Don't mess with the scorekeeper!

[That Don Guy]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

There's a very little school about 90 minutes from my house that I've been to several times over the past few years. The coaches come and go, but the table crew has been the same for years. The principal runs the clock. And the scorekeeper, who is probably the secretary, is great.

I was there for my first HS games this year. Somewhere in the 4th quarter of the frosh game the scoreboard went off. I knew to within roughly a minute what the proper time should be, she had it to within 10 seconds because she had recorded the time of the last held ball.

Doesn't everybody? (Okay, I have a little more experience than most scorers - I did my high school's home varsity book for over 20 straight years, so I know what to expect from coaches - I always write down when held balls take place so if somebody thinks the arrow is pointing the wrong way, I can show them when the last held ball was and who got the ball because of it.)

Was there last Friday again. A couple minutes before the V game starts, she pulls out a current rule book. I start giving her the business about if she's got a rule book we're going to have to really be on our toes tonight.

I also made it a point to carry the rule book and case book - and even, on occasion, the NF Spirit (cheerleading) Rules, just in case one of the halftime routines tried something considered too dangerous to be allowed in competition (the last thing a high school needs is an accident followed by a lawsuit).

Was she wearing the "strongly recommended black and white striped shirt?" I tried that once, and got an earful from the officials (remember, the officials are "a referee and one or two umpires, assisted by the timer(s) and scorer(s)"). After that, I started wearing a rugby shirt with black and white horizontal stripes; I noted, "The book says to wear a black and white striped shirt; it says nothing about the direction of the stripes!"

She chuckles and tells us that an official in a recent game called a double foul, but said not to go with the AP arrow to resume play.

That brings up the main reason of this post. The official scorer is supposed to make sure the arrow is pointing in the right direction; what are the mechanics in a situation where a held ball is called, but there is a foul before the throw-in takes place (I know, it's "before the throw-in ends," but one of the unwritten rules I learned early on is, if it's close, switch the arrow)? Is the reporting official supposed to tell the scorer whether or not to switch the arrow? Is the scorer supposed to ask?

-- Don