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.

Ditto

Also when players start going less than full speed, that's when injuries happen more often.

Most ridiculous thing of all time.

If you are going to go this far, why not go all the way. Mercy rule. Get up by 50, game is called you win. This is done in some other sports. This way no reserves get to play. The losing team is probably more embarressed and the fans get ripped off. Practically the same as taking a knee for half the game.

This is stupid. I have been in games where we were winning by 36 with 5 mins. left and the other coach kept passing. We intercepted the ball twice for TD's. Now 36-0 is not running up the score. But because their coach wanted to score so badly he had his player keep throwing the ball which lead to many interceptions and defensive TD's--not our fault.

What a ridiculous rule. Don't folks realize that it's MUCH more humiliating to lose 49-0 with the winning team taking a knee the entire second half than it is to lose 51-0 legitimately?

 

Sounds like someone hit the nail on the head with this quote near the end of the article:

 

"You look at all the other states, we're one of the weakest when it comes to football."

They've made themselves laughingstocks. Imagine being the team that is down 51-0 & watching the other team give the bullfighter defense on the ensuing kickoff to avoid a suspension...how humiliating. When the margin gets to 50 or wahtever score is so offensive, just run the clock.

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

 

If you are the team getting beat then run the ball and then run the ball more. If you wait until the play clock is down to 1 then you will be able to eat some some major time.

If you are going to go this far, why not go all the way. Mercy rule. Get up by 50, game is called you win. This is done in some other sports. This way no reserves get to play. The losing team is probably more embarressed and the fans get ripped off. Practically the same as taking a knee for half the game.

 

Great point. I don't agree with setting a specific margin for suspension. With that being said, if a coach is up 50 and still has the starters in trying to run up the score which sometimes does occur, those coaches should be dealt with, preferably by their own principals or school administrators.

 

But most coaches don't try to run up the score and shouldn't be punished for having a very good football team, including subs who know what to do.

Is this what Friday Nights is about in Connecticut?

A bunch of "Darn" Yankees.

 

 

I hate to admit being one myself - I don't want to be associated with these folks.

"You look at all the other states, we're one of the weakest when it comes to football."

Not to mention brain-power.

I have been on both ends of the spectrum. Remember I think it was Lou Holtz said, "The have the option of stopping us."

I have been on both ends of the spectrum. Remember I think it was Lou Holtz said, "The have the option of stopping us."

 

In fairness to the situation, I realize there are situations when teams third and fourth stringers are just simply better than the other team's starters. But, you do not tell these kids to just go lay down; I do not think the team on the losing end would want the wimpy treatment either.

 

This rule is to general and cannot be covered by every situation. If a team feels like they have been wrongly blown-out, send the tape to the governing body and let them make a decision (depending on how many subs were in, were they running up the middle, etc.).

 

We have created a society where we do not want to hurt little Billy's feelings becaue he may be troubled for life from a demoralizing loss.

Yeah i saw this story on ESPN 2 this morn.

That is the most ignorant thing i have ver heard.

What if your way up, you put all your backups and underclassmen in, and they still hold the other team and still score on the other team. Do high school coaches need to start giving their players a crash course in being quitters at the end of every practice so they can save there own butt?

There's only one way to describe this new rule:

 

LEGALIZED POINT SHAVING

 

You don't want to get beat bad? Play defense.

 

Or adopt the rule some states have: If one team is up 35 points or more at halftime or after, the game is over and we're all going home.