PIAA Head: Pass 'Respect the Whistle Act' to Protect Officials

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association executive director Robert Lombardi told the Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee on Monday that he hopes the legislature will pass a bill aimed at preventing harassment of referees at games.

As reported by John Cole for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, the state Senate in late October passed Senate Bill 842, sponsored by state senator Jimmy Dillon (D-Philadelphia) and known as the “Respect the Whistle Act.” State representative Anita Kulik (D-Allegheny) has a companion bill in the House. The bill would expand current protections to make harassment of sporting officials a third-degree misdemeanor.

“We hope the House will pass this legislation to assist our registered sports officials in their protection from unruly fans,” Lombardi said.

While the PIAA currently has close to 14,000 officials, it remains challenging to attract officials in rural areas, Lombardi said. He added that the organization was seeking more female officials, as well as coaches.

A shortage of officials for PIAA games has been helped by recognition and appreciation, according to Lombardi. 

“These recognition weeks have been very successful in our member schools and have assisted us in recruiting approximately 1,000 new officials,” which includes its junior officials program, he said.

According to Cole's report, state representative Rob Matzie (D-Beaver) also asked Lombardi if the PIAA had had discussions about potentially adding flag football as a PIAA-sanctioned sport, specifically citing the Olympics adding the sport and its gaining popularity throughout the Commonwealth.  

Lombardi said that the National Football League has been “very strongly behind the initiative of girls’ flag football,” and cited that he believes more than 50 schools in the Philadelphia area are supported by the Eagles, while 28 to 32 schools in the Pittsburgh-area are supported by the Steelers. 

He specifically cited California, New York and Florida as examples of states that have sanctioned it as a high school sport.

“But that’s a growing and evolving sport for us,” Lombardi said. “So we’re gonna monitor it and see where it goes.”  

The PIAA's name, image and likeness program is going smoothly so far, Lombardi said Monday, as reported by Cole. In December 2022, the PIAA approved an NIL policy, making Pennsylvania one of 29 states that has permitted NIL for high school athletes.

Lombardi noted that collectives — where alumni and other school supporters generate and pool revenue to attract student-athletes — are prohibited in the state’s NIL policy. Lombardi said that students have received products like field hockey sticks or baseball gloves but not large dollar amounts as a result of NIL.

“NIL is not pay for play,” Lombardi said. “But when you have collectives that can consort together for a dollar amount and possibly try to attract students, that’s what you get.”