Guest writer Paul Hennessey says it has to stop, and has some suggestions for cracking down on people who abuse the officials and abuse the sport of hockey.

Editor's note: Pete played for Oklahoma State Univesity. In a game I worked behind the plate (State vs. OU) Pete swung very hard — and broke an aluminum bat! What I'm saying is, I wouldn't want him mad at me. The next time he came up, there was a pitch and I yelled: Two!" He looked at me and said: "Two?" I said: "Yeah, Pete. Too. Too damn low to be a strike."

Now that may not have happened. But if it didn't, it could have.

Joe Lindsay, a Division I - NCAA official, has been offering his thoughts on the subject. He's insightful and provocative.

I attended the Seashore Basketball Officials' Clinic and listened intently to several of their speakers. The cost was modest, and the weekend was great.

Now you, our members, get to share in the wealth of information offered, at far less than the price of admission.

What? Not a member yet? Click here to rectify that!.

From pitches to baserunners, everything has to cross home plate for either team to be successful.

An umpire has a great responsibility to the players, coaches, and spectators. In addition to calling pitches, he is required to make calls at home plate, which anyone will tell you are some of the most exciting plays of all! But if you can maintain control of the game and yourself, you can become an outstanding plate umpire

Being a plate umpire is the most difficult trick of the trade; but if you sign in, you'll get to read some of the ways you can improve your grasp of that job.

Check inside to see how the better referees, including our own Craig Bohnert, handle that situation. Following his advice is sure to give your career a shot in the arm.

Considering this article is about soccer, perhaps we should have said it will give your career a leg up.

One of their hardest jobs is to keep one foot in the batter's box unless they swing at the pitch.

Another is sliding legally on a force play.

Here's quite a bit of informaton about that slippery subject.