The intent of the shooter is often known only to the shooter so though it probably shouldn't be, deciding a shot was a defensive shot is very subjective. Ultimately, if the score keeper thinks it's a safety, then it is.
Playing in NTC a few years ago I was keeping score and sitting directly across the table from the other teams scorekeeper. Every time our player missed she marked a defensive shot offering up her reasoning as, "he could have made that shot". So I went back and marked a safe for every inning for their player, she got pissed. "What are you doing?" she asked. "All those shots your player missed were makeable shots"
Yeah, yeah, yeah, two wrongs.... and all that stuff, but what did I care, I was never going to see these people ever again. We argued, I refused to budge.
People have asked me if my shot was a defense what I have began to say is if you think it was one then feel free to mark it down as one.
I think that after saying something like if the shooter wasn't trying to play offense (or make a shot) then he was playing defense and expecting score keepers to go by that. there are additional things that a score keeper must be able to evaluate on the spot. There are several elements to a defensive that the score keeper should be able to recognize. Like did the shooter "really" try to not make a ball? Was the intent to leave the incoming shooter in a bad spot? Was any advantage gained (or if the shot was properly executed) by the shooter? I'm sure there are more. As it is now, marking defensive shots is pretty much subjective and left to the discretion of the score keeper.
Playing in NTC a few years ago I was keeping score and sitting directly across the table from the other teams scorekeeper. Every time our player missed she marked a defensive shot offering up her reasoning as, "he could have made that shot". So I went back and marked a safe for every inning for their player, she got pissed. "What are you doing?" she asked. "All those shots your player missed were makeable shots"
Yeah, yeah, yeah, two wrongs.... and all that stuff, but what did I care, I was never going to see these people ever again. We argued, I refused to budge.
People have asked me if my shot was a defense what I have began to say is if you think it was one then feel free to mark it down as one.
I think that after saying something like if the shooter wasn't trying to play offense (or make a shot) then he was playing defense and expecting score keepers to go by that. there are additional things that a score keeper must be able to evaluate on the spot. There are several elements to a defensive that the score keeper should be able to recognize. Like did the shooter "really" try to not make a ball? Was the intent to leave the incoming shooter in a bad spot? Was any advantage gained (or if the shot was properly executed) by the shooter? I'm sure there are more. As it is now, marking defensive shots is pretty much subjective and left to the discretion of the score keeper.
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