Hi all,

Here's the situation we had in a recent game that uses NFHS rules...

Team B commits 7th team foul. Scorekeeper does not notify officials. Team A inbounds at spot nearest foul.

A couple minutes later, Team A commits shooting foul. While reporting the foul, the official is notified that the previous foul should have resulted in 1-and-1 for Team A.

How do we fix this situation? Any specific rule references?

Thanks,
Tim in Hollywood

It depends. What else happened between the error and the discovery? Where there any other violations or fouls during this time?

Read NF 2-10.

Or were there any made baskets?

This is a correctable error IF:

it is recognized by an official during the first dead ball after the clock has properly started. Rule 2-10 (Art 1,2)

In your situation, when Team A inbounds the ball on the throw-in, the clock starts. Then, something may happen to make the ball dead (violation, foul, scored hoop). This is the first dead ball after the clock has properly started. During THIS dead ball, the mistake has to be recognized in order for it to be corrected. If it is, the A player may take his one and one. Points scored, time consumed and additional activity are not nullified (failure to award merited free throw). If the ball has changed posession during the first live ball situation, the lane is cleared for the foul shot(s), then the ball is administered as a throw-in at the point of interruption. If there has been no change of team posession (Team A had ball the whole time), then line them up and play off the foul shot(s), as usual. If the mistake is not noticed, and the clock starts, then it is too late to make a correction.

The way you describe your play, the mistake was noticed "a couple minutes later." I would guess that it was probably too late. If so, Team A missed out. As fouls accumulate, ask the table, "How many team fouls does B have?" That way, YOU decide of it is the bonus, according to the answer.
Sometimes counting on the table (kids?) to know that seven means "bonus" is not reliable. They may tell you "bouns" when there are only six fouls, for example.

Casebook 2.10 gives many examples of correctable errors.
Simple, eh?

Importance of good pregame.
 

This is why you need a good pregame with the table. If you have a good pregame and discuss these possible situations, you can make them feel confrontable to tell you when a possible mistake can take place or ask them before a mistake is made. It is also important that you just ask the table when you feel you are getting close. Not all scoreboards will have the number of fouls on them, but you can make sure by asking. Good prevenative officiating can eliminate some of these problems. But we also are not the scorekeeper or timer. But this is also why both scorekeepers should sit together too.

Peace

Hi all,

Thanks for your responses. They are certainly appreciated!

Thanks again,
Tim in Hollywood

Re: Importance of good pregame.
 

Good point, JR. Avoiding the error altogether is certainly our objective. Better than having to figure out what to do (as in my previous post). However, answering these types of questions keeps my mind sharp!

Re: Importance of good pregame.
 

One idea that's been mentioned here before is to ask the table to let you know when you get to the 6th foul. That way you'll be ready to make the 1-1 call at the spot on the 7th foul.