Cell phones at the table

[brandan89]

I make it clear in my pre-game no matter what level ball that there will be no use of cell phone what so ever from the tabel crew. First time I see it, their out! Had it happen twice thus far this season.

[Jay R]

I did a game last night, guess what?

Men's small college exhbition, part of the goal is to train the table officials. Before the game, I recognize two of the three table officials so I chat mostly with the third guy who is going to be doing the shot clock. First question I ask. Have you done this before? Answer: "I know how to do it". I don't like it when they don't answer the question. He starts to go off about how much NBA basketball he watches. Great!!!! Finally his partner says shut up and listen to the man. So I give him my 2 minute shot clock review. Turns out he only screwed three time, not bad for his first game.

Hold on, there's more. We are ready to start the 2nd period when "NBA Guy" is on his cell. Before putting the ball in play, the whole crew is looking a him and all of a sudden he clues in. He says: "You can start I'm almost done". I said: "No we'll wait until until your finished". Never saw the cell phone after that.

On a different topic, we have a no cell phone policy at the school district where I work. No phones are to be "on" or seen at school. I go to a teacher in-service day last week with approximately 800 teachers in an auditorium. There had to be 40 or 50 teachers that I saw who were texting and about five cell phones that rang during the day. The younger teachers don't even seem to think that there is anything inappropriate about using your cell phone in that situation.

[rgncjn]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

The proper mechanic is to stand in the reporting area, blow the whistle, place your right hand near the side of your head with your thumb next to your ear and your pinky finger extended towards your mouth, and then say very loudly, "HELLO, scorekeeper, can you hear me now? I need to report a foul by Blue #21 for holding. Thank you."

Haha... I will remember this mechanic the next time I inconvenience a member of the table.

[buckrog64]

Ahh for the good old days before cell phones when scorekeepers were the teachers who were paid to be at the junior high games and every once in awhile you would go to report a foul and the scorekeeper would be deep in conversation with someone sitting two rows behind them. I get started this Thursday beginning with j-high and a I have no doubt that if it isn't a cell phone ringing, it'll be someone eating pizza or some such thing.

Anyone have trouble with cell phones ringing during free throws?
Can you hear me now?

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by buckrog64

Ahh for the good old days before cell phones when scorekeepers were the teachers who were paid to be at the junior high games

Ahh for the good old days before cell phones when scorekeepers were monks writing with quill pens, the basketballs were made from dinosaur hide, the baskets were used mostly to transport peaches and the games were played in caves.

Oh yeah, the uniform numbers were Egyptian hieroglyphics.

[JugglingReferee]

Might have told this story once already.

I'm working the shot clock at college. So B is playing tight defense and on one play, the B player tries to steal the ball and in that process, actually put his hand on the ball, twice consecutively, and each time pushed the ball to the floor. The ball was still in the “body space” of A though. There was no contact between A and B. I ruled that this is a change of possession and therefore, reset the shot clock. When A ended up with the ball, 2 seconds later, I reset again. The CC blew the play dead and came over to ask me about it. I told him what happened and he accepted the story.

[Mark Dexter]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Might have told this story once already.

I'm working the shot clock at college. So B is playing tight defense and on one play, the B player tries to steal the ball and in that process, actually put his hand on the ball, twice consecutively, and each time pushed the ball to the floor. The ball was still in the “body space” of A though. There was no contact between A and B. I ruled that this is a change of possession and therefore, reset the shot clock. When A ended up with the ball, 2 seconds later, I reset again. The CC blew the play dead and came over to ask me about it. I told him what happened and he accepted the story.

All while talking on a cell phone?

[dblref]

Originally Posted by Stat-Man

Rain-Maker: Thanks, you do have a point.

At this particular school, they use students as the home book (for the most part). That's why I referred to the official scorer as a student. I was trying to convey that someone other than me was doing the home book. Perhaps I could have been clearer in this regard.

###

Back to the original discussion, I won't disagree that the official game crew of the official scorer, timer, and even the shot clock operator, should give their undivided attention to the game (meaning no yapping on cell phones). Anyone else (visiting scorer, sports info. directors (SIDs), statisticians, media at an adjacent "press row") is not in an official role and as long as they aren't editorializing official's calls or creating an unignorable distraction, I don't think it's a big deal. At one of the schools in this particular league, the sports info guy comes and does computer stats for his team and he also serves as the league info director. So, he talks calls all night form the other schools with their scores while he's inputting the game stats (without missing a beat). I don't remember being distracted by his phone ringing, but perhaps he has his on vibrate.

I just think that an official telling him he has to leave the table for taking phone calls, when they are brief and don't seem to distract anyone is making more of a scene than the SID doing his job. But I guess in dblref's judgement, anyone using a cell phone or having a ringing one is subject to being asked to leave.

I guess we agree to disagree here.

If you are going to comment on my post, at least comment on what I actually said. I stated earlier that I had already warned the individual about using the cell phone, and it rang again just as the shooter was about to take the shot. Yes, it was a distraction -- to the shooter, to the officials, yada yada yada. That's why he was removed.

And you are absolutely correct. We agree to disagree. That's why they make more than one flavor of ice cream.

[Jimgolf]

Cell phones don't work in our gym. Too bad they can't bottle that up and sell it.

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by Jimgolf

Cell phones don't work in our gym. Too bad they can't bottle that up and sell it.

Ohhhh, just wait... I'm sure they are working on it. Along with the you make the call system. It's a system that let's the fans vote...popular vote wins and that's the call on the floor.

[loners4me]

just get one of these.


http://www.vxian.com/item/Cell_Phone_Jammer/292

[NathanRT]

I haven't really had a problem with cell phones, but last year I was working a JH girls game and had to tell the track coach who was doing the clock that the iPod headphones had to come out of hear ears during the game. She didn't have a clue why we wouldn't want her listening to music during the game but I never saw them again so all was good.

[Mark Padgett]

8th grade boys game, clock operator is the son of one of the coaches and is a senior in HS. During the game, he pulls out a paper bag and starts eating a sandwich. I go over to tell him to stop and he does. As I pass by his dad, he says to me, "That's normal - he's out to lunch most of the time anyway".

[SCalScoreKeeper]

I serve as the official scorekeeper for a small Christian high school in Southern California in two sports and they are volleyball (JV/Varisty Girls/Playoffs)and basketball (Var Girls & Boys, Tournaments, and Playoffs). I just completed my third season of volleyball and am entering my fourth year of basketball. As you can imagine this means I've logged hundreds of hours behind a scorers table and seen the way a lot of table officials behave. The worst problems I have ever seen is visiting scorekeepers wearing I-pods or talking on their cell phones. They do stop when the floor officials tell them to however.
In our basketball league we play all four teams (JV Girls, JV Boys, Var Girls, Var Boys) on the same night starting at 3:00! I show up early to avoid the traffic getting into school and supervise scorekeepers for the games I'm not responsible for.
Here are a list of things I look for when teaching and watching basketball scorkeepers:
A. Introduce yourself to the officiating crew- This sets the tone for your game together as friendly and professional!
B. NO DISTRACTIONS DURING YOUR GAME- This could mean anything from cell phones and I-PODS to significant others hanging around near the table. If you have to be on your phone please wait either until halftime or your game is over.
C. Signal- You have got to signal for 1 & 1, Double Bonus, and 5 fouls! I also signal the type of time out if it is not reported to floor officials and # remaining if late in the game.
D. Bench Interaction- Make sure you notify coaches when kids reach the following foul benchmarks: 2 quick fouls in first half, 3 fouls, 4 fouls, and 5 fouls. When you notify coaches of foul trouble make sure they are not talking with their players.
E. Book-
1. Fill in all pertinent pre-game information (Teams, Date, Site, Officials Names, Scorekeeper's Name, Players Names & Jersey Numbers)!
2. Put 3 full timeouts and 2 30's at the top of your book!
3. Write timeouts in correctly! (Find the period then write in the time remaining and separate it from type used by a dash.)
4. Running Score is marked and filled out correctly!
5. Quarters are totaled!
6. Fouls are marked correctly and any questions are asked immediately!
In my experience when student assistants know they are being watched the quality of their work is exemplary!

[dave30]

I wish there were more like you!