Umpire abuse refers to the act of abuse towards an umpire, referee, or other official in sport. The abuse can be verbal abuse (such as namecalling), or physical abuse (such as punching). For example, Australian Football League spectators use the term "white maggot" (derived from their formerly white uniforms) towards umpires at games,[1] when they do not agree with an umpire's decision.
Umpire abuse has become quite common in sport, practiced by players, coaches and spectators, with one Australian Football league having half the tribunal cases heard about umpire abuse.[2] There have also been some high-profile cases of abuse towards the umpires in sport, with one Australian football player suspended for life after striking an umpire.[3]
- ^ "Definition of white maggot". AllWords.com. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
- ^ Toy, Mitchell (2009-07-19). "New umpire abuse rule for amateur footballers". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 2012-12-30. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
- ^ MacBean, Nic (2009-06-03). "Footballer punches 16yo umpire, banned for life". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2009-07-19.