parent's behavior. While it's difficult to separate your personal feelings from the rules of the game, a child is not responsible if her parent is yelling and being obnoxious and disruptive. Continue to call the game fairly, despite how you feel about a certain family.
Step 5
Ignore a parent if he attempts to engage you in an argument after a game. Parents that wait for the umpire after a Little League game are actively looking for conflict. Attempting to explain your side of the story or why you made a certain call will only add fuel to the fire. Instead, leave the situation as quickly as possible and contact the authorities should the harassment continue.
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