• On August 6, 2002, Markovic entered a guilty plea before Judge Richard Wells in Clinton County (Michigan) for being a "Disorderly Person."
• On September 6, Markovic was sentenced 30 days in jail, with 25 days suspended if he paid court costs, fines and restitution. He paid $390 in court costs and fines, and restitution to Heinig for medical co-pays. He was represented by counsel on both August 2 and September 6.
• Markovic was also banned for life by the Mid-Michigan Mens Soccer League and temporarily suspended by the USSF for failure to show for a hearing on a life-time ban.

GLASRA Assault #1 - If you think assault on soccer referees only happens in foreign countries, think again. GLASRA has had its share of assaults on its members. None so violent, however, as that which occurred in Summer 1999. Thai Phong was the center referee for a men's league match in the Lansing area when he was violently struck in the face by a player who had just been Sent Off (Red carded) for Violent Conduct against an opponent. Phong's injuries were substantial: fractures to the orbital bone and a detached retina. Today, Phong has a steel plate behind his eye. The player who struck the ref was prosecuted in both criminal and civil courts. He was also banned for life from playing in area leagues and at various facilities. But the damage to the ref, both physical and psychological, had been done.

WHAT IS "ASSAULT?" - "Assault" is the intentional act of physical violence upon a referee. It includes (but is not limited to) hitting, kicking, punching, choking, spitting at or on, grabbing or bodily running into a referee, kicking or throwing an object at a referee, damaging the referee's uniform, personal property, car, etc.

WHAT IS "ABUSE?" - "Abuse" is a verbal statement or physical gesture which implies or threatens physical harm to a referee.

AVOID THE ASSAULT - While a referee should ALWAYS be aware of and prepared for the threat of violence, perhaps the referee's most vulnerable moment is when he/she issues a card, especially a Red Card. If you "book" a player (issue a Yellow or Red card), be prepared for a reaction... usually by the carded player, but sometimes by his/her teammates. When issuing the card, don't get too close (you do not need to be "in the player's face" in order to properly issue a card), and keep your eyes on the player. If he/she starts to approach you, start backing away (keeping your eyes on the player at all times). You may think this is some sign of cowardice on your part... it is NOT! Fortunately, in nearly every case, teammates will step in to restrain the carded player. But if they don't, you need to take appropriate steps to avoid injury. Don't try to "show your manhood" by standing up to a carded player. Get away! If you "lower yourself" to the level of the carded player by offering a verbal or physical reply, you will be making a bad situation even worse. Stay calm, but get away.

WHAT TO DO - The GLASRA Executive Board strongly recommends you follow these procedures if you are assaulted...

• Do NOT strike back unless it is absolutely in self-defense. Defend yourself as passively as possible until others can intervene. Most onlookers, even though they may be equally upset with the referee, will come to the aid of anyone (even the referee!) who is physically attacked.

• Obtain witnesses ... your assistant referees and spectators (use players as witnesses only as a last resort).

• Seek medical attention if you are injured.

• Contact the local police immediately ... assault is a criminal offense, so file a police report!

• Keep as calm as you can, and record the details of the incident after things get under control. Make sure you have the facts straight before leaving the vicinity of the field.

• USSF matches - For assaults during or after USSF matches, follow these procedures:
  • The night of the incident (do NOT wait until the next day!), call the current GLASRA President. The GLASRA President will then contact the current USSF State Referee Administrator (SRA) for Michigan and report the incident. The SRA will advise you about who else to contact and where to mail your written reports. The SRA will help you with all the details. You may later need to appear at a disciplinary hearing to provide testimony.

  • Write a Game Report on blank paper. Provide detail of the incident. For outdoor USSF games, write a summary and include it as a Supplement to the Game Report that you mail back to the league (Capital Area Soccer League, Little Caesar's, Soccer Zone). Mail copies of this report (in the next day's mail) to the league, to the GLASRA President, and to the USSF SRA (and any other person the SRA suggests you send it to). Your written report should be brief, informative, accurate, professional and completely devoid of all emotion ("just the facts!"). It is hard to do, but keep your reports as factual and unemotional as possible. If you do so, the appropriate persons will be better able to take the proper disciplinary action. If you wish, ask your assistant referees to write their own reports based on their own points-of-view.

• High school matches - For assaults during or after high school matches, follow these procedures:
  • There is a special report form to file. These forms are available from either the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) or the GLASRA President. These are the same forms normally used to report player or coach ejections. In the next day's mail, mail the written report to the school and to the MHSAA.

  • Call the MHSAA and ask for Tom Minter. Advise Tom of the incident, and tell him your written report is in the mail. They may ask you to fax the report to them... do so if you can.

  • Call the school principal or athletic director on the telephone and report the incident.

NOTE ... You have the right to seek both criminal and civil charges if you believe the incident is serious enough. Consult your attorney.

GLASRA Policy (effective 6/20/00) - The GLASRA Executive Board will advise all GLASRA members about assaults that occur against its members. Further, the Board will consider, on a case-by-case basis, offering financial help (upon request and in an amount determined by the Board), in support of civil actions filed by the assaulted GLASRA member.

Confrontations with Athletes, Officials, and Fans at Pro Sports Events in US Courtesy si.com 11/22/04
Nov. 19, 2004	One of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history took place near the end of the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game. Fans and players threw punches; spectators tossed a chair, beer, ice and popcorn. Four players -- Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson and Ben Wallace -- were suspended indefinitely by the NBA for a fracas commissioner David Stern called "shocking, repulsive and inexcusable."
Sept. 13, 2004	Texas Rangers pitcher Frank Francisco threw a chair that hit a woman in the stands and broke her nose.
April 19, 2003	An Oakland Athletics fan threw a cell phone at Texas Rangers outfielder Carl Everett.
April 15, 2003	A man came out of the stands and grabbed umpire Laz Diaz around the legs during a game between the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals.
Sept. 19, 2002	A father and son burst onto the field at Chicago's Comiskey Park and slammed Kansas City Royals first-base coach Tom Gamboa to the ground, punching and kicking him.
Dec. 16, 2001	Bottles thrown by Cleveland Browns fans hit players on both teams and other people in the stands. Most of the hundreds of bottles were plastic but many were filled with beer.
March 29, 2001	Tie Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs wrestled with a fan in the penalty box in Philadelphia after Domi twice poured water on taunting spectators. The fan lunged against the glass and threw a punch at Domi that didn't connect. A glass panel separating the two collapsed, and the fan was pulled into the box by Domi.
May 16, 2000	A fight involving Los Angeles Dodgers players and Chicago Cubs fans at Wrigley Field began when a spectator grabbed the hat of Dodgers backup catcher Chad Kreuter in the bullpen. Kreuter went into the stands and several Dodgers followed, trading punches with fans. Suspensions for 16 players and three coaches totaled 76 games. Seven of the suspensions were overturned on appeal.
Nov. 24, 1999	Oakland Raiders were pelted with snowballs, some spiked with batteries, at Denver's Mile High Stadium. Charles Woodson allegedly threw a snowball that struck a female fan in the face, and Lincoln Kennedy went after a fan who hit him in the face with a snowball.
Oct. 3, 1999	A metal object thrown from the stands at Mile High Stadium in Denver hit Broncos cornerback Dale Carter in the cheek, causing blurred vision and a bruise.
Sept. 24, 1999	A fan attacked Houston right fielder Bill Spiers in Milwaukee. Spiers ended up with a welt under his left eye, a bloody nose and whiplash.
Dec. 23, 1995	Fans at Giants Stadium hurled dozens of snowballs at the Chargers' sideline, interrupting a game between San Diego and New York. One snowball knocked San Diego equipment manager Sid Brooks unconscious.
Sept. 28, 1995	Cubs reliever Randy Myers was charged by a spectator who ran out of the stands at Wrigley Field. Myers saw the man coming, dropped his glove and knocked him down with his forearm.
Feb. 6, 1995	Vernon Maxwell entered the stands and punched a fan who heckled him during a game at Portland. He was suspended 10 games without pay and fined $20,000. He later settled out of court with the fan.
Aug. 27, 1986	California Angels first baseman Wally Joyner was hit in the arm by a knife thrown from the upper deck at Yankee Stadium but was unhurt.
Dec. 23, 1979	Boston Bruins forward Stan Jonathan was hit in the face by an object thrown by a fan, and right wing Terry O'Reilly was harassed by a stick-wielding fan at the end of a 4-3 victory at the New York Rangers. Several Boston players, including O'Reilly and Mike Milbury, went into the stands to fight with spectators. Milbury removed a shoe from a fan and beat him with it.
July 12, 1979	A radio DJ blew up disco records in the outfield at Comiskey Park, and a riot nearly ensued at "Disco Demolition Night" against the Detroit Tigers. Some of the 50,000 fans got into the park for 98 cents if they brought a record. They tossed them on the field, threw beers, cherry bombs and started fires. Game 2 of the doubleheader was called off.
April 25, 1976	Chicago center fielder Rick Monday took an American flag from two fans who tried to set it on fire in the outfield at Dodger Stadium during the fourth inning of the Cubs' 5-4, 10-inning loss to Los Angeles.
April 2, 1969	Toronto's Pat Quinn knocked out Boston Bruins great Bobby Orr with a vicious check during an NHL playoff game. A brawl broke out on the ice and in the stands, with Quinn leaving Boston Garden under a heavy police escort.
Sept. 10, 1961	Cleveland center fielder Jimmy Piersall was attacked by two fans who ran out of the right-field stands onto the field at Yankee Stadium during the seventh inning of the second game of a doubleheader. Piersall punched and kicked them before teammates and police came to his aid.
Sept. 16, 1940	After an argument at Ebbets Field, which resulted in a suspension for Dodgers manager Leo Durocher, a fan punched umpire George Magerkurth.
Oct. 9, 1934	After the Cardinals' Joe Medwick slid hard into Mickey Owen at third base for a triple during World Series Game 7 at Detroit, fans threw tomatoes at Medwick when he took his position in left field for the bottom of the inning.
July 11, 1886	Umpire George Bradley was hit by a beer mug during mayhem in the sixth inning of the second game of a doubleheader at Cincinnati.

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