Official Home Book Person

[IREFU2]

I had a situation last night at my AA Girls First Round. The games was progressing at a good rate, we let them play and called what we needed to call. I noticed that when a foul was called on the home team, the bookkeeper would go nuts. Well to make a long story short, I called a travel on the home team and he starts beating the table with his fists. I stopped the game and went to him and told him that there will be no more of those kind of reaction to our calls or I would have him replaced. Needless to say, the next dead ball, he said he was sorry and it wont happen again. Has anybody else had such dealing and if so, how did you handle the situation?

[Nevadaref]

Yes, and like you handled it.

You politely inform the person that while he is at that table being a scorer or timer, he is part of the officiating team.

That almost always works.

[CoachP]

My clock/scoreboard operator was ejected (GV) 3rd game of the season. 45 seconds to go in the game. Got mouthy about the official mechanics.

CoachP ran the clock for the last 45 seconds, so therefore, Mrs CoachP, was saddled with the 10 point loss!

[chartrusepengui]

JV game about 15 years ago. Guy on book had been doing it about 20 years. He was the same way - not being neutral - cheering for the home team. I actually caught him marking a foul on the wrong player # in the book(one that didn't play much and was not in the game). I just walked to game management and told him that the official scorekeeper had to be replaced immediately and that the game would not continue until that had happened. I briefly explained. Guy was removed and I got an apology from him the next time I was there with a promise it wouldn't happen again. I think he was quite embarrassed by the whole thing.

[Hartsy]

Originally Posted by IREFU2

I had a situation last night at my AA Girls First Round. The games was progressing at a good rate, we let them play and called what we needed to call. I noticed that when a foul was called on the home team, the bookkeeper would go nuts. Well to make a long story short, I called a travel on the home team and he starts beating the table with his fists. I stopped the game and went to him and told him that there will be no more of those kind of reaction to our calls or I would have him replaced. Needless to say, the next dead ball, he said he was sorry and it wont happen again. Has anybody else had such dealing and if so, how did you handle the situation?

This guy must have been in Ohio earlier this year.

My response to him was almost exactly the same as yours. I told him if I heard anything else from him I would find someone else to keep score. Unlike your bookkeeper, I got no apology. In fact, I should have removed him when he said "I only have a minute and a half left."

[Bad Zebra]

I saw some of this early in the season. This is the exact reason I added a little table routine to my pre-game for districts and regional playoffs. As I finish checking the book at 10:00, I confirm who the official timekeeper is along with the scorer. I politely remind them that they are part of the officiating crew this evening and impartiality is required at all times. Maybe just lucky, but I haven't had a problem yet.

[Nevadaref]

When I was in Maryland one of the officials from the association kept the officials book and served as the alternate official in case someone got hurt.

That took care of all of the home timer/scorer issues. I guess that they had problems in the past.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by IREFU2

I had a situation last night at my AA Girls First Round. The games was progressing at a good rate, we let them play and called what we needed to call. I noticed that when a foul was called on the home team, the bookkeeper would go nuts. Well to make a long story short, I called a travel on the home team and he starts beating the table with his fists. I stopped the game and went to him and told him that there will be no more of those kind of reaction to our calls or I would have him replaced. Needless to say, the next dead ball, he said he was sorry and it wont happen again. Has anybody else had such dealing and if so, how did you handle the situation?

I had a problem like this my 1st or 2nd year at one of the smaller Christian schools. I kindly reminded the lady that she had to be neutral when at the table.

Rob, give me the initials of the school. I have one of the semi-final games tomorrow.

[IREFU2]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

I had a problem like this my 1st or 2nd year at one of the smaller Christian schools. I kindly reminded the lady that she had to be neutral when at the table.

Rob, give me the initials of the school. I have one of the semi-final games tomorrow.

Give me a call at my desk and I will give you the skinney!!!!!

[kwv001]

I am a former Indiana high school basketball official that had to give up officiating about 10 years ago because of a job change that had a travel schedule that was too unpredictable to commit to a basketball schedule. Now that I don't travel as much, I am seriously considering "coming out of retirement" and beginning to officiate again next season. I enjoy reading many of the discussions on this forum, and they have made me realize how much I miss being involved in the game. This topic, concerning table behavior in particular, caught my attention because of something I witnessed this season at one of my daughter's freshman games.

I have volunteered my time at my daughter's school the past three years as the official timer for their home games. As a fomer official I certainly understand the concept of the table officials being an extension of the night's crew, but the mother that kept the book for our team this season had a problem with that. There were a couple of times early in the season when she was pretty vocal in disagreeing with a call that had been made, and I reminded her that when she chose to sit at the table she gave up a few things, one of which was the "privilege" of yelling at the officials.

However, I wasn't ready for what happened at a game about 3 weeks ago. About 3-4 minutes into the first quarter, her daughter fell to the floor, with no foul call made. Convinced that her daughter could not possibly have fallen without being pushed, she yells across the floor to the official about the no call. As her daughter is a little slow to get up and get back down the floor, the mother then turns to our bench and starts yelling for the coach to call a timeout. For whatever reason, the coach does call a timeout. As the nearer official comes to the table to report the timeout, our scorer gets up and walks across the floor to the far baseline where the official is standing that she felt should have called a foul and proceeds to let him know exactly what she thinks about his no call. I quickly located the AD and motioned for him to come to the table, where I informed him that the lady on the floor berating the official was his official scorer. Needless to say, he quickly intervened and escorted her out of the gym and she did not return to the table the rest of the season!

You have to wonder what goes through a person's mind when they do something that stupid. I can't imagine how her daughter must have felt, watching!

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by kwv001

I am a former Indiana high school basketball official that had to give up officiating about 10 years ago because of a job change that had a travel schedule that was too unpredictable to commit to a basketball schedule. Now that I don't travel as much, I am seriously considering "coming out of retirement" and beginning to officiate again next season. I enjoy reading many of the discussions on this forum, and they have made me realize how much I miss being involved in the game. This topic, concerning table behavior in particular, caught my attention because of something I witnessed this season at one of my daughter's freshman games.

I have volunteered my time at my daughter's school the past three years as the official timer for their home games. As a fomer official I certainly understand the concept of the table officials being an extension of the night's crew, but the mother that kept the book for our team this season had a problem with that. There were a couple of times early in the season when she was pretty vocal in disagreeing with a call that had been made, and I reminded her that when she chose to sit at the table she gave up a few things, one of which was the "privilege" of yelling at the officials.

However, I wasn't ready for what happened at a game about 3 weeks ago. About 3-4 minutes into the first quarter, her daughter fell to the floor, with no foul call made. Convinced that her daughter could not possibly have fallen without being pushed, she yells across the floor to the official about the no call. As her daughter is a little slow to get up and get back down the floor, the mother then turns to our bench and starts yelling for the coach to call a timeout. For whatever reason, the coach does call a timeout. As the nearer official comes to the table to report the timeout, our scorer gets up and walks across the floor to the far baseline where the official is standing that she felt should have called a foul and proceeds to let him know exactly what she thinks about his no call. I quickly located the AD and motioned for him to come to the table, where I informed him that the lady on the floor berating the official was his official scorer. Needless to say, he quickly intervened and escorted her out of the gym and she did not return to the table the rest of the season!

You have to wonder what goes through a person's mind when they do something that stupid. I can't imagine how her daughter must have felt, watching!

I can give you a pretty good idea based on something that happened to one of our football officials in a Pop Warner game, kids were around age 11-12. One of the team moms on the sideline keeping track of how many plays each player was in the game got after an official pretty good, accusing him of being unfair and all that. This happened sometime in the first half of the game. At halftime, as the kids were leaving the field, the officials were talking to some of the players asking them how it seemed to be going, and the kids were fine with everything. Then, one kid came up to the official that had been ragged on by the mom and said, "And Ref, I'd like to apologize for my mom's actions." If I was a parent and heard my child had made a statement like that, I would be completely and utterly embarassed.

[Indy_Ref]

Originally Posted by IREFU2

I had a situation last night at my AA Girls First Round. The games was progressing at a good rate, we let them play and called what we needed to call. I noticed that when a foul was called on the home team, the bookkeeper would go nuts. Well to make a long story short, I called a travel on the home team and he starts beating the table with his fists. I stopped the game and went to him and told him that there will be no more of those kind of reaction to our calls or I would have him replaced. Needless to say, the next dead ball, he said he was sorry and it wont happen again. Has anybody else had such dealing and if so, how did you handle the situation?

This has happened to me 3 times. First time, several years ago, I did NOT know what to do. Had no clue! Talked to some vets about it and became clear on just what must be done the next time. That was 6 years ago. Fast-forward to last summer...in a varsity boys' summer league, a father was sitting at the bench keeping the book. He got into it with an opposing coach. I removed him right away. No more problems!

Last Thursday, this happened in the first quarter of my game. As I was hustling up from lead to report a foul on the home team, I stopped in my reporting area and see the timer shaking his head. I calmly walk up to him and tell that he is on my team tonight. If he didn't want to be impartial, I'd replace him immediately. I hesitately slightly and said, "Do you want to stay?" He said he did, so, I calmly walked back to the reporting area and said, "White...21.....here"...and we played on.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by Indy_Ref

I calmly walked back to the reporting area and said, "White...21.....here"...and we played on.

"here"? WHat was that part of the report for?

[Chess Ref]

My generic table sitch is one that usually occurs in about 1/2 my games. Home Team Mommys running the table.

Pre-game everybody likes Mike. Lots of smiles all around. Chatting Mike up. How bout that weather. Need anything we will take care of it.

The Home team losing by 5. A little cooling off but still some minor pleasantries.

The Home team down by 10. The fun and games are over. Just blind stares at me when I come over to check that everything adds up.

The Home team down by 20. Just piercing eyes looking at me like I am the worst person they have ever come in contact with. It always amuses me how the table withdraws its love from me when their team is losing.....

Had an ***'t coach try a fast one at the table last night. I'm lead. Foul on home team. basket counts. Shooting one. i report, visitors ask me to check the score. I check with home-scores good. I check with visitors scorer-scores good. I report to head coach both books agree. In the background Visitors ***'t coach is talking to Visitors scorer. i see her then write something in her book. then she starts waving her hands and yelling that score is wrong. I then tell home coach what transpired behind him as we were talking. Head coach then turns and starts barking at ***'t Coach. gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.....

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Chess Ref

I report, visitors ask me to check the score. I check with home-scores good. I check with visitors scorer-scores good. I report to head coach both books agree.

Did you charge the visitors with a 60-second time-out?