91 points....

[fencewire]

We are all aware of the 45 point rule in 6 man, is there any place for the same sort of rule in 11 man?  I don't think so, but it could be something that starts being mentioned as folks start looking at that score.

The only think I would be in favor of is mandatory clock running after a certain point differential, except change of possession/penalties/etc..  many times this happens anyway, but then you have one coach wanting to run the clock, one wanting to get more subs playing time, and many times it is the losing team that wants to hurry along the game as fast as possible.     

[Joe Stack]

I think UIL should institute clock running rules for point differentials starting in the 3rd quarter. Takes the decision out of the hands of coaches on the field.

A problem I've encountered is the losing coach NOT wanting to run the clock. An attitude along the lines of "they need to take a beating to learn..." The other night we had a game out of hand -- 34-0 fairly early in the 3rd. After an injury about midway through the 3rd, the losing coach says "run it." We finished the game within 20 minutes and only one more score that was a bit of a fluke -- very short kick that no one knew where it landed except one player on receiving team! In other words, no one was throwing 30 yard passes.

I'd say a 50 point differential (for varsity; 40 for sub) at any time after the start of the third quarter, and 35 after the start of the 4th. Once clock starts running, it only stops on a timeout or a score and starts on the next ready for play (except try).

[TexDoc]

I had a 84 to 0 varsity game a few years back. The team scoring 84 was the eventual 3A champion that year and they ran the slot T better than I have ever seen. Half way throgh the 3rd I was winding the clock on everything even tries. The winning team was playing their third string but the losing team had just given up. They could not stop them. The winning coach, a class act, felt very bad but like he said, he could not ask his bench players to just quit. If a coach getting beat by 50 in the second half doesn't want to run the clock I think you can do some things to help the game along anyway.  But I would sure like to see a mercy rule of some kind, running the clock at least.  Nothing positive comes out of a score difference that big.

[blindref757]

TASO should submit a proposal to the UIL Legislative council.  Personally, I like what we have now...we can run the clock at our discretion and it is rare that anyone complains.  If the losing coach is an idiot, he can get 91 put up on him...but a smart coach would run it to the 1 and fumble forward into the endzone and out of bounds.  That way, he keeps the score down and doesn't allow the losing coach to make him look like a jerk.

[Coby]

I dont mind it so much in Varsity games.  It is blow outs in sub varsity that get under my skin.  Varsity coaches have a bit of class and understand the unwritten rules (damn I sound like a baseball ump).  These young coaches want to rub salt in the wounds on an 8th grade b game.

[copedaddy]

I don't know if it is true, but have heard that NFHS has such a rule in effect. If so, perhaps the UIL should look at that.

[Welpe]

I don't know if it is true, but have heard that NFHS has such a rule in effect. If so, perhaps the UIL should look at that.

The NFHS does not have a rule but many states have adopted their own.

[Arbitrator]

 

One of the old unwritten rules in "blowout prevention"[the non-oilfield variety, of course] is that unless you actually see "chalk dust" fly up from the sideline, you keep winding the clock. Many years ago, when I was a "newbie" at Referee, I had an old and wise head coach who was leading 56-0 in the 3rd Quarter, who told me to drop a rag on the ground for any reason if his 2nd and 3rd teamers started to break away for an apparent score. His order was bolstered by the fact that if we allowed any more scoring on his team's part, he'd just have "to call us over and rip us a new one!" I have a lot of respect for that coach and his logic in not trying to totally humiliate the opposition.

Other coaches have ordered us "to just run the clock"; "I don't want to get any more of my players hurt!"
Ergo, just make it a habit to use good old common sense when doing this!   

[texref]

When I worked in Pennsylvania a few years back we had a 35 point rule. Anytime someone went up by 35 points we ran the clock. Didn't matter what period it was. If the score went back under 35 we resumed regular timing.

I think it is a great idea. We shouldn't have to leave it up to two coaches agreeing or seeing what we can get away with.

[Birddog]

Arbitrator, I had a story along those lines.  I am a wing and my side is winning big.  Kicker really shanks the kick off and as the ball is rolling along the ground the HC  is yelling at me "we don't want the ball" over and over. Not even sure who actually recovered it but we did as he requested.  He is still coaching and we really like calling his games, he is a class act.

[fencewire]

I think we all pretty much know when a game is out of hand, many times that is at the coin flip, I guess my thoughts are that, as a wing guy, I don't like going to a coach and saying... if it's ok with you, we'd like to hurry this along.... or... by the way, the other coach wants to run the clock since you know, you're down or up by 50 points. 

That puts us all in an odd situation, especially if one of the coaches in the deal really doesn't want that to happen for whatever reason.  I think mostly because we are asking the coach basically if he is ready to give up.  Well, that isn't just seen by the players, but the parents, administrators, etc...  even if the handwriting is on the wall.

I think it would be better to have a "running clock" rule, that way, like the 45 pt rule, it is out of the coaches and our hands, because I guarantee that not every crew throughout the state runs a blow out the same, and many times, those are the games where the most problems show up.   

[Arbitrator]

 

I'm sorry but I'm just not thoroughly convinced that  Manor Road would offer up any support for a "Mercy Rule" in either football or basketball!   

[TexDoc]

I think we all pretty much know when a game is out of hand, many times that is at the coin flip, I guess my thoughts are that, as a wing guy, I don't like going to a coach and saying... if it's ok with you, we'd like to hurry this along.... or... by the way, the other coach wants to run the clock since you know, you're down or up by 50 points. 

That puts us all in an odd situation, especially if one of the coaches in the deal really doesn't want that to happen for whatever reason.  I think mostly because we are asking the coach basically if he is ready to give up.  Well, that isn't just seen by the players, but the parents, administrators, etc...  even if the handwriting is on the wall.

I think it would be better to have a "running clock" rule, that way, like the 45 pt rule, it is out of the coaches and our hands, because I guarantee that not every crew throughout the state runs a blow out the same, and many times, those are the games where the most problems show up.

When it becomes a huge blowout, I don't ask, I just act.  No plays are out of bounds and the clock operator better not stop it on anyone but me.  If the losing team starts throwing the ball, usually unsuccessfully, find a way to discretely get that clock started.  On running plays, take a long time to give the rfp, and tell the QB to watch the play clock and let it run down a bit before snapping the ball.

In the old days, some of the clock controls had a button where you could decrease the clock by the minutes digit with just a push.  A good clock operator would knock off a minute every now and then in a blowout when the minute was going to change, 6:00 to 4:59.