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Ohio Football Topic
Topic: OT: OHSAA adopts "Mercy Rule"
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Robert Fox
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Robert Fox
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Posted: 5/25/2014 9:00 PM
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L.C. wrote:expand_more
That's a tough call, Robert. If I were the coach, I probably wouldn't have called the fake punt, but I see his point. If he had punted, the other team might have run numerous passing plays, and the game might have gone on much longer. The way he did it, the game ended quickly, and he didn't try to score after that.

Exactly. It is a tough call, and over the months, I've come to appreciate what the opposing coach was doing. Even now, though, I don't think I would make that same call. The perception is that you are kicking a dog when its down. If he punts, the worst that was going to happen would be he gives up a TD. Now there's probably less than 20 seconds on the clock, and he's down 52-20. Still no danger of losing the game. In that situation, I think you punt and let the other team attempt to finish the game with dignity. As it was, we felt gut punched. 

 
UpSan Bobcat
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Posted: 5/25/2014 10:58 PM
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Robert Fox wrote:expand_more
That's a tough call, Robert. If I were the coach, I probably wouldn't have called the fake punt, but I see his point. If he had punted, the other team might have run numerous passing plays, and the game might have gone on much longer. The way he did it, the game ended quickly, and he didn't try to score after that.

Exactly. It is a tough call, and over the months, I've come to appreciate what the opposing coach was doing. Even now, though, I don't think I would make that same call. The perception is that you are kicking a dog when its down. If he punts, the worst that was going to happen would be he gives up a TD. Now there's probably less than 20 seconds on the clock, and he's down 52-20. Still no danger of losing the game. In that situation, I think you punt and let the other team attempt to finish the game with dignity. As it was, we felt gut punched. 

 


The fake punt was too much. If you're going to go for it, just go for it. Everyone understands you're not going for it to run the score up. It's just the most efficient way to end the game quickly. If the losing team gets the ball back, most coaches in that situation will use a simple run play to end the game. Either way, the game is over as quickly as possible.
L.C.
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Posted: 5/25/2014 11:45 PM
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I would agree, that's a better call. It's straightforward, and just another step to the goal of running the clock out.
DXer
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Posted: 5/26/2014 12:28 AM
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I don't understand the repeated cry about safety of the players. If a team is up by 30 points the first team is no longer in the game anyway, or they shouldn't be. So it isn't like the first team is continuing to beat up the other team. They are now on the bench. The underclassmen subs are now playing the game. Which should be a better matchup for the losing team.

The main thing is that the running clock robs the second and third string players of playing time. Is the game only about first teamers? Doesn't the second and third team squads work hard at practice, too? If they get a chance to play, they should be given it. And they shouldn't be limited to just running the ball up the middle, either. If the other team can't even stop the other team's third string, then the folks who scheduled such a mismatch are the ones to blame.

Also, this isn't baseball. In football the starters can re-enter the game. So if a team is up by 30 points and the other team starts a comeback against the subs and cuts the lead to 16, the first team can certainly go back in the game. So there isn't anything to worry about that putting in the subs might cost you the game.

And yes, if the team is up by 30 at halftime, the starters do not need to be in there to start the second half. The second team should surely start the second half.

Let 'em play the game normally.
L.C.
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Posted: 5/26/2014 11:46 AM
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DXer wrote:expand_more
I don't understand the repeated cry about safety of the players. If a team is up by 30 points the first team is no longer in the game anyway, or they shouldn't be. So it isn't like the first team is continuing to beat up the other team. They are now on the bench. The underclassmen subs are now playing the game. Which should be a better matchup for the losing team......

The safety issue comes up because this is high school, not college. As a result, as mentioned about, sometimes the mismatches involve quantity as well as quality. If the dominant team has 80 players, and the other has 20, fresh  third stringers may still dominate the tired players, so it would continue to be a mismatch, and injuries often happen when you are tired. If the game is competitive, that's one thing, but risking injury in a non-competitive game is another.

DXer wrote:expand_more
...If the other team can't even stop the other team's third string, then the folks who scheduled such a mismatch are the ones to blame.

...and that was the point of the other rule change this year, trying to move some schools into more appropriate classes, so that there would be less mismatches in the first place. In my mind, that's where the real problem lies, and its a better and easier fix. I have ambivalence about the change in this thread, but none at all about the need to get schools in proper classes so that the gross mismatches are prevented in the first place.
Last Edited: 5/26/2014 11:49:19 AM by L.C.
UpSan Bobcat
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Posted: 5/27/2014 11:17 AM
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I'm not sure some people understand just how mismatched some games are. There are games where the second string guys go in and continue to dominate the opponent. And then the third string, too, even with ultra-conservative play-calling. And it's not as if these match-ups really can be avoided; they often are league games. In particular, there are a handful of teams that simply can't compete with much of anyone. A big problem, as has been noted, as some of these schools have no depth with only 20 or even less players. We've had a couple teams around here that have discontinued their seasons because they've run out of healthy players.
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