Not sure what the "Gold Book" says; but the Rule and Case Books are mute on this specific issue.
I've seen this happen once - when a coach argued that the officials erred in the enforcement of a penalty in overtime. The Referee seemed unsure and, sadly, could not get agreement among the rest of the crew. So, they went to the rule book. Unfortunately, it took at least 15 minutes for someone to "run" to the officials car or locker room and get a rule book. After a review, the officials reversed their previous enforcement and got it right.
You could argue that getting it right is ultimately the goal; but, obviously, I'd prefer that someone on the crew know the rule and correct a mistake much more quickly. If you're not the R, you should know any rule that affects your positional responsibility; and be ready to step up if needed. Referees have the primary penalty enforcement responsibility; but the best Umpires I've known are, and should be, really good penalty enforcement guys.
If you're unsure, and get no help from your crew, going to the rule book is not expressly prohibited; so the interpretation is, while it looks like crap, it's allowable. Also, if you - or a crew member - are that uncomfortable about your rules knowledge, you might want to have someone carry a Rule Book onto the field.
