Scorebook/Scoreboard Error at End of Game

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Rule 2-11-4..."The scorer shall record the field goals made, the free throws made and missed, and keep a running summary of the points scored."

Rule 2-11-11...."If the mistake cannot be found, the referee shall accept the record of the OFFICIAL SCOREBOOK, unless he/she has knowledge which permits him/her to decide otherwise. If the discrepancy is in the score and the mistake is not resolved, the referee shall accept the progressive team totals of the OFFICIAL SCOREBOOK."

OFFICIAL SCOREBOOK!!!

If the scoreboard and the scorebook don't match at any time during the game, are you really advocating that we should accept the scoreboard?

Rule 5-3..."The winning team is the one which has accumulated the greater number of points when the game ends as in 2-2-4."

So, picture this. Scoreboard says team A leads by 1 in the last minute. During a time out, the referee checks to be sure that the book and the scoreboard agree and is assured that they do. A runs outs the clock and begins to celebrate. The officials leave the court. Scorer looks down, "Oh, silly me! I looked at the board wrong. B is actually up by one. I guess they win."

Is there a specific documented procedure for this situation?

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by just another ref

So, picture this. Scoreboard says team A leads by 1 in the last minute. During a time out, the referee checks to be sure that the book and the scoreboard agree and is assured that they do. A runs outs the clock and begins to celebrate. The officials leave the court. Scorer looks down, "Oh, silly me! I looked at the board wrong. B is actually up by one. I guess they win."

Is there a specific documented procedure for this situation?

Yes.

They lose.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

Yes.

They lose.

Who loses?

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by just another ref

Who loses?

B

[Stat-Man]

As someone who has been a scorer since my grade school days, I'm amazed that the either or both scorers didn't check the scoreboard to make sure it was correct. If my running score doesn't agree with what's on the board, I'll check with the other scorer to see what he or she has as their score, and then proceed from there.

For me, this is especially true at MS or lower games where the home scorer may either be a kid or inexperienced parent. Then, I follow the rule on scorers more to a tee and ask questions such as "how many fouls on #14?" or "how many times out left does [team so and so] have now?"

If I'm the home scorer at these games, I make sure to verbalize the player scoring/fouling, who called what kind of time out, and end of quarter score and fouls. If halftime is long enough, I'll even review individual fouls. Sometimes, it doesn't stop discrepancies, but I'd rather try to be proactive than have someone wait until the last part of a game to claim some sort of book error that could have been taken care of with preventive scorekeeping.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by just another ref

So, picture this. Scoreboard says team A leads by 1 in the last minute. During a time out, the referee checks to be sure that the book and the scoreboard agree and is assured that they do. A runs outs the clock and begins to celebrate. The officials leave the court. Scorer looks down, "Oh, silly me! I looked at the board wrong. B is actually up by one. I guess they win."

Is there a specific documented procedure for this situation?

I was wondering when anyone ever looks at the book, if there's no reason. I mean, seriously what if the wrong score shows up in the paper? That's still not official, I know, but does anyone really actually look at the book? Routinely?

[Mark Dexter]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

I was wondering when anyone ever looks at the book, if there's no reason. I mean, seriously what if the wrong score shows up in the paper? That's still not official, I know, but does anyone really actually look at the book? Routinely?

Not sure if anyone ever does go back and look in the book, but I always mark the final score in ink just in case. I also constantly check the scores in the last few minutes of any game and will signal the R with a "thumbs up" after the horn if everything matches.

Hopefully the scorer learned from this. I've (thankfully) always been lucky enough to only have my errors occur with plenty of time left on the clock.

[JoeTheRef]

Originally Posted by just another ref

So, picture this. Scoreboard says team A leads by 1 in the last minute. During a time out, the referee checks to be sure that the book and the scoreboard agree and is assured that they do. A runs outs the clock and begins to celebrate. The officials leave the court. Scorer looks down, "Oh, silly me! I looked at the board wrong. B is actually up by one. I guess they win."

Is there a specific documented procedure for this situation?

When I ask my scorer during a timeout "is the official scorebook correct", and that person says yes, then I'm fine and we go with the book. The visiting team has a scorer as well, and by rule, the official scorer MUST compare with the visiting scorer after each goal, foul timouts and at the end of each quarter and extra period and to notify the referee immediately if any discrepancy. So if the board is incorrect and the book is correct, and I ask the table loud enough so both the visitor and official scorer hears me, is the book ok and I get a thumbs up or a nod of approval from the official scorer, I'm gone. So in your scenario, Team A loses.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by JoeTheRef

When I ask my scorer during a timeout "is the official scorebook correct", and that person says yes, then I'm fine and we go with the book. The visiting team has a scorer as well, and by rule, the official scorer MUST compare with the visiting scorer after each goal, foul timouts and at the end of each quarter and extra period and to notify the referee immediately if any discrepancy. So if the board is incorrect and the book is correct, and I ask the table loud enough so both the visitor and official scorer hears me, is the book ok and I get a thumbs up or a nod of approval from the official scorer, I'm gone. So in your scenario, Team A loses.

That's what I always thought, but with all this reference to accepting the score from the official book when there is a discrepancy set me to wondering. I see that 2-11-11 refers to resolving a difference between books, and has nothing to do with the scoreboard. As Snaqwells asked, is the scoreboard even mentioned in the books? Referee's duties include approving the final score. What exactly does approval consist of? Officials who are satisfied that everything is ok routinely run off the floor immediately when the final buzzer sounds, do they not? This way we can avoid technical fouls for profanity and jersey removal and that sort of thing. So, for that matter, what if the scorer finds the mistake before the officials leave? The team which has successfully stalled out the final minute is then told, "Oops, scoring error. Y'all are behind by one instead of up by one. Sorry, you lose."
Would this not be the ultimate rip-off?

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by just another ref

So, for that matter, what if the scorer finds the mistake before the officials leave? The team which has successfully stalled out the final minute is then told, "Oops, scoring error. Y'all are behind by one instead of up by one. Sorry, you lose."
Would this not be the ultimate rip-off?

There's nothing anyone can do. If the losing team thinks it was done intentionally, then I suppose they could file a complaint. Otherwise, I think it's just too bad. But having a visiting book plus the home book and having them checking constantly with each other, and extrapolating that to include the scoreboard should prevent this sort of scenario.