Halftime Scorebook ...

[BillyMac]

Below was a local IAABO Refresher Exam question earlier this year.

The home (official) scorebook is taken to Team A’s locker room at halftime. The officials assess a technical foul to Team A. Is this correct?

I figured it to be a very simple question but was surprised (and embarrassed) that many in my Refresher Exam study group incorrectly agreed that the penalty was a technical foul.

2-11-11: … The official scorebook must remain at the scorer’s table throughout the game, including all intermissions.

2.11.11 SITUATION: Team A’s scorebook is the official scorebook for the game. Team A’s scorer is requested by Team A’s head coach to bring the scorebook to the locker room at halftime to review several pieces of information. RULING: Prohibited; the scorebook shall remain at the table throughout the game, including all intermissions. There is no specific penalty for removing the scorebook; however, if the officials believe the scorebook was removed as an unsporting act, it could be penalized accordingly. (10-1-8; 10-3-6; 10-4-1)

While I don't believe in jinxes, after forty-plus years of never having had this occur in a game (as far as I know), I had it occur twice in the past two weeks in my middle school games.

The first time I just happened to notice it missing.

Yesterday, we really needed it after the visitor scorer (who was oddly only keeping score for her team (not the home team) in her scorebook at her bench, not the table) and the scoreboard operator had a polite difference of opinion during halftime regarding the visitor score shown on the scoreboard.

It took several minutes to finally get the home (official) scorebook from the locker room, and then several more minutes to get everything straightened out (difference was a free throw that was wiped away by an offensive lane violation), which was made more difficult because neither scorer was recording any type of running score!

Both scorers were students (which I normally don't have a problem with), and the adult scoreboard operator was a first time scoreboard operator filling in for the regular adult scoreboard operator.

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, middle school games are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.