NFHS rules only requires 2 ball runners per game and that is all that is needed if they do their job. Club games don't have any, they get their own. You really think it is more important to have a JV player stand around for 2 hours to save a few seconds in your varsity game than get home on a school night?

Most club games the parents/siblings sit 3 yards off the touch line blocking most of the balls from rolling to far away. Same on the other side of the field, the players on the bench grab the balls. Sure time is wasted when the ball goes high or wide of goal but a good club ref will add time if it is excessive.

Most HS games don't have the parents sitting close to the field and the bench players are used to the ball runners, so they never make an attempt to get the ball.

Personally I never had a problem with my kids having to take their turn being a ball person as a freshman, part of being an underclassman. And since the HS game is more controlled by the very visible game clock (yea I know in NKY the ref has the official clock, they are still influenced by the game clock) the ball runners help keep the run of play going. Would hate to see any school do away with the ball runners.

My point was 2 is plenty. Most high school fields are fenced in. With 9 home games, every JV player covers 1 game. Someone suggested having 6 (3 per side). That is just plain excessive for a high school game. They don't need a player standing there 10 feet away to hand them a ball, they can get their own if it is close and the ball person is there when it goes too far.

My point was 2 is plenty. Most high school fields are fenced in. With 9 home games, every JV player covers 1 game. Someone suggested having 6 (3 per side). That is just plain excessive for a high school game. They don't need a player standing there 10 feet away to hand them a ball, they can get their own if it is close and the ball person is there when it goes too far.

Agreed though SK would be one where they need more in my opinion. That end of the field with the huge hill is annoying. Why hasn't a net been strung to stop that problem?

Good point bothways. I don't think the ball runner should be the one retrieving balls that are out of sight over a hill. That is also excessive and above their responsibility. When they are doing that, they are not doing their job and thus the home school is violating the rule of having 2 ball runners. Extra balls should be provided to the ball runner and the home school should have to send a person (bench player) to go over the hill to get those.