[Back In The Saddle]

As far as keeping up on rules and such, I think the practical ideal is somewhere in between. Obviously grabbing a random kid from the stands to run the book/clock is problematic (as has been proven repeatedly at some schools I work). But does the table crew really need to know the ideal size for a HS basketball court, the maximum allowable side inset width for a legal jersey, or whether a ball handler can legally pivot if he/she jumps off one foot and lands on two? Not really. But it is very helpful to have a table crew that knows all the rules about substitution, who understand that running score is more important that individual point totals, who understands how direct and indirect technicals work and are recorded, even what to do when a player scores a the other team's basket. The scorekeeper who knows all that is the scorekeeper I want to work with.