Coach Quarles and the Mercy Rule

[etcoach]

The mercy rule is a STUPID RULE! I think it takes away from the young kids opportunity to play in the second half. I also think it is a way to help the referees get more pay for the time they spend on the field. However, Coach Quarles from Maryville knows how to play it. He almost always wins by a margin that is between 30 and 34 (except for the WB game of course). And when he does get over 35, it is always very late in the game. This way, his young kids get valuable playing time. Comments?

[Rebel9]

The mercy rule is a STUPID RULE! I think it takes away from the young kids opportunity to play in the second half. I also think it is a way to help the referees get more pay for the time they spend on the field. However, Coach Quarles from Maryville knows how to play it. He almost always wins by a margin that is between 30 and 34 (except for the WB game of course). And when he does get over 35, it is always very late in the game. This way, his young kids get valuable playing time. Comments?

 

 

 

I agree 100% and it does allow the 2's and 3's to get playing time on Friday night. GQ would not run up the score anyway.

[HeatherHarrington]

I don't understand the mercy rule. Someone said that the clock doesn't stop in the second half. I never knew it stopped anyway. When does it normally stop? In volleyball, you see, we never had a clock.

[Rebel9]

I don't understand the mercy rule. Someone said that the clock doesn't stop in the second half. I never knew it stopped anyway. When does it normally stop? In volleyball, you see, we never had a clock.

 

 

 

It only stops on even numbered days in the second half and odd numbered days in the first half. Since this Friday is the 26th, it will not stop at all. Only one team per county is allowed to do this and this week that school is Central.

[Norman Dale]

I agree with you on the stupidity of the rule. I also think Quarles takes the foot of the accelerator much earlier than most, if not all, of his coaching peers that are in the same situation.

 

I have noticed that most teams that are behind Maryville by big scores tend to leave their first stringers in against the Maryville 2nd, 3rd, and 4th teamers. In these situations, the teams become pretty evenly matched and the score doesn't change much, if any, after Quarles pulls his frontline players.

 

If teams substituted as liberally as Quarles does when they got way behind, I would venture to say that the Maryville subs would equally dominate the subs of other schools and the margin would keep expanding. However, I don't think GQ would ever let the score get too ridiculous because he is so sportsmanlike.

[warhawks]

GQ is such a class act!

[stuman89]

I am not a fan of this rule either. The vast majority of coaches I know, or have watched through the years don't try to really run up scores. Sometimes teams get overmatched, and get whacked. It happens, but it's all part of the game. I have been on both sides of lopsided scores and you just learn to deal with getting creamed, and you learn to behave like a true sportsman when you are on top.

[jethro]

The mercy rule is a STUPID RULE! I think it takes away from the young kids opportunity to play in the second half. I also think it is a way to help the referees get more pay for the time they spend on the field. However, Coach Quarles from Maryville knows how to play it. He almost always wins by a margin that is between 30 and 34 (except for the WB game of course). And when he does get over 35, it is always very late in the game. This way, his young kids get valuable playing time. Comments?

 

 

I doubt that it was in any way intended to get refs more pay for the time they spend on the field. That may be an unintended side-effect, but I doubt it was purposeful.

 

I think you might be making a mountain out of a molehill in the entire issue. If you have a 35 point lead, which coach would consciously withhold taking out his starters because of the time rule. First off, it is probably into the second half (not always, but usually) before you can gain a 35 point advantage. Secondly, if you've racked up 35 points, you probably are going to start subbing anyway. If you've got a 35-point lead, unless it is very late in the game, you are probably playing a mismatched opponent, and probably need your starters out anyway. Why risk a starter over a game that means little if anything. Thirdly, if the score drops below 35 points, you can always put the starters back in.

[johnandjimmy]

It's an AWFUL rule. It's the other team's job to be able to compete, not the TSSAA's. Life is tough, what's next, are we going to two-hand-touch?

 

With the clock running, it does take away playing time for your third stringers, some boys (juniors and seniors) who aren't very good, but have worked hard all year and deserve a moment in the spotlight. Instead, let's just run the clock down so they won't get to play as much. Wonderful logic!!

[missingthesouth]

Is the mercy rule in effect in the playoffs? I've seen two Maryville games in the past 3-4 years and both those were semi-final games against Tennessee High and last year against M'Town West. If I recall, the Tennessee High game was about 35-0 in the 2nd quarter. I think the West game last year was 28-0 and Maryville more/less took a knee with the ball inside the M'town West 40 with less than a 2 minutes to play in the half.

 

Still in effect in playoffs?

[etcoach]

I doubt that it was in any way intended to get refs more pay for the time they spend on the field. That may be an unintended side-effect, but I doubt it was purposeful.

 

I think you might be making a mountain out of a molehill in the entire issue. If you have a 35 point lead, which coach would consciously withhold taking out his starters because of the time rule. First off, it is probably into the second half (not always, but usually) before you can gain a 35 point advantage. Secondly, if you've racked up 35 points, you probably are going to start subbing anyway. If you've got a 35-point lead, unless it is very late in the game, you are probably playing a mismatched opponent, and probably need your starters out anyway. Why risk a starter over a game that means little if anything. Thirdly, if the score drops below 35 points, you can always put the starters back in.

 

The subs get to play, but with that clock running, they don't get to play for very long.

[STARPOWER]

It's a touchy situation. Let's say you play your 1's for the whole first half and the score is 30-0 at halftime. You open the second half with your 2's and score another TD on your first offensive possession. Now the clock is rolling, how much experience will the 2's get before you have to empty the bench? Shouldn't the 2's get more than 1 or 2 series before you have to let everyone in? I mean this is high school football, not rec league. I understand in rec league you have rules to make sure every kid gets to play in every game, but high school sports should teach kids more than blocking and tackling. In real life there aren't rules to ensure that you never get hurt, or that if things aren't going well that someone will step in make it better. I realize that there are some coaches and programs that will run the score up to embarrassing levels, but I think that is rare and most people know who those coaches are. I witnessed Farragut beat Bearden one year back in the late 80's 75-6. I don't think Farragut intentionally scored 75, as there were like 3 int returns for TD's , and 2-3 punt returns for TD's. If I was the Bearden coach I would be more humiliated to see my opponent kneel down, or just run the dive every play.