New Mercy Rule Idea

[obagain]

I had a thought about the mercy rule. How about if when one team gets up by say 45 points, thereafter any scores they make such as touchdown or extra point or whatever will count one point each. If the losing team, whose points remain normal makes a comeback and pulls within the 45 points, then the winning team's scores will revert back to the regular points until they regain their 45 point advantage. Here's what I think this would accomplish. First the scores shouldn't get too far out of hand. Second with the game going a full four quarters, the fans will get their money's worth instead of getting a half a game for their money. Third perhaps more kids will get in some more playing time and any player who has the potential to make it into the record books (rushing yards, TD passes, etc.) will get more playing time. I've heard it said "Look at (insert name here) had all those yards, passes, or whatever and only played two quarters most games. And lastly people have asked why 6-man games are never televised like the 11 man championships and it was said that they couldn't predict the time needed. Well this should solve that situation. What does anyone think?

I would rather see if a team gets up by 30 the td is only 2 points and extra 1.
If you get to 45 it’s over.
If a team is down 45 the game is over anyway.
This would keep both teams in it, at least for a while.

 

[VI-MAN]

I think its fine the way it is and probably will never change, but it is a fun conversation. How about when a team gets up by 45 the team losing gets to add 2 players and go 8 vs 6

 

[Texlonghorn75]

If a game is being played and it is a lopsided affair, why does the second stringers on both teams get shorted an opportunity to play?? It's an opportunity to play in front of family and friends and helps to develop their talent too. It appears that those heroes of yesteryear can't deal with new ideas to expand the sixman sport and this would be an expansion. More players get to play regardless of how the concept is implemented but a few brave souls need to make it happen, even if it is just a post-game scrimmage of the second teamers. They are already in uniform, why Not? The coach is being paid to coach, let him coach another ten to fifteen minutes. The bus ride home will be the same distance.

 

[SixManNewb]

I think the mercy rule needs to be addressed…just not sure how. I wouldn’t mind 70 @ half or later and 45 after 3 quarters. My son has graduated but he routinely only got to play 1 quarter because the games were so lopsided. His coach would bench the starters after 3-4 possessions. There are plenty of coaches who play their starters until half regardless of score. Personally I think the starters have earned that right. There were games where JV kids (who played the night before) would play more snaps than the varsity kids, which is insanity.

 

[ModeratorMike]

There were games where JV kids (who played the night before) would play more snaps than the varsity kids, which is insanity.

If this is true, I'm pretty sure this school is violating UIL rules. Unless I misunderstand the rules, if a kid participates in a football game (even if they don't get to play), they must wait five days before they can participate in another game.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not at a place where I can look up the rule right now. I'm just commenting on what I believe I've read before.

 

[C. La Transviejo]

If this is true, I'm pretty sure this school is violating UIL rules. Unless I misunderstand the rules, if a kid participates in a football game (even if they don't get to play), they must wait five days before they can participate in another game.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not at a place where I can look up the rule right now. I'm just commenting on what I believe I've read before.

Correct

 

[SixManNewb]

If this is true, I'm pretty sure this school is violating UIL rules. Unless I misunderstand the rules, if a kid participates in a football game (even if they don't get to play), they must wait five days before they can participate in another game.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not at a place where I can look up the rule right now. I'm just commenting on what I believe I've read before.

Not UIL. TAPPS. Kids can play 6 quarters per week.

 

[C. La Transviejo]

If a game is being played and it is a lopsided affair, why does the second stringers on both teams get shorted an opportunity to play?? It's an opportunity to play in front of family and friends and helps to develop their talent too. It appears that those heroes of yesteryear can't deal with new ideas to expand the sixman sport and this would be an expansion. More players get to play regardless of how the concept is implemented but a few brave souls need to make it happen, even if it is just a post-game scrimmage of the second teamers. They are already in uniform, why Not? The coach is being paid to coach, let him coach another ten to fifteen minutes. The bus ride home will be the same distance.

If the JV played a game, then you only have A-team players. It doesn’t matter much where you play them, they are still good. And about the second teamers, I watched a game on Friday night where they played starting in the last of the first quarter, and all of the second quarter and won by close to 70. If there had been a JV game on Thursday, it might have been a hundred.

 

[Bulldog'88]

If this is true, I'm pretty sure this school is violating UIL rules. Unless I misunderstand the rules, if a kid participates in a football game (even if they don't get to play), they must wait five days before they can participate in another game.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not at a place where I can look up the rule right now. I'm just commenting on what I believe I've read before.

I took it to be the JV players during their game the night before got more snaps than the Varsity does on Friday night.

 

[ModeratorMike]

I took it to be the JV players during their game the night before got more snaps than the Varsity does on Friday night.

If I only read the part that I quoted, you're right, it does sound like that. When I read the post in its entirety, though, I take it to mean the JV kids were playing in both games and getting more playing time in the varsity games than the starters, who ended up getting benched early in the game.

Either way, though, what I said doesn't apply to his situation anyways because he was talking about a TAPPS school, which has different rules than UIL schools. One of these days I'll remember that.

 

[ZeroRisk]

I don't have an issue with the 45-point mercy rule as it exists. As an official, changing the scoring rules in the middle of the game (with the potential of them reverting to the original scoring rules thereafter) sounds like a nightmare. I'm sure we would get used to it, but I don't see any world in which this would gain traction with the powers that be.

I would like see the UIL adopt the TAPPS mercy rule for both 6 and 11-man football:

VII. Mercy Rule - 11 Man Football

A. In the event the score differential of an 11 MAN FOOTBALL contest reaches 40 or more points, the following provisions are to be implemented.​

B. First half timekeeping will not be affected.​

C. After half time, once the 40 point differential is reached, the Clock will run continuously except for the following stoppages:​

1. Time Outs​

2. Quarter End​

3. Injury Time Outs​

D. Once the Continuous Clock has begun, timekeeping does not revert back to normal procedures even if the point differential is reduced to below 40 points.​

E. Applies to all contests involving two TAPPS schools​

The clock keeps running, even during tries and setting up for free kicks. At 10-minute quarters, that's going to fly by, and everyone gets a little more time for some playing time or snaps without it being so long it becomes a risk of injuries. I think it's the best solution across the board.

 

[gameofsix]

I do agree clock should just run when 45 point differential is reached at or after half. Throw another wrinkle in, the top two scorers for the winning team have to sit out as long as there is a 45 point difference or more for the rest of the game. This would help curb those idiot coaches that just love to turn the screws on weaker teams.

 

[VI-MAN]

I do agree clock should just run when 45 point differential is reached at or after half. Throw another wrinkle in, the top two scorers for the winning team have to sit out as long as there is a 45 point difference or more for the rest of the game. This would help curb those idiot coaches that just love to turn the screws on weaker teams.

You can’t punish players because they are good!!! They have put in the work and earned the reward.

 

[Jones26]

We played in NM earlier this season, and their mercy rule was: if you get up by 35 at any point in the game, there is a running clock. Any time a team is ahead by 50 after half time, it is over.

 

[SimplyPut]

Why would anyone want to fix something that ain’t broke? Most teams have been on the top and the bottom end of that 45 points at some time or another. Programs rise, programs fall. Well some just idle along and that’s ok too!

 

[Texlonghorn75]

Tweaking the mercy rule to allow seldom played players to get an opportunity to perform isn't about fixing something that ain't broke, it's about improving what we have. Looking at all the blowout games played last night, how on earth does it hurt to allow the second teamers to scrimmage the opposing teams second teamers for a third quarter? Our basketball teams, baseball teams and volleyball teams don't appear to have a mercy rule. Our track teams don't go home early when they win the first race either. It's all about the opportunity of our teenage boys getting more chances to play in the short four years they get in high school.

 

[VI-MAN]

Tweaking the mercy rule to allow seldom played players to get an opportunity to perform isn't about fixing something that ain't broke, it's about improving what we have. Looking at all the blowout games played last night, how on earth does it hurt to allow the second teamers to scrimmage the opposing teams second teamers for a third quarter? Our basketball teams, baseball teams and volleyball teams don't appear to have a mercy rule. Our track teams don't go home early when they win the first race either. It's all about the opportunity of our teenage boys getting more chances to play in the short four years they get in high school.

If a team has that many kids not playing shouldn’t they have a jv?

 

[TAPPSfan]

Someone please give us the finer details of the 2002 Calvert/Sanderson State Championship game.
The basics of the story are: Sanderson goes in at half one score away from sending Calvert home by mercy rule, only to loose the game. Strange things happen...

Sanderson's best player (Paul Green) was concussed in the second quarter and never returned. Had he played on, Calvert would have been 45'd in the 3rd quarter.

 

[SimplyPut]

Tweaking the mercy rule to allow seldom played players to get an opportunity to perform isn't about fixing something that ain't broke, it's about improving what we have. Looking at all the blowout games played last night, how on earth does it hurt to allow the second teamers to scrimmage the opposing teams second teamers for a third quarter? Our basketball teams, baseball teams and volleyball teams don't appear to have a mercy rule. Our track teams don't go home early when they win the first race either. It's all about the opportunity of our teenage boys getting more chances to play in the short four years they get in high school.

Well anything new has to have a beginning. Take it up with your school board and reach out to other teams in your district. Once you get it going if it’s successful I’m sure the entire State would follow the lead. Good luck sir. By the way, does the 10 run rule after so many innings not apply to UIL baseball anymore. Seriously I don’t know…been awhile. Volleyball kinda of does have a mercy rule built in doesn’t it? Isn’t it best of 3 or 5? Really don’t remember that either. Was thinking it used to be best of so many games and if you lost first couple it ends.

 

[C. LaTransviejo]

If a game is being played and it is a lopsided affair, why does the second stringers on both teams get shorted an opportunity to play?? It's an opportunity to play in front of family and friends and helps to develop their talent too. It appears that those heroes of yesteryear can't deal with new ideas to expand the sixman sport and this would be an expansion. More players get to play regardless of how the concept is implemented but a few brave souls need to make it happen, even if it is just a post-game scrimmage of the second teamers. They are already in uniform, why Not? The coach is being paid to coach, let him coach another ten to fifteen minutes. The bus ride home will be the same distance.

When we have enough players for two teams we play a JV schedule. But it is either played on Thursday or before the varsity game, not afterwards.