Abstract
This paper will discuss the legal issues related to violence and assault in the case and their legal liabilities, the risk management concerned with the case, and methods to prevent such types of assault and violation. Prevention of the incident includes team management, law enforcement, facilities management, and league-wide in-game practices. This paper also proposes laws to avoid the specific situation.
Introduction
Assault and violence have been a part of ice hockey games since the beginning of the 19th century. In 1904, four players were killed in ice hockey games from frequent clashes and violent stick work. Furthermore, recent cases of assault and violence comprise fights, fan-related violence, bodily abuse of administrators, and intentionally hurting adversaries. Assault and violent activities, for instance, jerking, hitting someone from behind, and banned stick work, are punished with suspensions or even imposed fines. Fighting, or fisticuffs, is also punished but is considered by several hockey fans, mostly in North America, to be fairly distinct from stick swinging or other acts related to assaults and violent activities. They consider fighting an ingrained, acceptable, and vital part of the ice hockey game (Carter & Norman, n.d.).
In the ice hockey game, referees can enforce penalties for any banned actions. In the game, the NHL (National Hockey League), from time to time, imposes penalties and expels or suspends players. The criminal justice system (CJS) has also been known to investigate, charge, and imprison players. Therefore, ice hockey has become more regulated, and its assault and violent components are much more organized. This has been assisted, in no small part, by intense increases in punitive methods and technologies that allow for a higher level of inspection of any unpleasant occasion that happens.
This paper will discuss the scenario of a hockey game in an ice city. One of the fans of the home team throws a beer at the visiting team’s bench. Initially, the visiting team ignores the actions of the fan. There is no event security at that time to monitor such unpleasant behavior. After a few minutes, another home-team fan throws a mug of beer at the visiting team players. At this time, one of the visiting team’s assistant coaches becomes angrier, mounts the divider that separates the players from the crowd, starts moving toward the crowd, and tries to reach the fan who threw the beer. The assistant coach reaches the fan and, in full swing, starts physically assaulting him. As this happens, other home-team supporters also get involved and start physically assaulting the assistant coach. The event security team finally arrives, followed by the police department and emergency workers, and the incident is settled. The supporter beaten by the assistant coach is carried to the nearby hospital with major cuts and blood flowing from one ear. The assistant coach suffers a broken nose after being attacked by several supporters.
This paper will discuss the laws that should be imposed on the fans and the assistant coach, the risk management related to the incident, the role of team management and facilities management, and an appropriate law to avoid these violent acts.
Discussion
Early ice hockey, in particular, was famous for its incredible violence and assault-related activities, to the point where two players were killed in three years in brawls. In these circumstances, the alleged assailants were found innocent, but these and other physically violent occasions led to calls for the sports department to clean up its acts or be banned alongside activities such as cock-fighting. The worst assault and violence decreased, predominantly with the arrival of rules and laws for quasi-legal fisticuffs; however, violent and assault-based events have not stopped even now.
Ice hockey player Billy Coutu was the first and only player to date who was expelled from the NHL for life for a violent assault in 1927. He assaulted the referee and attacked the referee prior to the start of a bench-clearing fight in a Stanley Cup game between the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins, supposedly on the instructions of the Bruins’ head coach. The League’s first president, Calder, disqualified him from the NHL for life, but the ban was lifted after two and a half years. Coutu never played hockey in the NHL again (Weinstein, Smith, & Wiesenthal, 1995).
Another violent incident occurred on December 12, 1933, when Eddie Shore hit Toronto Maple Leafs star Ace Bailey from behind, which caused Bailey to hit his head on the ice; Bailey did not play hockey after that. In recent times, disagreement and criminal charges also ensued from assault and violent outbreaks by Marty Morley, Chris Simon, and Todd Peruzzi.
The perception surrounding the current specialized hockey environment is that disruptive fan conduct is rising, obliging families to stay far away from this increasingly unstable environment. Continuing this concern is a steady stream of videos that show fans’ aggressiveness at hockey stadiums all over the world. Bad incidents used to occur inside the stadium, and nobody outside that venue necessarily knew about them; however, due to cell phones and other new technology, we can see these bad occasions being more exposed. Not only can such incidents upset the whole stadium, but they can also hurt the sporting league and affect its reputation.
Laws For The Situation
There are several laws that should be implemented for the fans and the assistant coach. There should also be laws imposed on the security staff, as they should be present there to handle the situation.
The fans engaged in unethical conduct by throwing a mug of beer at the players’ bench. The fans should be fined for their misbehavior. Secondly, the assistant coach committed a violent crime by reaching the fan and starting to beat him. The coach should be imprisoned, and heavy fines should be imposed on him, with a permanent ban from coaching any hockey or other match. The criminal behavior of the coach made the situation worse. The National Hockey League should also take action against the coach for his offensive behavior. The security staff is also responsible for the incident. Their absence in the situation raises questions about their credibility. The license of the security company should be canceled, and the security company should be subjected to hefty fines for its questionable absence in the situation (Bloom & Smith, 1996).
So, I consider that three factors are involved in this criminal incident. The first factor is the fan, the second factor is the role of the assistant coach, and the third factor is the role of law enforcement.
The security of the visiting team was compromised in the incident. The fan could also have attacked a player, but law enforcement staff controlled the situation. So, this incident revealed the security-related risks that are linked to the visiting team. There should be enough distance between the spectators and the players so that the fans cannot throw anything at the players.
Detailed Responses To The Fan Violence In The Stadiums
The following are some of the specific responses to fan violence in hockey stadiums. Several evaluations and research-based studies directly examine the difficulty of fan violence. Several of these studies, however, report mixed outcomes concerning the usefulness of certain reactions. It is vital that one frequently appraise one’s reaction to evaluate its influence in the specific community. To enable the study of the problem and plan responses, the reactions are organized based on the three fundamentals of the fan-violence triangle.
Stadium
- Making the access fences.
It is essential to stop audiences from gaining access to offstage or restricted parts, balcony areas to which they are not allowed to go, and media rooms, and to prevent the entry of those who do not have permits to enter the stadium. Some European nations have made moats around fields to stop fans from interfering with gameplay. Such extreme measures are normally unnecessary or impermissible in the U.S. Simple physical (e.g., entrances, barriers) and public (e.g., attendants, safety) fences are frequently enough to stop admission to restricted places. However, one must select the sites and fence types carefully. An unsuitably positioned fence may inspire persons to climb or sit on the railings, or individuals might use it as a weapon if it is not correctly protected (Bloom & Smith, 1996).
- Tactically engaging sound equipment, stages, and screens.
Places where the action can be clearly seen and heard logically attract more people. Stadium staff can deliberately place sound systems, stages, and big video screens to regulate gatherings within the crowd. Multiple sound systems and video screens could assist in breaking up large crowds. At larger events, additional screens and bigger stages can discourage people from pushing toward the main stage or arena to have a better view.
Posting signs.
For viewers, correctly positioned and observable signs can provide information (for example, “exit only”), warnings (for example, “sidewalk becomes slick in extreme weather conditions”), instructions (for example, “only one mug of beer for each customer”), and directions (for example, “restrooms are behind the snack bar”). When they are used correctly, these signs can decrease the need for workers and can lessen clashes caused by frustration or misunderstanding. Signs must be clear and big enough to be visible over a large crowd (Faulkner, 1974).
Changing the venues for higher risk-related occasions.
When the risks are higher, it could be helpful to change places or alternate among sites until an occasion or sequence of occasions is completed. These methods do not always stop violence, as seen in the outcome of the Red Sox victory in 2004.
Creating processing and holding zones for viewers who are detained or refuse to leave the locations.
When the police take violent fans into custody or remove them from their positions, it is important to have a designated and safe place to separate them from other spectators. This can stop them from disturbing other crowd participants while the violent fans are being transferred.
Reshaping the stadium in such a way that facilitates the prevention of violence.
Several stadiums have been modified to insert protected passageways and balcony areas for players and representatives. Some have created isolated family sections, separating people from unruly fans. One could consider operational changes to the hockey stadium if the study discovers that violence frequently arises in a specific place inside the hockey stadium.
Providing segmented and private balconies.
It was revealed earlier that private seating can decrease the probability of fan-related violence. Private seating can further decrease violence if the seating is segregated into specific places. Breaking crowds down into smaller groups can help facilitate crowd regulation. This type of seating plan can also assist in enabling rapid segregation and the removal of violent audience members and fans, with minimal disturbance to other viewers’ experiences (Robinson, 1998).
Conclusion
There must be strict rules and regulations for fans so that the audience cannot throw anything into the players’ area. There should be enough distance between the players’ area and the audience. Alcoholic drinks should also not be allowed on the premises of the stadium. In line with the opinions of numerous investigators in this case and with the ideas of representatives of official and informal fan groups throughout the United States, we have seen an ongoing requirement for stronger participation by hockey clubs themselves in helping to redirect and control the sometimes troublesome and violent behavior of a small minority of their fans. This could best be attained through the increased formation of local fan forums, through which fans and club managers could have a much stronger communication network. These, associated with fan-training structures that are tracked by local experts, might succeed in changing fans’ behavior on the reasonable assumption that they are less likely to damage the reputation of a hockey stadium in which they feel they have real participation.
References
Bloom, G. A., & Smith, M. D. (1996). Hockey violence: A test of cultural spillover theory. Sociology of Sports Journal, 13(1), 65–77.
Carter, J., & Norman, M. (n.d.). VIOLENCE IN HOCKEY.
Faulkner, R. R. (1974). Making violence by doing work: Selves, situations, and the world of professional hockey. Sociology of Work and Occupations, 1(3), 288–312.
Robinson, L. (1998). Crossing the line: Violence and sexual assault in Canada’s national sport. McClelland & Stewart Limited.
Weinstein, M. D., Smith, M. D., & Wiesenthal, D. L. (1995). Masculinity and hockey violence. Sex Roles, 33(11–12), 831–847.
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