Player A fouls player B...Official reports foul on player D. This happened in my game on Saturday. My best player just so happens was player A. Somehow the official got mixed up and gave the foul to someone away from the ball, which was fine by me. However the official scorekeeper tried to correct the official by saying "didnt you mean player A." My question is is this legal? Can a scorekeeper try to influence an in game official to change a call??

The official scorekeeper is part of our team. I have no problem with what that official scorekeeper did. He/she wasn't trying to influence an official, just trying to help them get the right call. I wish all scorekeepers were that alert.

As a coach who is teaching his players sportsmanship as well basketball, I'd think you'd want the officiating team to get it right. I KNOW you'd want to get it right if the other team's best player had fouled and the officials gave it to a different player.

Z

[Edited by zebraman on Dec 14th, 2005 at 10:53 AM]

I don't know about influence him to change his call, but the scorekeeper is part of the team of officials and if he has a question, nothing wrong with asking.

However, if he asks more than once, we might have a problem we need to address, but that's part of the effort to get it correct.

At least the scorekeeper is paying attention. (g)

Thanks
David

There's nothing the matter with the scorer trying to get the book <b>right</b>. You're confusing your coaching side with your officiating side now, Nate. Would you feel the same way if the official mistakenly gave that foul to your best player? Somehow, I don't think so.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jurassic Referee

Quote:

Originally posted by Nate1224hoops Player A fouls player B...Official reports foul on player D. This happened in my game on Saturday. My best player just so happens was player A. Somehow the official got mixed up and gave the foul to someone away from the ball, which was fine by me. However the official scorekeeper tried to correct the official by saying "didnt you mean player A." My question is is this legal? Can a scorekeeper try to influence an in game official to change a call??

There's nothing the matter with the scorer trying to get the book <b>right</b>. You're confusing your coaching side with your officiating side now, Nate. Would you feel the same way if the official mistakenly gave that foul to your best player? Somehow, I don't think so. [/QUOTE

I think your mistaken. I have no problem with them getting the call right. I was simply wondering if this was a legal action taken by the official scorekeeper. If its legal then its cool by me. Your right about if the call went against my best and he/she wasnt around then I would want it changed. The official in the game did not change his call...not sure why. If the action taken by the scorekeeper is legal then by all mean I think the call should have been corrected.

Is there a possibility the reason the official didn't change the call was because there really was a call away from the ball? Is there a chance you (and the scorekeeper) were watching the ball and just assumed the contact you saw on the play was why the official was blowing the whistle?

Ooooo... Socratic questioning. Pulling out the big guns, are we?

Good question..that was my first instinct also. However, the official said that it was a "hacking foul on the elbow of the shooter." This would have ruled out everyone except the player we thought the foul should have been on.

For me, it depends on the rapport between the ref and the scorer. I've occasionally (discreetly) given "the look" or asked to 'double-check' a number - sometimes it's changed, sometimes it isn't.

If you've got a scorekeeper that is so on top of the game that they want to help you get something right, by all means use them.

I saw a situation Saturday night, observing a Boys JV game, before my games. L whistles a foul on B10. B10 had just committed his 4th foul approximately a minute earlier, and I immediately knew this was his 5th foul. So did the player, as he immediately headed up towrds mid-court in anticipation of his eminent DQ. Official forgot the number or something, and went to the other official to try and get some help. They glanced around the players around the key and came up with B15 for the foul, who the L then went and reported to the table. As a result of this fubar, B10 stayed in the game, and B15 ended up with his 4th foul.

A scorekeeper as described in the original sitch can be a very valuable asset in a situation like this.