When Fights Go Too Far...

We all are aware that in certain sports, fighting is part of the sport.

I think its safe to say its reasonable and foreseeable that fighting in hockey is going to happen, its just part of the game.

But what happens when fighting goes too far? Should there be criminal charges against players who go above and beyond what is reasonable and foreseeable for a hockey fight?

I am not talking about someone getting the worst of the fight or taking a clean hit badly and getting really hurt, that is all part of the game. I mean players who decide to do damage against a player who is at that time not in a position to defend himself from a hit.

For example, if I am a player and fall on the ice, that is common, but what if a player from the other team sees that I have fallen and skates over to me, they lift me up off the ice a bit by my jersey and smack me into the ice a few times so hard he fans can hear the thud of my head hitting the ice. Its dirty, there was no need of it and I was not in a position to defend myself and since I was down, I did not even see him skate up to me. If he cracked my head open or something horrible, is it part of the game or criminal responsibility?

Does it ever become criminal in a sports game or is it always just part of the game? If its ever decided to make things criminal, where do we draw the line?

There are restrictions imposed usually by the gaming commission on what is acceptable and what is not.

Like in Soccer, you can get a lifetime ban from playing if you have done something truly outrageous.

No, I don't' think it ever goes too far as to criminal charges unless maybe, something leading to death. Which is weird, but coaches can get criminal charges if say they do not allow football players to take a drink of water, which then leads to heat stroke and later death.

I think, you're widdled out by the game. You're too aggressive and you have a bad record, you're not going to get signed on a team for a lot of money. Most gaming commissions, have a board that reviews players actions and if they find the player bad, they will dismiss them or let them go...but would not go as far as criminal charges.

I think for the most part, we have been lucky that nothing too serious has happened from people going too far but I fear one day it might. I am not sure if criminal charges is the answer, I am not sure what is.

A player can easily take his stick and hit the back of another players neck out of rage. The other player can't see it coming if his back is to that player. What if in the right spot, the hit is so hard the player become a quadrapelegic? Is a fine or suspension really enough for doing something that bad to someone?

I just saw a very dirty thing happen tonight that could have ended the career of a young player. The sound of the thud made my stomach sick. I could not imagine what crosses the mind of someone to go above a fight and seek to harm someone. It goes beyond a sport but again, not really sure what should be done about this.

There have actually been VERY GRUESOME sport injuries in the past.

But...I think there are no criminal charges placed because when you sign a contract to play professionally, you are taking a risk of getting hurt.

Now...it is different if there is malicious criminal intent. I remember reading an article the other day of Tonya Harding being pregnant. She was a figure skater who pleaded guilty because during one of her skating competitions, her then husband and her plotted to hurt her competitor by injury her leg. Now...that is definitely clear and criminal. https://www.popeater.com/2011/02/15/former-skater-tonya-harding-is-pregnant/

Boxing is another example. I vividly remember the boxing match that I watched live on TV where Mike Tyson bit off Evander Holyfield's ear back in the 90's. I think that decision occurred in the heat of the moment, it wasn't planned...and he didn't face criminal charges for that (though he should've), but he did get disqualified for it.

Also...boxing in general...has left many one time great players very brain dead in some ways. It's an unfortunate sport that is great but comes with a big price.

Professional wrestling really gets to me...I don't see how it is acceptable to smash a metal chair into someones back when they are not looking...but that is apparently very popular.

In football...I can name several very BAD injuries that have occurred. I forgot the names, but I remember reading about one in particular where the guy was tackled with so much force (and malicious intent force...meaning the tackler was intent on crushing the guy not caring if he hurt the player or not) and it resulted in his fibula and tibia bones breaking in two places, a bone being exposed and blood literally spurting out like a fountain. The player never could play football again and he was physical impaired for the rest of his life. the tackler that did the injury felt no remorse and nothing happened to him. It's a shady area where the injury is not forseen and can be pinned on a "mistake" or whatever.

The law has a few key pieces though, we have malicious intent as you point out for criminal cases and also in tort law, we have reasonable person test. So to go past criminal responsibility, if someone is acting maliciously, should they be sued by the other sports player?

It is reasonable and foreseeable to get into a hockey fight but not reasonable or foreseeable if someone with malice, takes off skate and cuts the guy across the throat.

Same as for me, if I am a fan and a puck hits me in the face, I can't just get money because they have signs, its common sense and reasonable the puck can leave the ice and hit me in the face. They also have nets and that plastic stuff. But if a player throws the puck at me or does something negligent, I have a lawsuit.

So now you have me made think more on this, should it ever be criminal and should it ever be a tort case.

I am still not sure but it does concern me that some idiot could decide to harm someone, have intent to harm someone and nothing happen because it happened during a sport. Sports should not be a place to get away with terrible things that go beyond a fight.

It isn't just the fighting that should be considered criminal, some of the acts that take part in the game should also be prosecuted.

Some years ago, a notorious Irish footballer (soccer player to you) by the name of Roy Keane committed a terrible foul on another player, Alf Inge Haaland.

Keane was renowned throughout the football world as a thug. He was a brutal, violent player with a history of violence both on and off the pitch. During the World Cup in Korea in 2002, he walked out on the Irish national team because he took umbrage at the head coach's training methods. His walk out, accompanied by a foul mouthed tirade against a highly respected and talented national coach divided opinion in Ireland over what should be done about him.

Roy Keane was a thoroughly nasty, nasty piece of work.

The foul he committed on Haaland was a direct retribution for some perceived previous insult. The shin-high, two footed jump broke Haaland's leg in several places and after many months out of the game and an attempted comeback, the injury resulted in Haaland having to eventually quit playing football and thus deprived the player of his career.

Some time later, Keane wrote in his biography that he had committed the foul deliberately and with the intention of causing as much injury as possible. He wrote in his book that, as Haaland lay on the ground with his leg horribly broken, he (Keane) thought to himself "Good, I've got that c**t at last".

Keane revelled in his numerous sickening actions, in the same manner, thoughout his career. He was a hero to fans at Manchester United and his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson did nothing to quell the excesses of his most brutal, intimidating player because he put such fear into opponents that many would back away rather than challenge him. This often gave Manchester United a massive advantage in matches.

Referees met with similar treatment in matches. The sight of Keane snarling in foam flecked rage at referees during games was not uncommon, and on one occasion he led a group of Manchester United players, including Saint David Beckham, in a snarling posse to berate referee Andy D'Urso because the official had had the temerity to (correctly) give a penalty kick against them. A photographer caught the image of Roy Keane, eyes wide, veins bulging in his neck and temples, fists clenched and spittle flying from his mouth, right in the referees face while about six other players, Beckham amongst them, all joined in.

This was direct intimidation of a match official, on live satellite television and yet, the (recently disgraced) Sky TV commentator Andy Gray failed to criticise Keane or any of the other Manchester United players involved, for their actions.

Keane received no ban from the FA for this, and the civil courts never prosecuted him for his assault on Alf Inge Haaland. The line was taken that the incidents happened within the confines of the game and were the responsibility of the match officials to deal with on the pitch.

There have been other attempts by injured players to prosecute assaults on them during games, but the official line is that what goes on "between the white lines" is a matter for the referee and the sports governing bodies to deal with.

Roy Keane was a brute and a thug as a player and he flourished in the game because he had a manager who tolerated, and therefore encouraged, his excesses and a governing body that was too weak to deal with him.

In my opinion, this is wrong. Players on the field should be as liable in law as anybody else who commits common assault.


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I cant think off any assualt charges being liad in professional sport here but I have heard some stories off blokes playing country football laying charges when hit by other players behind play.

Only thing I can think off was the Barry Hall incident in the AFL a few years back when out off no where Hall turned and punched his unsuspecting victim, down Staker went. Staker was asked a few times if he would lay charges on Hall but he just wanted to let the AFL give the punishment without going into anything legal.

Fact is if your playing a sport its really no diffrent then walking down the street. Your not going to be expecting someone to just randomly hit you out off no where, sometimes injuries happen in a game form a fair hit or a hit that just went wrong which is no worries but if its a hit away from the play then it should be treated by the law the same as any other assualt.

Re: Roy Keane. He was brought to England from Ireland by Brian Clough who was manager of Notts forest at the time. At first Keane was a good player and his temperament seemed ok. It was only when he moved to manchester united that he became a certifiable psychopath. The bloke ran amok in the english premiership and the entire league was so s*** scared of him and alex ferguson at the time that nothing was ever done about him. I read somewhere that today Alfie Haaland can hardly walk without the aid of a stick and he's only in his forties. Keane is now manager at Ipswich.