Its tourney time in our Rec League. Had an interesting one. Thoughts?

Our "official scorekeeper" was very biased. He was a parent volunteer. Seemed he did know how to keep good books.

As the game intensified he was standing, sideline active, shouting player instructions, etc. right over the books.

Caught my attention however. He never challenged us and worked with both officials accordingly but - it just didn't "look" good in game manement. Ever happen in anyone "real" HS games to anyone? Advise?

I've been at a game where either the scoreboard operator or the official book keeper(Don't remember which) would shake the head disapprovingly when the official made a foul call that they didn't like. At halftime the official talked to game management and told him to have him stop or remove him from that position. This was HS boys varsity game.

One or the Other
 

Had it happen in a HS game once. My comment to the individual was, You can be an official scorekeeper or a fan, but you can't be both. Which one will it be?"
He decided to remain a scorekeeper and was fine the rest of the game.

I would respectfully give this gentleman two options: 1)Sit quietly at the table and work the book, or 2)find someone else to do the job and go sit in the stands to cheer. You can't do both.

I don't see this at high school games. I see either an experienced adult who does the job professionally or a student who does the job who can barely stay awake, much less, cheer for his school.

I did have an issue with a scorekeeper during a Varsity girls game several years ago. The visiting team scorekeeper was at the table. Her team was clearly outmatched from the beginning. About the midle of the first quarter it started: "That was the worst call I've ever seen", "That was terrible", etc.

On one occasion where I was administering a throw-in in front of the table, the gym was fairly quiet, I had my chance. I looked right at her and politely, but firmly instructed her that if she was at the table, she was a part of the officiating crew and to keep her comments to herself. Didn't hear any more from her the rest of the evening!

Public embarassment of the biased scorer/timer always seems to correct the problem. I've never had to replace a table official, but I've warned a few.

Try being in a small village(AK) where you are flown in and out. Real Situation!

My partner goes to table to report foul on A1, Scorekeeper looks at official and shakes his head NO. My partner comes over to me and said do you remember who the foul was on, I indicate A1's number, Partner goes back over to table tells score keeper foul on A1. Score keeper shakes head NO again. Partner comes back over to me, we both go up to scorekeeper and he tells us we are obviously wrong. Realizing our situation and our health for the next day and a half before we can leave. My partner signals A3's number and scorekeeper shake head yes.

We note this to the region....this was not the first time this had happened. Village was put on Probation for 2 years.

AK ref SE

Really?
 

The WHOLE VILLAGE was put on probation for a doof at the score table? How did that work? :-)

I tossed a visiting book person once. We're talking freshman girls here. The home score person was new, 14 or 15 years old, and scared to death. But no one else had applied for the job, so here she was. AD came to me way ahead of time and talked about how this girl was new, and was only going to do freshman this year, but wanted to move up as she was able. I tried to be encouraging and supportive, showed her a few hints, and promised to work with her, and give her plenty of leeway. Her best friend in similar situation was going to do the clock.

Visiting book person was a crotchety old geezer with an attitude. He started in on her about 2 minutes into the game. By the end of the first quarter, she was in tears and ready to quit. The AD was in the other gym. Visiting coach was no help at all. I warned the guy that he was disposable, and he'd better back off and leave her alone. But by half-time it was hopeless. He went to find the "refs in the other gym so they could straighten out this mess." My partner and I rounded up the AD, who didn't let this guy back into our gym. Visiting coach couldn't understand why we were so upset about it all. But I assured her that she wasn't going to win this battle, and she'd be well advised to find a different book person from here on out. This in a game that she won by 35 points.

About 10 years ago in a rec game, I ejected an 8th grader for using that word that starts with "f" and ends in "uck" and it's not "firetruck".

When I went to report it, the scorekeeper folded his arms across his chest and refused to write it in the book. He said the kid was his son and he knew his son would never say that.

This was a new one on me, but it didn't matter. That guy was off the table in record time.

The best thing to do is to pre-game with the official scorer, visitor scorer, and timer(s). Letting them know tonight what you expect from them, but letting them know thta tonight they are on your team. They are part of the officals and we need to have a professional attitude. Ever since I have done that, it sets the tone.

You told what word the player had used when you reported?

Re: One or the Other
 

That is probably the best way to handle it right there!!!!

Re: Really?
 

"It takes a village to cheat on a basketball game"

- African Proverb (oft spoken by Hillary Clinton...)

biased table
 

The official scorekeeper can not be biased, and if they are they should be removed from the table.

mplagrow-
It wasnt just the scorer, You have to understand where I live what can transpire, this and several other situation led to the school being suspended or put on probation.

AK ref SE

Jerry
I had the exact same thing hapen to me this year durring a double header. Between games I told game management that the scorekeeper needed to be replaced. After explaining the situation to the AD his response was "How 'bout if the guy just keeps his mouth shut?" Although "keeping his mouth shut" wasn't really the problem, I thought it cover the situation so I agreed that this would be acceptable and we had no further problems. This was JV/V games.

This happened to a friend of mine in a juco game that decided the conference championship. The book keeper was starting to complain a bit about calls going against the home team. My friend, in no uncertain terms, told him to straighten up or get out. He "straightened up" and finished the game at the table. The game ended in controversy as the home team had a basket disallowed at the buzzer and lost by one.

After the game, the rowdy crowd was not leaving, even after the officials had taken the time to shower and post game. My friend found the administrator for the home school and asked for an escort to their car. The administrator told him that normally the police would have no problem doing this......except for the fact that my friend had publically humiliated the chief of police who was keeping the book that night. :D

No - I just said the T was for unsportsmanlike conduct - profanity. I guess he believed his kid never swore.

Funny story...mickeymouse rec league. In order to save money, teams supply there own table crew. Quite often this is simply a player not dressed, or even one not playing at that time. This one guy had just dq'd himself with four fouls + a 1( we use time saving mechanics, and my partner just asked this guy what has # was...this guy said with a grin 27..i looked...17. I asked him what he said his number was...he said 17, checked with my partner..he said that he told him 27 .WHACK) So anyways, this kid then goes to sit at the table. i call a foul on his team..he starts lipping at me "are you sure ref" "I don't think you are sure" etc. SO i said this will stop, since he was still a player I blew the whistle, signaled a T and gave him the MLB heave-ho.

The league has since changed their rules that players can't keep score.

TR

Gee, did you feel good after all of this? A bit overdone on your part I'd say.

Excuse me? This guy was a jerk. He tried to deceive my partner. He lied to us. He was a jerk all game(all year for that matter). I talked this over with all of our superiors and they said I made the right call.

Yes, I did feel good about it. I also know now why I refuse to do rec games.

TR

You’re excused. Now let’s look at this step by step.

"Mickey Mouse rec league" - Did you go into the game with this attitude? If you did you were doing a disservice to the kids and the league that was paying you for the game. If you don’t go into every games you do like it is the state finales, or the Final 4, or the NBA finals then you are doing a disservice to the game of basketball in general”

“In order to save money, teams supply there own table crew” – Never seen a rec league that paid for help. They use either kids or parents. For that matter how many high schools don’t supply there own scorer?

“We use time saving mechanics, and my partner just asked this guy what has # was” – I don’t care what you call it, your partner was being lazy. To save even more time why don’t you just ask everyone who fouls to raise their hand, stop the play and report their number? It is the duty of an official to get the number. You do this by looking at the jersey! By asking what the number is, the situation was created by your partner.

“This guy said with a grin 27” – Well I was not there but if I was trying to deceive I would not have a grin on my face.

“He was a jerk all game (all year for that matter)” – And did you try game/player management with the kid at any time during the game, the year?

“He starts lipping at me "are you sure ref" "I don't think you are sure" – This one I’ll give you. I do have to ask if you gave him the stop sign first or did you just shoot the T?

“I also know now why I refuse to do rec games.” – IMHO - May be best for all involved.

I treat every game like it's an NCAA game taking place the last weekend in march. It is something I pride myself on. My mechanics never get lazy, and if it's a foul in the first quarter you can bet what you value the most i'm calling the same thing in the fourth. Every league I work(HS, and club teams) provide score keepers, all with some training. And for the record, these were not kids. They were grown adults, who seemed to enjoy acting like children.
This situation would not have happened under normal circumstances. but since these were not normal circumstances. This guy tried to avoid taking a foul because he knew he was going to foul out.
This character had been given the stop sign by myself. Do you know why we have the rule that says it's a technical foul to willingly shoot foul shots that aren't yours to shoot?I'm well aware of the fact my partner should have looked for his number, but the fact of the matter is he didn't. He screwed up, and he was reprimanded for it. My game management skills are where I'm told I excell, it's why I get assigned to the finals of tournaments. And then when he did foul out, he assaulted my integerity with a barrage of rude remarks, and your telling me I over reacted?
I was confident with my actions then and I still am now.

TR