mercy rule

[stan-MI]

Originally posted by JRutledge
Kids that could get a change to play will get time taken away from them, and the kids need to play more will get that taken away too. So basically the stradegy will be to get the score above a certain level and press to run the score up. And because basketball it can be hard to do that completely, you will foster more resentment from the loser and deprive kids that could play, little time to improve.

No one enjoys playing or learns anything in a 40-point game, let alone a 120-2 game. If you want to see resentment, look at the faces of the losing players that have to go through the motions of finishing one of these games when the winners are smiling and laughing. All these blowouts due is increase the opportunities for poor sportsmanship and frustration fouls.

Every Michigan coach and official begs for the return of the mercy rule (running clock in the second half once a team leads by 40). As you can see from the following item copied from today's Detroit Free Press website, http://www.freep.com, the rule might be adopted nationally.

"HAVE MERCY
"Flint Powers girls basketball coach Kathy McGee
said a mercy rule -- which calls for a running clock
once a team leads by a certain number of points --
has a solid chance of being adopted by the
National Federation of State High School
Associations.
"Michigan experimented with it for a
couple of years, but had to discontinue its use when
the federation decided not to make it a rule. The
topic is on the agenda again for the federation's
basketball rules committee meeting Sunday and
Monday in Indianapolis, which McGee will attend."