Who are the table officials, and what does each one do?

Question

Accepted Answer

Under the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2026 (Art. 46 to 51), the table officials are a scorer, an assistant scorer, a timer and a shot clock operator. A commissioner, if appointed, sits between the scorer and the timer and supervises the table. The table officials must be uniformly dressed.

Official	Main duties
Scorer	Keeps the scoresheet: players who start and who enter; the running score; every foul against players and the head coach; time-outs; the head coach's challenge (where replay is used). Operates the alternating possession arrow. Tells a referee immediately when a player or head coach should be disqualified.
Assistant scorer	Operates the scoreboard and helps the scorer and timer. If the scoreboard and scoresheet disagree and it can't be resolved, the scoresheet takes precedence.
Timer	Runs the game clock and a stopwatch for time-outs and intervals. Raises the player foul markers and the GD marker. Operates the team foul markers. Tells a referee as soon as a player has 5 fouls. Signals substitutions and time-outs.
Shot clock operator	Starts, stops, resets (to 24 or 14) and switches off the shot clock.

Errors: if you spot an error on the scoresheet during the game, wait for the first dead ball before sounding the signal. The scorer then consults the crew chief. Only errors within the correctable-error limits of Art. 45 can be fixed. Otherwise the crew chief or commissioner reports it to the organising body.

At the end of the game, all table officials sign the scoresheet, before the referees.