Getting physically abused by spectators is a rare occurrence.

But that's what happened last month when longtime official Steve Owen was allegedly punched in the face by an American Fork parent. Owen, 47, was working as the head linesman for a sophomore football game between American Fork and Highland last month.

On Aug. 25, Owen had been having problems with American Fork coaches for much of the game. He was accused of being biased toward Highland. He said he was told by a member of the American Fork coaching staff that he hated coming to Salt Lake City because officials always "look out" for teams from Salt Lake.

With less than five minutes remaining in the game, a pass interference penalty was called on American Fork and it negated a touchdown by the Cavemen. Owen didn't throw the penalty flag, but he did draw the wrath of an American Fork parent.

After the call was made, Owen noticed a large and distraught man leave the American Fork bleachers and walk toward the field. The man approached Owen and said "you guys [expletive] suck." Owen said he responded by saying, "I'm sorry you feel that way, but please go back in the stands."

The man, according to Owen, responded with an expletive, grabbed him hard enough to leave bruises on his biceps and chest, then punched him in the face.

Members of the chain crew and the other game officials stepped in to restrain the American Fork parent.

"The thing that irritated me the most was the violent nature of the incident," said Pat Aloia, who was the referee for the game. "I was

also irritated that it was right in front of the American Fork bench and not one of their coaches helped restrain this guy."

Members of the Cavemen coaching staff dispute that they were negligent. Sophomore coach Art Taylor told varsity coach Davis Knight that he was so busy with planning out the final minutes of the game, he didn't see the American Fork parent come out of the bleachers.

"These coaches are level-headed, competent men," Knight said.

As soon as the man was restrained, Aloia held up the game ball to signify that the contest was over.

VIOLENCE IS RARE

At 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, Owen hasn't had to deal with many threats of physical violence during his officiating career that began when he was 12 years old. Owen, a native of Baton Rouge, La., has officiated football games on several different levels, from Little League to Junior College, during the past 13 years in Utah.

At varsity games on Friday nights, there's enough security to prevent confrontations with spectators from happening. On Thursdays, however, there's little security at the sparsely attended sophomore and junior varsity games.

Owen believes part of the blame for him getting punched should land with American Fork's coaches, two of which are police officers. He said their complaining spread through the American Fork crowd at Highland and affected the players' attitudes on the field.

It's how bad situations begin, he said.

"You just never know when it is going to happen," Owen said. "The game can be going along just fine and then someone will just lose it. It just takes one incident to throw everything off."

And he said the complaining from fans and coaches is nothing new.

"I think it's always been this way," Owen said. "We've had officials get attacked it seems like every year on the Little League football fields."

Jerry Bovee, the Utah High School Activities Association assistant director and supervisor of football officials, said assaults on high school officials are rare. This is the first one he can recall in his 10 years of work at the UHSAA.

PREVENTION

It took more than two weeks for the American Fork parent to be cited for misdemeanor battery in the incident at Highland High. Bovee hopes that won't be the case in the future and that Utah can follow the lead of other states.

California Penal Code has a specific section regarding "battery against a sports official." Maximum punishments are a $2,000 fine and a one-year jail sentence. Bovee hopes to find a Utah legislator who will push for something similar.

In addition to the misdemeanor charge, the American Fork parent was also banned from his school's sporting events for three weeks by school officials. That didn't sit well with Bovee, who said the punishment was too light.

"In my opinion, he has no business being there for the rest of the season," Bovee said. "It just seems so bizarre to me. It's unconscionable."

Bovee, Aloia and Owen each said that the police work at the game could have been much better. Owen said he had to push for weeks to get any kind of charges filed in the case. Highland resource officer Deke Christensen did much of the follow-up work from the incident. He declined to be interviewed for this story.

"I was taken back that the police department didn't do more," Bovee said. "Their initial response wasn't all that exciting."

Owen said American Fork's response wasn't anything to get excited about either. He said he never received an apology from anyone affiliated with the school.

WHY BOTHER?

A question that officials have to answer a lot is why? Why even bother officiating games and dealing with irate spectators, coaches and players. Why take the abuse?

Owen said it's simple. It's the love they have for the sports they officiate. For Owen, he's loved football since he was a little kid.

"It started [officiating] out as a way for a 12-year-old kid to make some money," Owen said. "It's a way to have a part-time job, but it's also a way to stay involved with the game of football."

Owen cites the example of an official in Utah who is still working games despite having prostate cancer as someone who loves what he does. Some weeks, Owen officiates as many as six games - a sophomore or junior varsity game on Thursday, a varsity game on Friday and four Little League games on Saturday. He also officiates some Junior College football games on the weekends.

Aloia said officials rarely even notice the catcalls, death threats and insults about their mothers that come from the bleachers.

"You're focused on the game, the players and what's going on," Aloia said. "You only get one chance to make the call."

Officially

High school football official Steve Owen was allegedly punched in the face by an American Fork parent during a sophomore game last month.

Violence against sports officials is rare in Utah.

UHSAA assistant director Jerry Bovee hopes the state will adopt specific legislation to combat violence against sports officials.