Having been a PIAA official for football, basketball and baseball when I was younger, I can sympathize with the many referees, umpires and others who get verbally attacked unmercifully at some amateur sporting events. On rare occasions, some of this animosity can turn physical.

Don’t get me wrong. I had a thick skin when it came to spectators yelling disagreement from the stands to a call I might have made. That goes with the territory, but we’re in a way different arena today, and some so-called fans have become fanatics and sometimes dangerous.

According to the National Association of Sports Officials, harassment of its members has grown so much that 70 percent of new officials in all sports quit within three years. Based on a survey the association conducted with its members and former members, the chief reason for this mass exodus is “pervasive abuse from parents and coaches.”

I was at a recent Little League game, and it was embarrassing to hear parents of some of the Little Leaguers shout four-letter disagreements at the umpire. I wondered why the ump just didn’t eject the parent, but I guess that could have led to an unpleasant confrontation and escalation, because, judging by the body language of this guy doing the shouting, I doubt that he would have gone peacefully unless escorted by a police officer.

There is no question that parents and other fans have gotten out of control at some of these youth sporting events. Sure, we want our son or daughter and his or her team to win, but isn’t it still about “how you play the game” that’s most important?

Sportsmanship is defined as “fair and generous behavior of others, especially in a sporting contest.” That’s straightforward and certainly is something to be displayed by both participants and observers.

A Democratic Allegheny County legislator is proposing legislation that would make harassing sports officials illegal. State Rep. Anita Astorino Kulik said her bill would create a separate offense of harassment of a sports official. She is joined by several other co-sponsors, including Rep. Maureen Madden, D-Monroe.

Current law protects sports officials from assault, but not for the unreasonable badgering of these officials who are merely doing their jobs, Kulik said. The bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.

Members of several youth organizations have become concerned about the treatment of officials; in some cases, the fallout has included resignations or refusal to work anymore contests. Now these league officials are seeking novel ways to deal with the problem.

The Deptford Little League in Gloucester County, New Jersey, for example, has introduced a new rule to keep harassing parents and other spectators in line.

The parent of one of the Little Leaguers, Dewey Hatton, noted that he’s heard parents and others scream four-letter words, which, in turn, resulted in some children emulating them.

League Vice President Jim McDevitt, who serves as an umpire, reports being heckled, screamed at and suffered other indignities from the mouths of parents and game attendees.

League President Don Bozzuffi said that “99%” of parents are “positive influencers” for their children; it’s the 1% who are concerning, especially when tempers boil over, and there is a fear that words can turn into violence, he said.

At first the league recruited younger umpires, thinking that perhaps they would have a better rapport with parents. While that helped, it was not enough, and some umpires said “that’s it; we’ve had it.”

So here is where the unusual idea comes into play. The league has initiated a rule that would require unruly parents and spectators to umpire three games or be banned from the field for up to one year. League officials want them to experience first-hand that officiating is more than just calling balls, strikes and outs. It requires an ability to make split-second decisions with authority but also in a way that results in mutual respect and understanding.

Those so identified would undergo background checks and be fully trained before being allowed on the field, according to the new rule.

Hatton sees the effort as a “catalyst for change.” In the process, the move has caught the attention of other youth leagues, whose officials are also contemplating putting similar rules into place.

By BRUCE FRASSINELLI| tneditor@tnonline.com

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.