No matter how frustrated or "caught up" people get they will not aggress against something that they are truly physically afraid of.
             There are sports where the rules have to be policed by the players in order for the game to survive. The nature of aggression in high aggression sports requires that there is an outlet for the frustrations of players. Someone has to "draw the line" as to what is acceptable as far as aggression without ignoring it and letting it fester inside people until they are able to find an outlet for it.
             Distinct aspects of the effects of aggression in sport can be observed by watching ice hockey and observing how aggression is accepted and condoned within the confines of the sport. Ice hockey attempts to maintain a balance between the aggressive nature of the sport and the civility of the people who play it. It is recognized that a certain degree of aggressiveness is necessary to play the game. As with any game of this nature, administrators and players are faced with the problem of keeping aggression levels at or under an acceptable norm.
             Competitive game play in ice hockey incorporates many acts of aggression. This aggression is instrumental aggression; it is committed en route to accomplishing a goal. Professional courtesy is created by an unwritten understanding between all players as to what is acceptable as far as instrumental aggression. As long as players don't overstep their bounds within these unwritten rules, the mutual respect that players have for each other permits very aggressive acts to be accepted as a part of the game.
             Problems arise when there is displaced aggression. Frustration levels have a tendency to rise in such high level competition. There are also instances where a player's aggression is not focused towards winning the contest, but is aimed towards injuring another player. This aggression has to be punished so not to become main stream.
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