How an 8-year-old's first touchdown resulted in a $500 fine, coach suspension

Post Standard, Syracuse NY ^ | October 26, 2014 at 11:02 AM | By Allie Healy

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Elijah Burrell did what he was taught to do if he intercepted the football -- score a touchdown. But the 8-year-old's pick-six play wasn't much to celebrate after the team was fined $500 for violating the Gwinnett Football League's mercy rule...

the Lawrenceville Black Knights were winning against their opponents, 32-0, in the fourth quarter. Burrell then intercepted a pass and went through with the touchdown, failing to comply with the league's mercy rule.

That six-point score caused the Georgia-based team to surpass the 33-point rule, which earned the coach a week-long suspension and the team a $500 fine.

[Eva]

I didn’t finish that though. difficult to watch the lower level of coaching with my son.

[editor-surveyor]

School sports no longer make any sense at all.

The school should withdraw from the league, and spend their $500 on something useful.
.

[Enterprise]

" It was very difficult to watch the level of coaching in community and school sports."

LOL - don't get me started on school coaches.

[GeronL]

apparently they are supposed to stop scoring

[ridesthemiles]

This was an 8 year old!!!

How much more can be done to squelch his ambition???

[Stosh]

So if Team A is leading Team B 32-0, and it’s 4th and 10 with Team B backed up to its own goal line, and Team B’s center hikes one over his punter’s head, Team A’s coach gets stuck with a $500 fine?

The only time there should be a mercy rule is when the Bears play the Patriots (it’s been a long and annoying afternoon).

[Vermont Lt]

I agree with everything you wrote. Except the last part. I got so frustrated the first few weeks of the season Brady being eulogized after a couple of bad games.

But little kids understand more about stuff than adults do.

Perhaps the refs should have just called it a turnover, blown the whistle, and carry on.

[Steve_Seattle]

"apparently they are supposed to stop scoring"

This is either an incoherent rule, or it was not properly applied. The rule probably says something like, "If a score results in a lead of 33 or more points, the game shall be deemed over." But to say that a team cannot win by more than 33 points puts absurd restrictions on what the leading team can do. If they have a 32 point lead and drive down to the opponent's one yard line, are they supposed to just take a knee and turn the ball over? Or if a runner breaks loose for a long run, is he supposed to stop short of the goal line and take a knee? It is incoherent. It's almost like the kids are being instructed in point-shaving.

[GeronL]

That is what it sounds like. Crazy, right?

[nothingnew]

"No mercy!!...No prisoners!!!"

FMCDH(BITS)

[Bo1988]

It's thinking like this that get Israel in trouble defending themselves so successfully against Hamas. Imagine what General Patton would have to say about this!

[CodeToad]

“Then every adult in this story must be liberal
“

Of course, we use the term “adult” by defining that to be anyone over the age of 17.

[OldNewYork]

Worth remembering.

[windcliff]

Ping

[xzins]

don’t put it on the scoreboard or stat sheet...

It's easy to just restart the scoring each quarter. Zero it out and let the kids play. It actually inspires the underdogs to try and take one of those quarters. Good training.

If you think about it, 38 points in football is only roughly 6-0 in baseball. No one would fine a coach or a team for that in baseball.

[Organic Panic]

They could have given a big award ceremony to the losers for getting second place.

[Alberta's Child]

It’s frustrating to parents who put a lot of time, effort, and money into supporting their kids and the team to see a coach do something so stupid.

That right there is really the heart of the problem.

A coach who is volunteering his time doesn't need to have parents complaining about his methods and decisions, and surely doesn't need a parent calling any of his decisions "stupid."

That's why I hate the whole idea of having parents involved in organized sports for their kids. No offense, but if I'm a coach of a Little League team, the last thing I need is some @sshole who sees me as a free after-school program for his kid telling me that I've made any "stupid" decisions on a baseball field.

[Alberta's Child]

Years ago, one of my sons was on a team in Babe Ruth playoffs. They built up a huge lead early and the coach pulled the starters. We ended up losing the game.

P.S. -- Who was "we?"

[HereInTheHeartland]

An 8 year old is supposed to know this. Idiot adults.

[Enterprise]

"Who was "we?"

The team my son was on.