Youth baseball league sentences fans to umpire for mistreatment.

A Little League in Deptford, New Jersey, has implemented a new code of conduct that requires any spectator who mistreats umpires to complete three umpiring assignments or be banned from the complex for a year. The league hopes to deter unruly behavior and prevent potential assaults. The initiative has garnered national attention and attracted new umpires to the league. However, some fans in Deptford are unhappy with the perception that the town is full of baseball bullies. Youth officiating is in crisis, with nearly 17,500 referees surveyed in 2017 citing parents as the biggest problem with sportsmanship.