Mark,
In addition to officiating, I've been doing HS varsity book for about 20 years. I'm pretty confident in saying that the book is the official record. The actual arrow is not just for the convenience of the crowd and officials, but the book is where it counts -- and generally the "home" book. Kind of like the scoreboard. Hopefully, it agrees with what I have in the book (if the timer and I have been communicating properly), but if not, the scoreboard, like the arrow, is not the official record.
Moreover, the arrow is the responsibility of the official scorer, not the timer. When I'm scoring, I'm the guy with the finger on the arrow switch. I know when the throw-in ends, and I flip the direction as I make the indication in the book.
In regard to your comments in the other thread about the JV officials putting the ball in play under the basket rather than outside the lane, if I'm doing the book, I keep my mouth shut unless asked. Often in JV games, we have young officials that I know personally. I might talk to them away from the heat of the game about something like this, but during the game they have more than enough to think about, without my complicating the situation for them.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Sven
|