Every day in America and around the world, sports officials are physically and verbally harassed. Most incidents do not require police or medical assistance, but in some cases, the harassment turns violent. The fact that such behavior occurs at sporting events involving youth participants is appalling in itself, but the frequency in which these reports now occur is even more disturbing. NASO receives more than 100 reports annually that involve physical contact between coaches, players, fans and officials. NASCO President Barry Mano says that the reports they receive are only the "tip of the iceberg." For the complete article go to http://www.naso.org/sportsmanship/badsports.html.

The following are examples of some basketball incidents.

• Pennsylvania (Basketball) — A parent body-slammed a high school referee after he ordered the man’s wife out of the gym for allegedly yelling obscenities during a basketball game. The referee was treated at a hospital for a concussion and released after the Feb. 6 attack. Charged with simple assault, assault on a sports official, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct is Peter J. Dukovich, 47, Hampton, Pa. (Contributing source: CNN.com) UPDATE: RaeLynn Dukovich was levied the maximum fine of $300 and court costs for her involvement in the incident. (Contributing source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

• Pennsylvania (Basketball) — A parent body-slammed a high school referee after he ordered the man’s wife out of the gym for allegedly yelling obscenities during a basketball game. The referee was treated at a hospital for a concussion and released after the Feb. 6 attack. Charged with simple assault, assault on a sports official and disorderly conduct is Peter J. Dukovich, 47, Hampton, Pa. (Contributing source: CNN.com, 2/10/04)

• Kentucky (Basketball) — During a fifth grade little league game in Adair County, one players father (and a teacher for the school district) physically confronted the game official during half-time after the official ejected several players for a fight that broke out during the first half of the game. (Contributing source: WBKO-TV, 1/13/04)

• Oklahoma (Basketball) – Five players and a spectator were charged with beating a referee following a men’s basketball league game June 25 in Broken Arrow. All six allegedly struck referee Eltonio Waylon Henry of Tulsa on the head several times, pushed him to the ground and kicked him about the head and body "with force and violence" police records report. (July 2003)

• Iowa (Basketball) – The parent of a Davenport Assumption basketball player turned the team’s final game of the regular season into a boxing match by assaulting a referee who was getting ready to shower after the game, police said. Assumption parent Daniel Ewen, 47, of Davenport, went down the stairs and began pounding on the glass near the referee locker room, upset about a call at the end of the game, police said. Referee Timothy McCann, 46, of Eldridge, wore only a towel when he opened the door to ask Ewen to leave, police said. Ewen leaped through the opened door and assaulted McCann, who was treated and released at Genesis Medical Center-East Campus for injuries to his right arm and face, police said. Police cited Ewen for assault with injury, a serious misdemeanor. (March 2003)

• California (Basketball) – Dontravian Evans, 29, received a sentence of nine months in jail following his felony assault conviction for punching a referee at a recreational basketball game in Long Beach. In addition to the jail sentence, Evans received three years probation and must pay $3,400 to the victim, referee Kevin Robinson, for medical bills. The incident happened on 9/13/00, early in the game when the score was only 2-0. Evans, who was upset about a call, struck Robinson when he was looking at the scorers' table. Robinson didn't see the punch coming. The blow caused permanent damage to Robinson's eye. (September 2002)

• Ontario (Basketball) – A Brampton, Ontario basketball coach pled guilty in provincial court to assault changes for head butting a referee. The blow that referee Barry Cullen received from Paul Lewin during a game in January of 2002, resulted in a broken nose and more than two hours of surgery. In addition to fines, the Superior Court justice on the case sentenced Lewin to probation, an anger management course and 100 hours of community service. (May 2002)

• Montana (Basketball) – A basketball fan from Columbus, Montana, received a $300 fine from the court for throwing a water bottle at a game official. Lance Sundberg was also sentenced to a six-month deferred jail sentence. Jim Haugen, executive director of the Montana High School Association, says there may be further punishment for Columbus High School, because of Sundberg's lack of remorse. In a letter to the editor of the Columbus paper, Sundberg continued his complaints about the official and maintained his action was justified by "unfair" officiating. (March 2002)

• Louisiana (Basketball) – In the wake of attacks on two high school basketball officials, the Mississippi Private School Association (MPSA) suspended all athletics at Bowling Green (La.) High School for the remainder of the year. Additionally, the school will play no home basketball games in the 2002-03 season, will pay a $1,500 fine and will remain on probation through the 2003-04 school year. The MPSA also imposed lifetime bans on three men arrested after the brawl. The incident occurred during Bowling Green’s Jan. 25 game against Brookhaven Academy. According to witnesses, a fight started when one official called a technical foul on a Bowling Green player. A man approached the officials while they were reporting the foul and threw a punch at one of the officials. As the official defended himself, at least two other men joined the attack. One of the officials was knocked unconscious. (January 2002)

• Arkansas (Basketball) – The court was cleared and games were cancelled as a result of a confrontation that occurred after a referee’s call Jan. 19 at a grade school basketball in Greers Ferry, Ark. The six-grade boys’ game between Mt. Vernon-Enola and Greers Ferry got out of hand when Mt. Vernon-Enola school board member James Beene came onto the court to confront the referees. A scuffle ensued, police were called and the gym was eventually cleared following the incident. Mt. Vernon-Enola games were also cancelled the week following. As a result of the situation, the superintendents of schools for the conference met to write up a policy to police fans at athletic games. (January 2002)

• Pennsylvania (Basketball) — The Catholic Diocese of Erie locks out all parents and fans from a 5th and 6th graders basketball game due to a previous incident between the two teams involving racial slurs directed at a game official. (February 2001)

• North Carolina (Basketball) — Leaders of a recreational basketball league place a "lifetime ban" on the mother of a 14-year-old player in the community program after she jumps on the back of an official scratching his face and the back of his neck. (February 2000)

• Virginia (Basketball) — A 17-year-old youth league basketball player is convicted of assault after he knocked a referee unconscious and incited a near-riot at a community service recreation league game. His punishment was four days of community service. (September 1996)