Pressing when up by 25 points

Something in the girl's forum made me think of this and I heard a fan yell something at a game a few days ago. If a team is up by 25 points in the middle of the 3rd quarter, is it wrong for them to press?

At this particular game, the losing team is still subbing, working the refs, and pressing after a made basket. In my mind, because of these things, the other team is still trying to win and it is okay for the team in the lead to press.

In my career, there have been times when I was down by 20 points in the third and came back to pull within a few possessions. In my mind, if I'm down 25 in the third, I think I can still come back.

What do you think about this topic or what the magic number or time is to stop pressing?

Middle of the 3rd quarter. Absolutely fine. Middle of the 4th? Nope.

If I am the losing coach, I have no problem with the winning team continuing to press. It is more time for my team to get better at beating the press.

In these "being a good sport" situations, a winning team continuing to play hard does not bother me. What can bother me is how the winning team and players handle the situation. If the players on the winning team start going overboard in their enthusiasm, gloating and generally doing things that feel like they are rubbing it in, then I think they are being unsportsmanlike.

I think anything goes in the first half. However, after halftime, I think it depends on the teams that are involved. There are some games where a team down by 25 in the middle of the third quarter has the potential to come back and win. In those games, I have no problem with the team in the lead pressing in the third quarter. However, there are other games where I don't think it is appropriate. I have seen a lot of games involving teams with a wide disparity in talent. Once the better team gets ahead by 25 points, no one in the gym believes the other team (often a much smaller school) has a realistic chance of coming back to win the game. Most of the time, the team that is leading does not press in the second half, although I have seen it. It always makes me cringe when I see it.

I have had some coaches say "that is just the way we play," which I find to be an unacceptable excuse. You do not have to always play that way. You have a choice of not playing that way, and you are affirmatively choosing to play that way against an inferior team.

Again, so long as the losing team has a realistic shot of making up the difference, anything goes. But there are some circumstances where I think it is bad form.

I have zero issues with a team pressing at any time of any game regardless of the score.

If there’s not a running clock (35pts) I have no problem with it.

Depends on who's playing to be honest. If Scott Co. is playing CovCath, then I have no problem with it as CovCath isn't "defenceless" and has enough talent to possibly get back in the game. Of course even then there may come a time when the game is in hand, then back off. Now, if Scott Co. is playing Sayre, and Sayre is obviously tremendously overmatched and can't compete, then back it off and pick up half court as continuing to press isn't doing anyone any favors.

This happened to me several years ago when I had essentially a freshman team playing varsity and we played an early season game and was completely overmatched. Team was up 50 something late in the game (no running clock then) still pressing with starters in. They got to 100 with about 1:30 left in the game, then pulled starters and quit pressing. Beat us something like 103-42. As we were shaking hands after the game, the head coach had the gall tell me he wasn't trying to run up the score. I just looked at him with cold daggers in my eyes and walked off without saying a word. If I had said something it probably wouldn't have been very nice.

If the losing team is still “competing” it’s totally ok. Also, if the winning team is playing the backups, it’s totally ok. You have to get those guys some experience too.

If the losing team is still “competing” it’s totally ok. Also, if the winning team is playing the backups, it’s totally ok. You have to get those guys some experience too.

Agreed.

If you stay in the business long enough, there will be a time for pay back.

I guess am I different than most on this. My nose almost never gets out of joint in a beat down unless the other team is reveling in my team's misery. I would actually prefer the other team keep competing hard. That is how a team gets better. It bugs me more when a winning team starts "taking it easy" and patronizing the losing team. I think people are way too sensitive and quick to jump on the winning team when they are getting their tail kicked.

There is a difference between "taking it easy" and dialing it back a bit against a much lessor team. You don't have to continue to press when up big, but you also don't have to pull back on a wide open layup should you get a steal either.

I’ve never been a fan of coaches who run up the score on inferior teams by pressing the hide off them and not subbing very often. This is usually done to pad the stats of some of their players at the expense of weaker competition. It’s a bad look in every aspect.

I guess am I different than most on this. My nose almost never gets out of joint in a beat down unless the other team is reveling in my team's misery. I would actually prefer the other team keep competing hard. That is how a team gets better. It bugs me more when a winning team starts "taking it easy" and patronizing the losing team. I think people are way too sensitive and quick to jump on the winning team when they are getting their tail kicked.

I agree as long as the other team is still competing.

I was very fortunate in my athletic career to have been on the winning side much more often than not.

I do recall a baseball game we played in Florida against a team from New York. We had a great ball team that year but we were simply outclassed against these guys.

After these guys got up 12 or so to 0 in the first couple of innings, they started stopping at first on balls hit in the gaps. They would stop at first on an obvious double or triple.

I understood why they were doing it. They were showing respect and trying not to embarrass us.It was still embarrassing and infuriating. I would have rather lost that game 100 to 0 than to be treated like a helpless victim.

I guess am I different than most on this. My nose almost never gets out of joint in a beat down unless the other team is reveling in my team's misery. I would actually prefer the other team keep competing hard. That is how a team gets better. It bugs me more when a winning team starts "taking it easy" and patronizing the losing team. I think people are way too sensitive and quick to jump on the winning team when they are getting their tail kicked.

VOR, have many more times than not agreed with you, and this question is in no way seeking your identity (Rules violation I definitely want to avoid); but, can you share what position your opinion might best be representing the most? i.e. active coach, inactive coach, parent of current team player, avid fan, or just an old-time ex of all of the above? I think many of these positions would feel quite differently and perhaps passionately about this subject.