ethnic slurs

[careylaxman]

I am the head of officials for our area. A coach recently emailed me about a situation in his game. His player said that a few players on the other team made commentsd about his ethnicity. I told him that if the officials heard it they should have called an unsportsmanlike conduct. I was wondering if anyone has actually made sucha call and how it was received etc. Any comments would be helpful.

[3rdPersonPlural]

According to our directors 'taunting' is to be dealt with in the most conclusive and draconian manner possible. Ethnic slurs are central to 'taunting'.

Throw the rule book at anybody who tries it, that's my instructions......

[Snake~eyes]

Very simple, if you taunt or trash talk, call players another name or use racial slurs I will call a penalty immediately, whether it be USC or CF. In my experience most coaches will chew their player out and even make them run more if I tell them what they said or did.

[RockStar]

If I were reffing (any sport) and I heard it, it would be called unsportsmanlike or equivalent. Give the victim's team a man up for every one you hear.

In practice though, the ref will never hear that stuff if it's done carefully. It's done quietly behind the play to put the minority player off his game, or suck him into doing dumb.

Hell, I've done it myself as a teen.....fooled a guy into taking a swing at me with semi-crude slurs about his heritage. Worked too, got him off his game, and by the time I pushed him far enough to make him swing, the ref was looking right at us.

Anyhow, it's not nice, but it's one of those things where you just need to toughen yourself, thicken your skin, and try to play your best to silence the arshole that's using the slurs.

When I think about it, I don't even know that using slurs is any worse than telling a white opponent that I did his sister while his mom watched, and that kind of trash talk happens all the time.

[LaxRef]

If I were reffing (any sport) and I heard it, it would be called unsportsmanlike or equivalent. Give the victim's team a man up for every one you hear.

In practice though, the ref will never hear that stuff if it's done carefully. It's done quietly behind the play to put the minority player off his game, or suck him into doing dumb.

I don't doubt that it happens, I don't doubt that the officials miss most of it, and I don't doubt that most of the people who do it are too immmature for what I'm going to say to make any difference. But I would argue that you're a much better human being if you lose the lacrosse game but behave in a sportsmanlike manner than if you win because you got a guy "off his game."

I don't think sports aren't supposed to be about winning, they're supposed to be about social interaction and improving yourself. If you're resorting to ethnic slurs or other questionable comments, you're missing out.

Of course, I'm not naiive enough to think that people are going to believe sports aren't all about winning just because I say so. When I was younger, I really thought winning was important. But when I got a little older and didn't care so much about winning, then I was able to relax and I started winning a lot more often.

[RockStar]

^^It was dirty pool, but back in 8th grade it seemed like the thing to do. I don't bother with such nonsense now (especially since I now play exclusively in rec leagues, where at one time or another, I've been a teammate with most of my opponents.)

I don't really believe too many ethnic stereotypes, and lacrosse of all types is a pretty white-bread sport anyway....not too many opportunities for in-game slurring except against native Indians.

FYI in case you're interested. - Took a CLA boxlaX ref clinic today. I think the rule has been toughened since the last edition of the rulebook I had read. I catch player/coach/bench staff using slurs, it's a game misconduct.