Rule change discussion tonight - need your advice

[Mark Padgett]

Tonight is our monthly meeting for our local kids rec league. Yes, we meet even during the "off season". Typically, at our June meetings, we discuss possible rule changes. We haven't had any for a few years (except to adopt any NF changes) but tonight I have a fairly major one I'm going to propose. It's that we go to running clock in all games. We did this at all levels for about 20 years but changed about 10 years ago just to make the games "more like how actual HS games are played". We did keep 3rd and 4th grade running but it's gotten to the point where we spend too much time correcting the stop clock with our volunteer parent clock keepers in grades 5 through 12. Going to running clock in all games would keep them more on time and on schedule. This is a consideration since we only rent the gyms from the school district for a certain number of hours and we often wind up shortening the later game quarters and between periods and/or warm up time just to get all the games in.

I'm just wondering if you guys have any thoughts based on your experience in kids rec leagues as to whether using running clock is a "detriment" in any way. Thanks.

BTW - we also have a rule (passed about 5 years ago with me voting "no") that makes it a technical foul to shout in a shooter's face when he or she is releasing the ball on a shot - even to yell "shot". My comment at the time was "this isn't golf".