Table Instructions
 

How much instruction to you give to the official scorekeeper and/or timekeeper prior to a game? How much does the level of the contest play into it?

Level to me doesn't matter-the game in front of me as a scorer is the most important.the crew I work with for home games is one of the more accomplished in our area so usually they don't go over anything with us.

When I did a sophomore game before a varsity game, I knew I was in good hands. The Saturday morning freshman games though....oof.

I think it depends more on the experience level of the table crew.

I had a 9th grade girls game at the start of the month where the timer was a veteran and the scorer has been there for years. So, there wasn't much of a need to give them detailed instructions.

In my next to last game (JV Boys), the timer admitted he was brand new, so my partner worked with him a little bit on when to start/stop the clock. There were a few times where this timer didn't blow the horn for subs. After the first time we missed one, I made more of an effort to look for waiting subs whenever possible to make sure they got in. But once the game progressed, he improved.

Virtually all the H.S. games I work have kids doing everything so I have a set speech for every game. The speech is extended for girls' games or any AA games because they use the shot clock. I'm guaranteed to have at least one game every season where the shot-clock operator has never done it before. Good times.

Here it is considered unacceptable to have a kid on either clock but acceptable to have a kid on the book.One school in the league uses all kids on JV and they did not have a clue.Going to be brought up at the league administrator's meeting.Luckily the offending school had the football coach run the board for varsity so there weren't any issues at all but I have never been that frustrated at a table ever.

I am fine with kids doing everything at some levels. As long as they are experienced (or willing to listen to instruction) and don't text during the game, I do not see a problem. I had a 7th grader working the clock tonight, and he was texting. The clock started late so many times I considered removing him.

Part of the speech to the table includes my 3 "rules":

1. Try not to cheer. I know you have friends out there but cheering takes your mind off what you're doing.
2. No food or drink at the table. If something spills it's not going to be pretty.
3. The only electronic device I want to see at the table is...and I point to the game clock (and the shot clock, if needed).

Since I lay it out at the beginning the kids don't protest...much.

Unless someone indicates they're new:

"This is the same thing you hear every night. Look up when we come to report, otherwise we get lonely. Slow us down if we're going too fast. Let us know as soon as you think you might have a problem so we don't have to figure it out with 1 second left in the 4th. Thanks."

Hopefully, this covers the important points while acknowledging they're smart and have been doing this for a good long while. I usually can get a laugh with the lonely line.

"Let me know if any problems come up."

We never have high school kids working the table around here, not even in JH games. You may get some inexperienced adults in some JH games, but at least they're adults. On JV/V nights, I very rarely have problems with the table crew at all. The schools around here do a good job of finding good people.

Prob live just down the street
 

:DSame guys every game? Nice home court advantage.

sorry letemplay-I meant that the table crew at our school is one of the more accomplished in our area and officials tell us one of the best.

*I am the official scorer for JV Girls,Varsity Girls,and Varsity Boys (A student does JV boys and if not available I step in and handle it)

*Our Vice Principal of Academics handles the game clock,scoreboard,and pre-game announcements.

*Our Vice Principal of Athletics (who serves as the AD,boys volleyball,and golf coach) runs the shot clock.

We have worked together as a crew since the 2005-2006 season :D

I give two basic instructions to a timer no matter the crew:

(1) We want a second horn in every situation, even if the teams are back on the floor and ready prior to the expiration of the timeout -- the timer should just give a manual second horn in that situation because we *will* wait for it.

(2) A reminder that the first horn for a sub for DQ, injury, or blood (provided we start the clock) is at 5 seconds and that the second horn is only to be given in that situation if I ask for it manually.

Perhaps it's a bit idiosyncratic, but (1) is a common request around here and (2) is a way I can try to avoid a needless technical foul but still have the horn if the coach is being a jerk and needs one.

The Eagle Has Flown The Coop ...
 

Better than the Eagle?