Did you notice this scratch immediately after playing the record or did you pull it out to play a second time, and then notice it?
If the later, it could also be that when you put the record away after the first playing, that the paper sleeve scuffed the record.
(That is one of the reasons for discarding every $^#%@$ paper sleeve that the cheaper record companies use. Another reason being that paper leaves behind paper residue, whereas plastic coated sleeves do not.)
Other than that, Doug is correct that if the stylus did not leave the groove, and run across the record, that it could not have scratched the record, and you must have done it some other way. (Is it possible that you did not notice it on first playing?) (Another remote possibility is that the tonearm leads are hanging down low enough to drag across the grooves, which would be very unusual as well.)
Good Luck solving your mystery!
If the later, it could also be that when you put the record away after the first playing, that the paper sleeve scuffed the record.
(That is one of the reasons for discarding every $^#%@$ paper sleeve that the cheaper record companies use. Another reason being that paper leaves behind paper residue, whereas plastic coated sleeves do not.)
Other than that, Doug is correct that if the stylus did not leave the groove, and run across the record, that it could not have scratched the record, and you must have done it some other way. (Is it possible that you did not notice it on first playing?) (Another remote possibility is that the tonearm leads are hanging down low enough to drag across the grooves, which would be very unusual as well.)
Good Luck solving your mystery!