Big-mouthed parents shouting profanities or players physically taking on the referee on the field – most would cringe at the thought, but the cold hard truth is sideline abuse and altercations are evident in Kiwi sports.

The topic has the nation's tongues wagging following a spate of bad behaviour at sports matches throughout the country.

Sport BOP school sport team leader Gareth Yates urges parents and athletes to refrain from engaging in sideline abuse and aggressive on-field behaviour. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Incidents include an 11-year-old boy allegedly tackling a referee to the ground in Papatoetoe and Judea Rugby Club's Stacey Walker receiving a nine-month ban following an incident involving both players and spectators, which was sparked by him threatening a referee for red-carding him.

To dig deeper into the issue, SunLive spoke with Sport BOP school sport team leader Gareth Yates about efforts to stamp out this over-the-top behaviour.

'Unfortunately sports are sports, and people get quite competitive and carried away with things,” says Gareth. 'One thing will lead to another and you never know what will happen.

'It comes down to the values that a specific sport has or has been driven through the school, the coach or a particular leader.”

At a secondary school level, the sporting body closely aligns itself with the New ZealandSecondary SchoolsSports Council and the Bay of Plenty Principals' Association – ensuring all events are sanctioned and run to a tee.

The more traditional sports of rugby, football and netball are run through regional sporting organisations with their own codes of conduct, in terms of what happens in and around sport.

These are strategies in place that Gareth confidently reports have handed the Bay a 'good track record”, strengthened by a strong collegial feel across the region – Central, Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty.

In years to come it is hoped a sideline behaviour strategy will be implemented by Sport New Zealand and adopted by regional sporting organisations, such as Sport BOP.

Until then, however, it's a bit of a 'grey area” for most sports where attention must be paid to aligning with schools for the safety of children and people on the sideline, says Gareth.

'We are trying to embed these positive values in the sport,” he adds, 'but it has to be driven by their parents as well. It's all about participation and offering pathways.

'At the end of the day, if you don't have that positive influence from home it's not going to flow on to the kids.

'So the parents lead a lot of decisions as to what the kids do on court or on the field of play.

'You'll notice the parents that are yelling are usually with the students that are doing the most damage aggressively.”

Earlier this month, Sport New Zealand chief executive Peter Miskimmin reminded parents and other supporters to be mindful of their behaviour.

Peter says there's simply no place for any sort of abuse or violence, particularly in children's sport.

'Playing Saturday morning sport is a rite of passage for most Kiwi kids and it should be a positive experience for them,” explains Peter.

'It's unacceptable that some adults are hi-jacking that, by abusing and attacking players, officials and the opposition.

'Everyone involved in sport has a responsibility to ensure that the experience – from the playground to top level sport – is a positive one for all involved.

'Sport makes a huge positive contribution to New Zealand and New Zealanders, and incidents like these undermine that.

'They could turn young people off sport and that would be extremely sad, because sport should enrich their lives.”