In PA (and most states) you have a mercy rule, a running clock in the second half when a team is up by 35 or more.
There is a reason for that. These are still kids and sometimes the mismatches are brutal. No high school team is coming back 5 touchdowns in the final 24 minutes.
I don't know about HS, but the clock continues to run in my son's league when a team goes up by 30.
These are still kids and sometimes the mismatches are brutal.
...I know there is no way to eliminate the humiliation involved in getting blown out...and in high school football (and in college ball also) blatant mismatches are the norm...I’m thinking along the lines of golf, in which a handicapping system is put in play, whereby one of our local teams, Manheim Central, would begin play against a vastly inferior squad, like Ephrata, down by 24 points...63 points later, (what really happened), then renders a score of 39-0, a far more benificent beating...sure, handicaps are an embarrassment, but at least the box score in the paper looks a lot better...
But they keep playing because even the players on the losing team can get yards and catches and possibly a touchdown for their individual stats.
They did let the clock run.
There was a running clock and the coach put in his scrubs. Too bad, so sad. There is such a thing as a life lesson. Losing a football game doesn’t make you a bad person, just a bad football player.
In PA (and most states) you have a mercy rule, a running clock in the second half when a team is up by 35 or more.
*********************
I can’t believe they would do that beyond pee-wee football!
I’ve never heard of such a rule, so I question your “most states” comment. Not saying you’re wrong, but just questioning what you said.
Texas HS football is played by the rules. If a team gets trounced, it’s within the rules of a full game.
Aledo HS was playing bench warmers through the 2nd half and calling running plays (to run the clock; not to run up the score). The opponents just couldn’t stop them.