State mercy rules
 

How many of you ref in a state where they have a "mercy rule"(blowout rule or whatever you call it)

Here in Iowa we have had a 50 point rule.
Whenever a team gets ahead by 50 points or more the game is ended at that time. The one requirement is that the 1st half must be played in full. So a team could win by say 60 or more but the half must played in full.

Now the state has instuted a new rule for next year.

35 point rule
Once a team gets ahead by 35 points or more the clock will run continuously. The only time it will be stopped is after a score, change of possesion, time outs. I cant remember all or it I will check and post the details.

Anyway I was just wondering what other states have and how do you feel about it. Good or bad.

I am afraid now that some of these scores may even get more out of hand.

Just like to see your comments.

Here is tne info off of the Iowa High School Athletic Associations website:

For Immediate Use 12.19.03
IHSAA MAKES CHANGES IN FOOTBALL
Boone, IA -- Changes are coming in football rules and play-off qualifying for 2004 as a
result of action by the Iowa High School Athletic Association at their Board of Control meeting,
Thursday.
In a unanimous vote the Board mandated a continuous clock in football games when one
team gets a 35-point advantage over its opponent in the second half. The clock would only stop
at the end of the quarter, for time outs, injuries, scores, and safety purposes.
If the margin slips below 35 points, regular timing procedures will take effect. A game
could end under the new rule if the coaches and referee agree that continuing has no purpose or
puts the safety of student-athletes in jeopardy.
Since 1992 football games have ended at halftime or immediately in the second half after
one time took a 50-point lead. The new “35-point rule” will allow games to be played to
completion. A similar rule has been implemented in several states including Wisconsin,
Michigan and Missouri.
The new rule was discussed in a meeting of the Football Playoff Advisory Committee,
where it gained favor with coaches and school administrators.
Of the 1,636 regular season games played last fall, 138 were ended by the 50-point rule.
The breakdown by classification was 4A – 9; 3A – 12; 2A – 9; 1A – 25; A – 28; 8-player – 54.
Just two games in the 82 playoff games were ended by the 50-point rule.

Illinois has the 40 point rule. Anytime in the second half if the difference is 40 points the clock will run. The timing rules are very similiar to IA's 35 point rule. The clock will run even if the difference dips back under 40 points.

REPLY: No such rule in NJ. I guess that's why a varsity game we had this past season was 57-0...at the half!!! Although, when such a thing occurs, usually both coaches ask us to "speed it up."

I agree, the IA rule sounds similar to the IL rule.

Illinois Mercy Rule
It stops ONLY for a charged team timeout, an EXTENDED injury timeout, a score by either team, and at the end of a quarter. It does not stop for any other reason. It begins anytime in the 2nd half when the difference in score is 40 or more points and remains in place until the end of the game. Now, how may of us find old habits hard to break and signal to kill the clock in these blowout games? :)

It is almost the same as MI rule with the exception that we also stop to administer penalties. The MHSAA uses the acronym "TIPS".

T - time outs
I - injuries
P - penalties
S - scores

Oregon
 

Oregon has a 45 point rule in 8-Man Football only. Must play all of first half and anytime after halftime if one team is ahead by 45 or more points the game is over. If the halftime score is 45 or more there is no second half.

11-Man
Leagues can elect to adopt a 35 point rule with a running clock similar to the ones described above. To my knowledge no leagues have voted to adopt the rule...

Hawaii mercy rule.
 

Here in Hawaii if one team is ahead by 35 points or more:

Regular timing rules apply to the first half.

At the beginning of the second half, the clock will start to run on the referee's ready for play (I need to check if this applies to free-kicks also) and will only be stopped for: an official's time-out, to administer a penalty, an injury time-out, scores, and at the end of the third quarter.

If the point differential becomes less than 35 points at any time during the second half then the normal timing rules are enforced again.

I'd like to see more clarification on this rule such as the following: for incomplete passes does the clock stop to retrieve and reset the ball and then restart on the ready for play? I believe that its up to the referee's discretion on situations like this but I need to research this a bit more.

This year we only had one or two games that the mercy rule came into effect. There was good parity in the league this year.

Nebraska has a mercy rule for 8-man only. The game ends when a team is leading by 45 at half or anytime during the second half. This was also the rule for 6-man when we had that style of ball. 6-man is no longer sanctioned by NSAA, but a few schools out west play it in a conference. 11-man has no mercy rule, leading to some really nasty blowouts the past couple of years. One actually ended up 100-0.

Florida has a 30 point "mercy rule"-
at the end of the first half the coach on
the short end of a 30 point differential
can request a "running clock"--- where the clock
continues to run (except for time outs called
by teams or officials) and it ends if the point
differnetial goes back below 30.
It works-- I like it-- did not have it back in
CNY where I officiated for 32 years.
I think the Federation should adopt a rule
like it.

The Federation does have a rule, only it "permits" states to adopt their own mercy rule. It would be nice if there was a standard number of points and the procedure for using the mercy rule was more standard. What I mean is, the same number of points for everyone, and whether the game ends or running clock is used, so that every state uses the same rule. This would make it easier on teams from different states playing each other, i.e. a Nebraska team taking on an Iowa team.

Wisconsin uses the 35 point, continuous clock rule.

Mercy rule is for a 35 point lead after the first half, but only for youth football leagues.

In varsity games if one team is ahead by 35 or more, we leave and have a beer at the local pizza joint! :)

How do we get on your crew? For the beer and pizza that is!