Girls HS Basketball Game Final Score: 108-3

[Pappy13]

Not just practically every year.  But every year.  Top two teams in the division move up, bottom 2 move down.  Not really that hard.  My nephews soccer and little league baseball team does this and it never causes logistical nightmares because it is the designed as a unified process. 

Oh, it's easy enough to make it a rule, the problem is the logistics of what that means.  You're talking about having to adjust your sports schedule every year to accomodate new schools for every sport your school plays.  There's a lot more that goes into that than people realize.  Getting bus schedules set up.  Making sure you have drivers.  Making sure you have directions to the fields.  Making sure that parents can find the fields, etc.

It's not hard really, it's just a lot of work that has to be redone every year.  As it is now teams play a fairly consistent schedule from year to year and a lot of the minutiae has already been figured out from 1 year to the next.  Saves a lot of work.

It's not as big of an issue if you play all the games at a common facility, like the little league baseball team, but it's a different issue with schools that play at their own facilities.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Oh, it's easy enough to make it a rule, the problem is the logistics of what that means.  You're talking about having to adjust your sports schedule every year to accomodate new schools for every sport your school plays.  There's a lot more that goes into that than people realize.  Getting bus schedules set up.  Making sure you have drivers.  Making sure you have directions to the fields.  Making sure that parents can find the fields, etc.

It's not hard really, it's just a lot of work that has to be redone every year.  As it is now teams play a fairly consistent schedule from year to year and a lot of the minutiae has already been figured out from 1 year to the next.  Saves a lot of work.

It's not as big of an issue if you play all the games at a common facility, like the little league baseball team, but it's a different issue with schools that play at their own facilities.

They are both traveling leagues.  In others words one team per town.  Travel on to towns spread out over half of Mass.  Some of the games involve a 2 hour bus ride.  Not really that different than a high school.

It is only impossible if you want it to be.  It really won't be that hard.   

[StL FinFan]

A mercy rule would be a lot easier to implement.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

A mercy rule would be a lot easier to implement.

Yes it would.  But it would do nothing to improve the game.  This type of game is no fun for either team. 

[StL FinFan]

If you are playing for fun, then don't keep score.

[Pappy13]

It is only impossible if you want it to be.  It really won't be that hard.   

Fair enough.

But how about the other issues?  I'm not sure what else is effected by high school classification.  State Funding?  Faciliites?  Do all class 5 schools have to meet minimum requirements on facilities?  Lights?  Bathrooms?  Clubhouse/locker room etc?  I don't know, but I suspect there would other issues than simply who/where you play.

What about when new schools open or a school loses it's athletic program for a sport?

[StL FinFan]

Our classes I - VI in Missouri are based on enrollment.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Fair enough.

But how about the other issues?  I'm not sure what else is effected by high school classification.  State Funding? 

irrelevant.

Faciliites? 

in all divisions if you want to host a basketball game you need a basketball court of legal dimensions.

  Lights? 

  if you want a home night game.

Bathrooms? 

Completely optional.  You can mandate all the kids and spectators hold it for the entire sporting event.  In fact schools will be encouraged but not required to lock all bathrooms an hour before every event and keep them locked until an hour afterwards.  (you asked a really stupid question and you got a stupid answer)

Clubhouse/locker room etc?  I don't know, but I suspect there would other issues than simply who/where you play.

Prohibited.  The kids are required to change into their uniforms in the hall.  This will encourage more boys to attend and watch the girls teams.  (see above)

What about when new schools open or a school loses it's athletic program for a sport?

New schools and programs would start at the bottom. (Unless there is reason to start them higher.  Such as a really big school that is in the top division for almost every sport. Handled case by case, by thinking people)

[Pappy13]

If you want a home night game.

Well gonna make scheduling tough if not everyone has one.  Most high schools (at least in Texas) play games after school, gonna make scheduling tough if a team doesn't have lights.

Sure it can all be done, but there will be sacrifices.  The question is are schools gonna WANT to do it.  I don't think so.  Big schools won't want to have to cater to little schools, private schools won't want to have to cater to public schools etc.  It's gonna be really hard to get this to fly in places like Texas where sports are ultra competitive and it's been done that way for years.  It's a big deal when they decide to move a team out of a class in Texas.  The school getting moved out doesn't like it because they have to play completely different schools, lose their rivalries, make new one etc.  The schools they are going to have to play don't like it because being on the "small" end of one class is being on the "large" end of the lower class so suddenly all those teams have to play "the powerhouse", etc.  It's becomes a huge controversy and it happens once in a blue moon.  Doing that every year?  Some great team might just have a down year, so the next year they destroy everyone on their schedule.  Not to mention how are you gonna do a state playoff system?  How do you determine who plays whom?  You'd have to keep the same number of classes across the entire state, but there are like 50 High Schools in Plano area alone whereas in parts of West Texas there are 50 High Schools spread out over 100's of miles.

It's easier said than done.

[masterfins]

If you're losing by 84 - 0 to start the 4th quarter the losing coach should have conceded the game.  Likewise the winning coach should have told his team to ease up on "D" so as to not shut-out the other team.  The coaches shouldn't have let it come to this.

[AZ Fins Fan 55]

Likewise the winning coach should have told his team to ease up on "D" so as to not shut-out the other team.

He did....they let them score 3 points right? 

[Pappy13]

If you're losing by 84 - 0 to start the 4th quarter the losing coach should have conceded the game.  Likewise the winning coach should have told his team to ease up on "D" so as to not shut-out the other team.  The coaches shouldn't have let it come to this.

Imagine you're the coach of the losing team.  You gotta tell your team at the end of the 3rd quarter "Look, we lost, let's just quit".  Some of your players aren't gonna like the message you're sending.  Some of the parents aren't gonna like it either.

This is why there should be a mercy rule, just like in Baseball.  Take it out of the hands of the coaches.  What are parents and players gonna do, get mad at those that made the rule? 

The mercy rule came into effect in Baseball all the time when I was growing up and I can't ever remember it being an issue.  Everyone knew the rule going in and it was just a part of the game.  I can remember games where we did everything we could to manufacture a run to keep a game going or to end it early.  When I played the rule was 10 runs after 5 innings and 15 after 4. At first blush that looks backwards, but it's not.  Games were only 6 or 7 innings long depending on the league, being down by 10 runs with a single inning left to play was considered as hard to overcome as down by 15 with 2 innings left.

So actually the rule probably ought to be 50 by halftime or 30 by the end of 3 quarters.  If you are down by 30 or more after 3 quarters, you probably ain't coming back.  It would be a bit of a culture shock at first, but once the rule became known, it would just be accepted as part of the game.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

.Likewise the winning coach should have told his team to ease up on "D" so as to not shut-out the other team.  The coaches shouldn't have let it come to this.

Oddly enough, I was having a conversation with my neighbors 13 year old daughter on this very topic at the supermarket last night.  She plays basketball for a local small Catholic HS.  The school only has a varsity team of 9 girls.  Her team plays other private schools, sometimes small schools sometimes; prep schools that have a varsity, JV and freshman team. 

She was with her mom and still in her basketball uniform and arguing with her mom. She wanted to quit the team.  Being the nosy person I am I asked what happened?  Her mom said, "she scored her first basket, she should be proud."  Her response was, "it was nothing like that." 

From what I gathered from the two of them the other team did just what you suggest.  Her basket came off of the 5th consecutive uncontested offensive rebound after the other team let them dribble down the court uncontested down 42-0 late in the second half.  After she scored the opposing team tried to high five her and the opposing team, coach and bench all applauded them bring the score to 42-2. The final score was 42-5. Her opinion was this was the most humiliating experience in her life, "they were treating us like we were some fucking retards from the special Olympics"  Her mom told her to watch her language.  She went on to say while she hated losing 63-0 the week before, it was not humiliating like this.   

I am sure the opposing coach and team meant well.  But at least for this girl, it is the solution was more embarrassing, not less.     

[AZ Fins Fan 55]

I have played softball for years and we have a mercy rule. I have been on some pretty competitive teams and have been on both sides of a rout quite a few times. While I will not strike out or miss a ball on purpose I have made it a habit of not taking extra bases when I hit if we are up a ton. I will also not fire a ball home form the outfield if we are up a ton I just throw to the nearest base. Some people hate it and feel that we are disrespecting them and others appreciate it. It is a fine line I guess. I do not personally feel right running up the score so I always instruct my team to play hard but not take extra bases.

[Pappy13]

From what I gathered from the two of them the other team did just what you suggest.  Her basket came off of the 5th consecutive uncontested offensive rebound after the other team let them dribble down the court uncontested down 42-0 late in the second half.  After she scored the opposing team tried to high five her and the opposing team, coach and bench all applauded them bring the score to 42-2. The final score was 42-5. Her opinion was this was the most humiliating experience in her life, "they were treating us like we were some fucking retards from the special Olympics"  Her mom told her to watch her language.  She went on to say while she hated losing 63-0 the week before, it was not humiliating like this.

And there's the beauty of the mercy rule.  No one has to change the way they are playing.  The team on the winning side can keep playing their best knowing that if they are up by 50 at half-time or 30 at the end of 3 quarters, the game is over.  The team on the losing side can keep playing for pride, hoping to keep it under 50 at half-time or under 30 by 3 quarters.  Just being able to say you forced the other team to play the whole game would become an accomplishment!