Texas "Common Sense

[Rulesman]

UIL needs to do a better job of district and class alignment. A strict daily attendance classification may no longer be practical. Fort Worth schools may have a 4A enrollment number but also might only have 25 total football players -- no JV and certainly no Freshman teams. Other schools not too far away have the numbers for 3 JV and 3 Freshman teams. That's AND.

That problem is not unique to the state of Texas.

[TXMike]

It is a tough enough job for them to juggle the travel distance issues when forming the Districts.  And on the field success is a cyclical thing.  A school might be tough one year and suck 2 years later so trying to use a "power rating" is a recipe for disaster.  No need for all that.  Just make the Districts like they normally do and put in a Mercy Rule that provides for a running clock.  (Not to the extent Doc wants, but a clock that runs after out of bounds plays, incomplete passes and 1st downs). 

[Etref]

We do not need a "mercy rule", IMHO,!

In all of the cases noted above, we as officials and they as coaches did the right thing and let the game continue,albeit with a quick or running clock.

[fencewire]

The reason a "clock mechanic adjustment" rule would be beneficial is that it would eliminate any confusion, discussion, disagreement, argument, consternation, or debate between players, coaches, officials, administrators, and fans about when and how the clock would be handled after the score reached a differential of X that would be consistent from crew to crew and chapter to chapter across the state.   Period.

[copedaddy]

agree with fencewire

[StudyingFutureZebra]

Does Texas have the running clock rule? Here in Michigan when I was coaching (and it may have changed), if the score differential was 35 points, the clock only stopped for TIPS-Timeouts, Injuries, Penalties, Scores. Basically the same timing rules as Arena Football. When it hit 40 points (and again, it may have changed) then the clock didn't stop for anything other than officials' timeouts.

[JasonTX]

Does Texas have the running clock rule? Here in Michigan when I was coaching (and it may have changed), if the score differential was 35 points, the clock only stopped for TIPS-Timeouts, Injuries, Penalties, Scores. Basically the same timing rules as Arena Football. When it hit 40 points (and again, it may have changed) then the clock didn't stop for anything other than officials' timeouts.

Not in UIL games.  In TAPPS 11 man games there is.

[Arbitrator]

Does Texas have the running clock rule? Here in Michigan when I was coaching (and it may have changed), if the score differential was 35 points, the clock only stopped for TIPS-Timeouts, Injuries, Penalties, Scores. Basically the same timing rules as Arena Football. When it hit 40 points (and again, it may have changed) then the clock didn't stop for anything other than officials' timeouts

 

In several UIL districts, the AD's will not hesitate to discreetly ask the R to run the clock at some given point in time, whenever the score is getting out of hand. Speeds up the game and greatly reduces the liklihood of fights breaking out!   

[blindref757]

I don't like the idea of a 40 second clock or a mercy rule.  Sometimes, a coach will get down 21 and ask that the clock be milked along and I'm usually happy to oblige him...especially in sub-varsity.  If we had a 40 point rule, I know there would be great gnashing of teeth by one team or the other.  If you do it discreetly, most coaches don't even know you are doing it.  They don't pay that much attention to us...especially in a game where the outcome is not in question.  A lot of times, we switch out balls in the 4th quarter regularly to delay the start of the 25 second clock.  If the winning coach doesn't pick up on it fairly quickly, my wings will tell the coach to pay attention to the pace.  A 40 second clock takes that out of our hands.

[TexDoc]

I don't like the idea of a 40 second clock or a mercy rule.  Sometimes, a coach will get down 21 and ask that the clock be milked along and I'm usually happy to oblige him...especially in sub-varsity.  If we had a 40 point rule, I know there would be great gnashing of teeth by one team or the other.  If you do it discreetly, most coaches don't even know you are doing it.  They don't pay that much attention to us...especially in a game where the outcome is not in question.  A lot of times, we switch out balls in the 4th quarter regularly to delay the start of the 25 second clock.  If the winning coach doesn't pick up on it fairly quickly, my wings will tell the coach to pay attention to the pace.  A 40 second clock takes that out of our hands.

No reason to swap out balls, just delay the ready when the clock is running.  I always wait at least 15 seconds from the dead ball whistle to the ready if the team is not up at the line wanting to hurry up.  I very few delays of game that way and it keeps the clock moving if teams are taking the full 40 seconds.