2019 NFHS Questionnaire

[SD Referee]

Originally Posted by SC Official

The book doesn't have to be ready at 10 minutes. The teams only have to have provided their roster and designated their starters by the time. If the scorer is just slow in getting the info transferred it's not a technical foul.

This is why I don't understand why some officials are so anal about going over at 12ish minutes to "correct anything before you have to give a T." There is nothing that says you have to give a T if the official book isn't completely filled out at 10:00.

Unfortunately many officials just simply don't know the rule.

What if said officials are going over to make sure that the roster and 5 starters has been submitted to the scorer and they aren't necessarily checking the book? If you can go over around the 12 minute mark and check that, you can remind the coaches to submit their roster and 5 starters to the table by the 10 minute mark. However long it takes the scorer to transfer the information to the official book is irrelevant. By doing that, you are avoiding a T.

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by SD Referee

What if said officials are going over to make sure that the roster and 5 starters has been submitted to the scorer and they aren't necessarily checking the book? If you can go over around the 12 minute mark and check that, you can remind the coaches to submit their roster and 5 starters to the table by the 10 minute mark. However long it takes the scorer to transfer the information to the official book is irrelevant. By doing that, you are avoiding a T.

Perhaps but in my experience most R's are going over to sign the book, not to just make sure teams have submitted the required info. And many have the notion that the book must be ready at 10:00.

And for the record, I sign the book at 10:00 if it's ready, but if it's not I'm not standing over the scorer's shoulder waiting for him/her to get everything in.

[zm1283]

I usually go over between 11:00 and 12:00 to make sure both teams have submitted rosters with starters. Then I go back to sign it if the scorer has not finished copying everything in the book.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by zm1283

I usually go over between 11:00 and 12:00 to make sure both teams have submitted rosters with starters. Then I go back to sign it if the scorer has not finished copying everything in the book.

Why not sign it there when you there the first time? Your signature in the book has nothing to do with it being filled out. It is just identifying who the officials were for the game.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Why not sign it there when you there the first time? Your signature in the book has nothing to do with it being filled out. It is just identifying who the officials were for the game.

Different areas have different requirements and meanings on this.

I put a line after the last name and initial the line. Now, I can see if someone was added afterwards (recognizing that there might be a legitimate reason to do so). So, I need the book completed before I can do that.

[JRutledge]

The book just has to be ready when the game starts honestly. And if you requrire the book to be ready before then, you are putting that on people that might not be associated with the teams or have an interest to get the book done before that time. I have literally had scorebook people get up and not come back until a minute before game time and both teams submitted all their information. And in one case, the scorekeeper did not put any of the information in the book correctly, so we literally had several players from both teams not listed properly.

All I do is when the book is filled out, I have the coach sign off on the fact that all information is correct. Then if there is a mistake or they find something, they can have it corrected immediately without any penalty. I do this so that we do not have a player not listed or the wrong started listed and someone is claiming there should be a penalty. It also puts the responsibility on the coaches so that they cannot tell me later, "We gave them this list and they copied that list instead." This is especially true during tournaments where the host school or entity is not playing the game at hand.

For the record, I only sign the book when all of this is done. I do not want anyone claiming I saw something and allowed it to take place. Just another way to cover all the bases of the recording information.

Peace