University of Miami Law School Institutional Repository University of Miami Entertainment & Sports Law Review 4-1-1994 Sports Officials Should Only Be Liable for Acts of Gross Negligence: Is That the Right Call? Kenneth W. Biedzynski Esq. Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.law.miami.edu/umeslr Part of the Entertainment and Sports Law Commons Recommended Citation Kenneth W. Biedzynski Esq., Sports Officials Should Only Be Liable for Acts of Gross Negligence: Is That the Right Call?, 11 U. Miami Ent. & Sports L. Rev. 375 (1994) Available at: http://repository.law.miami.edu/umeslr/vol11/iss2/5 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Miami Entertainment & Sports Law Review by an authorized administrator of Institutional Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Biedzynski: Sports Officials Should Only Be Liable for Acts of Gross Negligen COMMENT SPORTS OFFICIALS SHOULD ONLY BE LIABLE FOR ACTS OF GROSS NEGLIGENCE: IS THAT THE RIGHT CALL? KENNETH W. BIEDZYNSKI, ESQ.* IN T R O D U C T IO N ........................................................... 375 PART I SPORTS OFFICIALS AND THE LAW .............................. 380 A. THE SPORTS OFFICIAL AND BASIC TORT CONCEPTS ............... ...... 380 B. THE SPORTS OFFICIAL'S STANDARD OF LIABILITY ........................ 385 C. A DDITIONAL PLAINTIFFS ............................................ 401 D. THE SPORTS OFFICIAL AS PLAINTIFF .................................. 404 PART II CRITIQUE OF THE STATE OF THE LAW AND A SUGGESTED APPROACH ......................................... 407 A. THE NEED FOR A PROPER STANDARD ................................. 407 B. SUBSTANTIATING THE PROPER STANDARD .............................. 411 C. THE PROBLEM WITH ORDINARY NEGLIGENCE ........................... 417 C O N C L U SIO N .............................................................