Should We Have Fixed It?

[APG]

Put me in the camp of putting the foul on the correct player. I would think this is a 2-3 application...I don't think I could eat putting a foul on the wrong player...much less the WRONG TEAM.

If my assignor says I'm wrong (and feel like most wouldn't), then it's one I'd be willing to "bite."

[Rich1]

I am with those who say its within the "spirit" of the law to change the foul to the correct player on the correct team but it is not allwable to change anything else at that point. While there is nothing specific in the "letter" of the law that says you can (or can't) make this change, there are a few references in the rules which we can look to here:

2-1-2 makes the scorer a part of our crew. They are their to "assist" us during a game with tasks such as keeping score, tracking time-outs, and recording fouls.

2-11-11 says "a bookkeeping mistake may be corrected at any time". If we accept that the scorer is an extension of the crew then why/how the "bookkeeping mistake" was made does not set aside the fact that it can be corrected. If the official made an error causing a bookkeeping mistake it should be corrected.

2-3 gives us the authority to decide points not covered in the rules and since the specific situation of needing to correct giving a foul to the wrong player/team then it seems likely to apply.

For those who argue that we are prohibited from correcting this error because it is not one of the five errors listed in 2-10 it is important to note that it does not apply to this situation since it is specifically addressing an error resulting from "setting aside a rule" and is not addressing other errors.

Finally, according to the rule book we should not place a team or player at a disadvantage or allow an advantage not "intended by rule". Since there is no rule that says it can't be changed and the mistake will penalize the player/team as the game progresses (fouls out, bonus) then NOT correcting it would be a bigger mistake.

This is another situation that until I see a case play or a rule that tells me otherwise I am going to err on the side of making the correction to penalize the right pkayer/team.

[mutantducky]

of course you should get the right foul reported. I don't think it even should be a debate. Stop play and get it right.

[BryanV21]

Just to be clear... I would like nothing more than to be able to fix this error. But we have to do things by the book. So I'm just looking for solid reasoning for being able to fix things.

[Rich1]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

Just to be clear... I would like nothing more than to be able to fix this error. But we have to do things by the book. So I'm just looking for solid reasoning for being able to fix things.

I think I outlined enough solid reasoning for correcting this error. I'm not sure there is anything "in the book" that tells you how to do it "by the book". One of the truisms we toss around here a lot is that if its not illegal, then its legal. Seeing nothing in the rules that forbids fixing it, then it is reasonable to fix it.

Johnny d I watched college guys change a foul later when a partner brought information on which player (on the same team) was the actual fouler. Why would the same not be true for a foul changed from one team to another?

[Rob1968]

I've had occasion to correct the player number I had reported to the scorer, when I realized that I'd given it incorrectly. And over all the years and games I've officiated, I've had two inadvertent whistles. And I'm glad that I did the right thing by admitting and correcting my error(s).
I agree with those who've said that it has to be okay to do so, even though we consider the OP to be of greater import than an inadvertent whistle, or a case of reporting a foul on the wrong player of the same team.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

Just to be clear... I would like nothing more than to be able to fix this error. But we have to do things by the book. So I'm just looking for solid reasoning for being able to fix things.

That is the proper way to think about this.

Here is your rule support for fixing this.

2-11-11 "A bookkeeping mistake may be corrected at anytime until the referee approves the final score."

Now you must understanding that an official telling the scorer what to record is part of the recordkeeping process. If the official mistakenly says "blue 32" instead of "white 32", the wrong team is not stuck with a foul for the rest of the game. If the official mistakenly says "red 41" instead of red "14", the wrong player isn't stuck with the foul for the rest of the game. Furthermore, what if an official says "green 34" while indicating the numbers "3" and then "5" with his hand(s)? These are all simple mistakes that humans make. There is no intent under the rules to improperly penalize a team when an official says something wrong.

Your situation is no different. You correctly observed the foul and made the decision on the court regarding which player to penalize. You just got confused and messed up during the reporting process (and didn't the needed help from your partner). There is no rule which mandates that the reporting process is binding. You may fix the bookkeeping aspect of the game whenever necessary.

[BryanV21]

Thank you, guys. I really appreciate the help.

[walt]

+1 with Nevada

[billyu2]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

Thank you, guys. I really appreciate the help.

Bryan, I have a question about your mechanics at the spot of the foul. Did you move in toward the offender, state the jersey color and number and perhaps give a preliminary signal, or did you just go up with the fist and start to leave the area to report the foul?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by APG

Put me in the camp of putting the foul on the correct player. I would think this is a 2-3 application...I don't think I could eat putting a foul on the wrong player...much less the WRONG TEAM.

If my assignor says I'm wrong (and feel like most wouldn't), then it's one I'd be willing to "bite."

For the one time in a career that this might happen, I'd be willing to take the hit for getting this fixed. If it happens more than that, then my assigner is going to have other concerns.