Scorebook appeal can’t be heard by GHSA

Holy Innocents’ has video evidence of error during loss.

Holy Innocents’ boys basketball coach Terry Kelly said this week his team’s loss to Swainsboro in the second round of the Class AA playoffs should be replayed in its entirety, or from the point of a scorekeeping error he believes occurred in the fourth quarter.

Short of that, Kelly believes the Georgia High School Association in the future should hire trained, neutral scorekeepers during state tournaments instead of volunteers from the home school.

This comes two days after Holy Innocents’ lost to Swainsboro 57-52 in overtime. Two videos taken by Holy Innocents’ fans show Swainsboro being awarded a 41st point on the scoreboard after missing a free throw with about 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The game wound up tied after regulation.

The Holy Innocents’ scorebook showed Swainsboro with 40 points at the time of the scoreboard change and trailing Holy Innocents’ by one point at the end of regulation, according to Kelly.

Kelly said he pointed out to the on-court officials what he believed to be an error seconds after the missed free throw, or at the time of the next dead ball.

The officials conferred with the scorekeeper. According to Kelly, the scorekeeper said the last awarded point came from a previous free throw and that her book matched the scoreboard — 41 points for Swainsboro.

“What we’re finding is that what is in the book is gospel, even though we had it differently,” Kell said. “We weren’t the official scorekeeper; the home team was.”

Holy Innocents’ appealed to the GHSA, but the protest could not be heard, per GHSA and national federation rules, according to Ernie Yarbrough, the GHSA’s head of basketball. Yarbrough said that a final score cannot be protested once officials sign the scorebook. Concerns about the score must be addressed and rectified before that. Video evidence is not relevant, Yarbrough said. National rules prohibit game officials and GHSA officials from considering video evidence during or after a contest.

“Once the official scorer is approved, that’s what it is,” Yarbrough said. “For officials to change it, they must have conclusive knowledge that the score is wrong. The officials said they were not aware that a scoring error had taken place.”

Kelly said he wished the GHSA would consider making scorekeepers a paid and official part of the officiating team. The GHSA hires three oncourt officials at a rate of $125 per official, per game.

“My recommendation would be to assign a fourth official (in charge of the scorebook) who’s neutral and trained,” Kelly said. “To me, that’s a no-brainer. For a state tournament, you’re putting the official book in the hands of someone who may or may not have the skills to handle a game like that.”

Kelly said he believed the scorekeeper in this game made an honest mistake.

“I am in no way saying that they cheated,” Kelly said. “I’m saying that there was a mistake that was made that either for the future has to be changed, or figure out a way to make this right, either replaying the game, or replaying from the 3-minute, 8-second mark. That’s the right thing to do.”

Kelly said his players took the loss as one might expect.

“They’re devastated,” Kelly said. “They were hoping reasonable adults would see this as an issue and correct it. To say they’re upset and disappointed is an understatement.”

Yarbrough said he hurt for the players but had no authority within the rules to change it.

“What’s bothered me all day is that there’s a group of kids that feel like somehow they were cheated, and that always bothers me,” Yarbrough said.

“I don’t want kids to feel that way. I want kids to feel like when people are in positions of authority, they’re doing everything they can for the right thing to be done. I think the game officials felt they did the right thing. The main thing people need to hear is that we can only do what we are allowed to do.”