Book leaves the table
 

BktBallRef's post about a timer trying to argue with him reminded me of something that happened to me a week ago.

VG game. At the end of the first halves, the teams are exiting the gym, and we are waiting for the teams to leave so that we can leave. As we're standing there, V's Head Coach calls my partner over to the table, and informs him that the official scorer has left the table and the official book is gone with her. We find AD, and AD finds the score keeper, who has taken the book with her to the concession stand to get a snack.

After discussion at half time, none of us knew of any penalty associated with the book NOT staying at the table, but also realized that this severely compromised the potential accuracy of the book. With that said, we came out early from half, and had the home and visiting scorebooks confer, and they both determined that they had all the same information. Our plan had been that if they differed, the guest book would have to become the official book, since the official book is required to stay at the table at all times. So home book remained the official book, and everything was fine.

As we're clearing up the last of it and I'm about to leave the table, the visiting scorekeeper says, "Hey ref, you know that's supposed to be a technical." I said, "No, it's not!" Scorekeeper says, "I don't know about that, I'm going to have to Google it on my phone...but don't worry, I won't do it during the game. I already got in trouble earlier this year for being on my phone while scorekeeping." I couldn't help but chuckle at that one.

So, did we get it right? Is there a different way you would have handled this?

This is off of INSTRUCTIONS TO AND DUTIES OF THE SCORER
FOR BASKETBALL GAMES

DURING INTERMISSIONS:
1. Either the official scorer or a delegated assistant must be at the
scorer’s table with the official scorebook at all times.

Response from the Kiddie Section
 

Understanding I'm not authority on the subject -- after all, I'm only a registered floor official -- I offer this casebook citation, the only relevant ruling germaine to the question:

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)

The parenthetical rulebook references included above don't appreciably add anything beyond what the casebook says.

Good "no call". But I hope you gave that table official a good talkin' to.

I also hope you gave this person a good talking to. The book is never to leave the table-my least experienced high school student Junior Varsity scorekeeper knows this!

Hmmm. Might have been a good idea to go ahead and appoint the V book as the official book and talk to the AD. She would have learned her lesson that way.

Yes, you handled it appropriately. There's no penalty unless you find there has been some type of unsporting conduct.

There is a penalty in certain parts of Nevada. It involves beheading along with the "T" iirc.