Caught a few minutes of this on The Herd on my way to work this morning and found it relevant because we have this discussion often, in regards to blowouts in high school football...

 

A new rule in Connecticut does not allow a team to win by more than 50 points, unless the coach wants to suffer a suspension.. Score one for the "just take a knee for the last two quarters" group.

 

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-hsrule0525.artmay25,0,6520354.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

That may be the DUMBEST thing I have ever seen enacted. They refuse to allow a running clock in the second half because they say it will limit the amount of time reserves get to play but with this rule they say when the reserves are in there they can't play all out.

 

That's ludicrous.

Caught a few minutes of this on The Herd on my way to work this morning and found it relevant because we have this discussion often, in regards to blowouts in high school football...

 

A new rule in Connecticut does not allow a team to win by more than 50 points, unless the coach wants to suffer a suspension.. Score one for the "just take a knee for the last two quarters" group.

 

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-hsrule0525.artmay25,0,6520354.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

 

 

That's absolutely ridiculous. Probably worried about the kids self esteem again. How about this, instead of worry about their self esteem, lets have the losing coach teach his kids a little life lesson: life's hard. Whether you go to college or directly into the workforce, you are entering into unrestricted competition. No fellow college student is going to cut you any slack as he or she tries to get the best grades in order to get into graduate school. No fellow employee is going to cut you any slack as he or she competes with you to get that promotion or pay raise. Don't worry about whether the other coach is teaching his kids how to be gracious in how they win. That his and their problem. Your problem is seeing how you respond to adversity. If you don't like getting your posteriors whipped, get mad about it and work harder. Every day of this offseason, I want you to remember how you felt getting beat by 60 points. Every moment of the offseason I want you to remember how you felt getting embarrassed by that team that beat you by 60 points. I commit to you that we as coaches will work harder, that the administration will be more committed to our program and in return I want you commit to us that you will work harder. Not only for the first week of offseason, not only during the season, but every waking moment until you get the opportunity to prove yourself to not only the other team, but to youselves and your family. Now get at it.

 

If the kids don't respond to that, its sort of like what

I call a truth teller. If they can't or won't respond to that, then I think it provides some pretty good insight into their character.

Any Connecticut high school football coach who runs up the score in a game now runs the risk of being suspended.

 

The football committee of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, the state board that governs high school sports, has adopted a "score management" policy to keep teams from winning by more than 50 points.

 

The rout is considered an unsportsmanlike infraction and, beginning this fall, the head coach of the offending team will be disqualified from coaching the next game

 

Thoughts?

 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/05/24/connecticut_group_flags_high_school_routs/

This is awful this should not be a rule. I believe that not running up a score is ethical but it shouldnt be a rule.

First let me say that I have been on both sides of this. This is ridiculous! In the early 90's we used to get our butts kicked by Danville like 79 to zip. We didn't cry about it, we didn't say they ran the score up, it was Danville they were that good and we couldn't stop them. What if your worst players can't help but to keep scoring? Are you going to tell me that the coach will be forced to punt on first so he doesn't score? How does this help the kids that never see the field on Friday night? This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

First let me say that I have been on both sides of this. This is ridiculous! In the early 90's we used to get our butts kicked by Danville like 79 to zip. We didn't cry about it, we didn't say they ran the score up, it was Danville they were that good and we couldn't stop them.

 

:thumb: Don't cry. Suck it up and play harder. A little humility builds character.

Blowouts are part of sports. That is just the way it is.

I can't say what I really think of this for risk of being bannished. I hope the brains of the KHSAA don't see this.

This would stink. But I think Coach Beatty would be OK with missing a game or two if it was worth it. :sssh:

Good. I have more time to rant about this now. First let me say:madman: :madman: :mad: :fight: :fight: :fight: :madman: .....:irked:

 

Now, that's out of the way and I can unclench my teeth a bit, what are we trying to teach kids? "Don't give your best effort"? Its alright if you don't want to work hard and get better because you can't lose by too much"? Someone tell me what the point of this is.

 

I'm no fan of running up the score for the sake of doing so, but if a lesser team can't compete and keep it respectible, so be it. I've found that if one team runs the score up on another team that is trying to build a program the right way, the table will turn over time. Let history sort that out. As for the kids, what hurts worse, a 40 point loss or a 2 point loss? Losing is losing. I've been on the down side of some blow outs. I've even been angry when I felt the other team was throwing it up just to run it up. However, I would have been utterly embarrassed for the other coach to have his team take a knee in the third quarter to keep from getting a penalty or suspension. That looks awful for the losing team. For the same reason I hate the running clock. I'd rather have my team play the full game and try to do something positive in the second half so they can built on it.

 

This mentality that the "powers that be" have to take care of the underdogs is destroying our culture. Want to know why Johnny can't read? Its because many school districts refuse require teachers to give work the grade it merits. Failure is suposed to be painful. That is how we learn.

 

Let the game be decided on the field in accordance with the rules of competition.

Here's my personal story of why I think this is a bogus rule.

 

1977 I was a freshman on the sidelines for Boyle County as the #1 in A Harrodsburg Pioneers beat us mercilessly 60-0. It was a game where they got on a roll and every mistake became a TD. In fact Gus Parks scored four times and each time he slid into the End Zone on his knees holding the ball out and pointing a #1 finger to rub it in.

 

That same Boyle team regrouped and went on to upset then #1 AAA Danville in the final regular season game of Chris Jones' All-American career. That win gave the Rebels the District Title on the old points system and put us in the playoffs for the first time ever. The squad lost to a talented Corbin squad in the Regional Finals but finished 8-4.

 

The Harrodsburg game stuck in the crawl of us Freshmen. For the next three years we not only beat the Pioneers but shut them out by scores of 17-0, 6-0 and 27-0. It made us work harder and give more. (not to mention hate Harrodsburg more. At least back then.)

 

 

In case you haven't figured it out, I don't like the rule.

Thanks Hatz, I think that is a good object lesson.

In all my years as a player and a coach (going on a total of 40 years now)

I honestly believe I learned more life lessons from those times I got my face kicked in. I remember those signifigant big wins (state championships in HS, Conference and playoffs in College) but havent forgot a single one where I got my fanny royally kicked and my feelings hurt. What a dumb rule, hope I never ever have to deal with it.

Here's a scenario that will end this rule:

 

Team A goes up at halftime 49-0. Coach puts in subs.

 

Subs are told to essentially take a knee. Ohh, the excitement for those boys.

 

Now Team B has it 4th and long from their own 10. Center snaps the ball over the punter's head and it rolls out of the end zone for a safety. Uh oh. Its 51-0.

 

Now Coach A tells his boys "don't tackle the kickoff returner - let them score". So, the kickoff team does the Fosbury Flop and the kid scores an unearned TD. Oh, think how excited he must be to score a TD where no one tried to tackle him.

 

Its now 51-7 so Coach A is safe. Team B has the ball and is trying to score again and throws a pass into the flat. 4th team OLB Kenny Jones sees an INT and nothing but green grass between him and getting his name in the paper. He's off to the house. He COULD GO ALL THE WAY! But , NOOOOO, he's tackled at the 5 - BY HIS OWN PLAYER. Kenny's mom smacks the coach's wife and we've got mass hysteria going on in the stands. Call the POLICE.

 

Is this what Friday Nights is about in Connecticut?