I'd like some advice from a few experienced officials about a situation I had this season.
I am a first year official, and this happened in my first junior high girls game. I was excited, yet nervous. Low and behold, the person that I got teamed up with was also a 1st year official, and this was his first game at any level. My first jr. high game and I am the senior official...lol
(i had done games at other levels)
Anyway, I'll get to the point. The scorekeeper for the home team was also a varsity official. Game is going real well. No problems, complaints, etc...
Ball goes out of bounds @ half court. I am lead, under basket. Partner is at half court with the ball. Home team subs in a player. I motion the player in and am now waiting for play to begin. My partner is literally an inch away from handing the team the ball to begin play and I hear a horn from the scorekeeper. I look to the table, and notice that Home team wants to sub another player. I put my hand up, and tell the table and the coach to wait until the next dead ball because my partner was beginning play. I give the 'thumbs up' to my partner and partner begins to give the team the ball to begin play...again. HORN again!! Scorekeeper (keep in mind, varsity official) says that I am wrong and that I should allow the sub. My partner says (in the scorekeepers direction, from across the court) "Well, I didn't give her the ball yet." So, I submit, and allow the sub to come in. At this point I am FUMING!!!
The next time out, I go to the table and tell the scorekeeper to NEVER do that again. He again says that I was wrong, and I tell him that I don't care if I was wrong or not. That I won't put up with being 'one-upped' by a scorekeeper, whether the scorekeeper is an official or not. I also tell him that I don't think he'd appreciate the scorekeeper arguing with him if he was in my situation. In the locker room, I tell my partner that if he wants to discuss a situation, that he can talk to me privately, not announce to the gym that he agrees with the scorekeeper.
First of all, did I do the right thing? Home team had already subbed, and my partner was literally an inch away from handing off the ball.
Second, should I have said anything to the scorekeeper/varsity official? I felt that it was better to stick up for myself than to kiss his a$$. He did tell me after I 'yelled' at him, that he was sorry and it wouldnt' happen again. But I don't know if I burned a bridge.
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