Illegal Numbers ...
 

3. Illegal numbers.

For some reason this was a point of emphasis in the Catholic middle school league that I officiated in this past winter. Sure enough, I discovered a number six before the season was over. I had the same team twice. Both times the coach didn't want to give up his right to stand, so he had one player play the first half, and then, after informing the officials, and the scorekeeper (I also informed the opposing coach, even though, surprisingly, it's not required by rule), he had the "first half" player switch jerseys with the illegally numbered jersey player at halftime so that the previously illegally numbered player could now legally play in the second half, now with a legal number, with no penalty, other than one player, a different one each half, having to sit on the bench for that half. Man? There had to be an easier, better way to explain this?

Rid ® ...
 

Don't encourage me. It's a nit. It really didn't have to be picked. Everyone doesn't have obsessive compulsive disorder, just a few of us, and we should often just be ignored.

I guess I see what you are saying, but I see no advantage to doing it that way instead of waiting to check the official book. I do see an advantage to making sure the official book is correct, and avoiding a potential delay if there is a clerical error which could have been corrected before the start of play. Granted, if a number is transferred wrong, it wouldn't have mattered when it was done as we only count player numbers instead of comparing each players number to what is in the book. To each their own, I guess.

All officials want to do is make sure the information has been submitted. You can always comply with the rule without a T after it is in the book.

If you do not see the purpose that is fine, but that is why it is done that way by many. There is no penalty if the information was properly given. And it could matter if a number is wrong if the official scorer tells you they gave you the wrong number was put in the book. At least you can go back and review in a dispute of the information. But there are other issues than numbers and names. That is why I ask the coach to verify the information so that they can catch any problem.

The bottom line, we do not want to give an unwarranted T.

Peace

On that, we're in agreement. Book T's aren't good. Especially avoidable ones. I'll admit that I don't have the coaches sign the book, but many officials I work with do. I may have to consider doing that this upcoming season.

I probably saved myself 5 technical fouls this year by doing that in every game. Either I saved a coach from making a silly change or they told me a kid was not listed that was playing. Mostly coaches would cross off someone, but that was their thing, not something I required of course.

Peace

I'm confused. How detailed are you checking the book? What T are you going to catch that I'm going to miss?

The only advantage is the fact that there's really no reason to look in the book if it's completed after the 10:00 mark.

I'm not going to catch any "T"'s that you'd miss, but I would prevent a potential game stoppage if there was an error on transferring information. For example, a submitted roster has 12 players but the official book only writes down 11 players. 12th player comes into the game, horn sounds because this player isn't in the book and we have to deal with making the correction. I would have matched the official book to the players on the floor and this stoppage would not have occured. I'll admit these situations would be rare, and honestly don't think it's a big deal. I will still say however, that I don't see any advantage to not checking the official book instead of the submitted rosters.