What is the purpose of high school sports? To teach team play, sportsmanship, create a character building environment where young men and women can compete in a positive atmosphere, where everyone doesn't have to be the best athlete or the most gifted player to find a role to contribute to the success of their team. For each member of the team, players and coaches to do their best, regardless of the score or the opponent. Referees are told not to ref the scoreboard, but to call the game as it happens on the floor. Fans come to watch their team, students come to cheer and be with friends and build school spirit and pride, parents, grandparents and siblings come to watch their son, daughter, brother or sister out on the big floor playing their best for their school and teammates. Yes there are those games where there is a serious disparity between the abilities and skill levels of the teams matched up, but that is not a bad thing. A team needs to build its internal character and strength in those situations where they find themselves over matched. Sure the "mercy" rule only applies to the second half of the game, but if that's the case, why play the second half at all? Aren't we saying to the players on the floor, "nice try, but you're getting creamed out there, so we're gonna go through the motions until the clock runs out. Maybe next game we can let you play a real game if you can learn to score more points and play better defense. but, hey good game!"
Let me use Tuesday night as an example of what I mean. The Graham-Kapawosin team hasn't won a game all season, 0-17 currently. Now that is a hard season, they started out with a 2 point loss and have had two 1 point losses as well. The average amount they are getting beat by is 21 points per game. What does that mean? They have lost by more than 40 twice and by more than 30 five times and in at least 3 of those 7 games the clock has run on them taking away playing time from players on both teams. Puyallup got up early and really had their game dialed in, Jay Balmer ended the first half with 29 points, SEVEN 3 pointers and the Vikings on top by 35 54-19. Jay was on his way to possibly breaking a single game record for 3's, most points scored and who knows what else. But, because he started the second half much the way he did the game with back to back 3's the Vikings lead jumped to 41...bring in the "mercy" rule. Now the rules states that once the scores reaches 40 or more point differential the clock with run, except for time outs, free throws and injuries. The refs decided that the clock would actually run DURING free throws too, I mean why not, they get paid the same and get home early if the clock just keeps on ticking. Consequently, the players on the bench got less time on the floor, Jay was unable to finish what could have and should have been a career game for him. (Yes, he ended with 41 points which is awesome, but isn't it sad that it's a disappointing 41 instead of a joyous occasion?) G/K was able to keep the game around 30 the rest of the game which took less than 20 minutes of actual time to complete and lost by 33 in the end. Does it really matter if it was 33 or 53 or just 3? In the standings it is just another L. No asterix attached, no footnote saying the "mercy" rule was in effect, just one more L added to the loss column. There is no shame in losing a high school game.
Certainly, it is not fun to be on a team that can't catch a break and loses close games, it's even less fun to be on a team that gets beat bad night in and night out, but the comradery and bonding that goes on on a team like that is special. Every day those players are going to practice, working on the plays and drills the coach as spent his time and energy putting together. When game day comes around, the players are looking forward to getting to the gym, putting on their uniforms and doing their best out on the floor. Each game brings another opportunity for them to try and prove to themselves and everyone else that their hard work and efforts will be rewarded eventually. But someone decided that it would be best if the game was out of reach and the score got too much (40 points) to overcome then lets just hurry up and get the game over with. REALLY?!?! We are diluting the product and in the process diminishing the importance of standing strong in the face of adversity, building character when things are tough and allowing our young athletes to find out that in their heart, they are winners and they don't like to lose!
Is it fair to the players to do that to them? The starters on a team get to play every game, but the guys who sit on the bench who don't get on the floor very often, if ever, look forward to when the game gets to a point where the coach is willing to let them play. The high school level of play for most players is the first time where competition is meaningful, where wins and losses count and post season tournaments are contingent on the team doing well in the regular season. High school is also the highest level of competition for most players in their lives. A few will continue to play at the college level or maybe the pros, some in recreational leagues and others just for fun. But, the reality is that most athletes competitive careers begin and end in the three or four years they play during high school. So with that in mind, is it okay for the powers that be to take the game away from the end of the bench. The players who wouldn't get on the floor at all, unless the the score is out of hand. Sure they still get in, but the clock is running, a speeded up version of a real game. Eight minutes flies by when the clock just keeps going, 480 seconds to make something happen, the ball goes out of bounds and the clock ticks, a foul is called and the ref walks to mid court to make the call, the clock ticks, the players on the floor at this time of game usually aren't very efficient clock managers in the first place and now we put the game on fast forward. Why?
When I played in the early 80's that time of the game was lovingly referred to as "garbage" time. The starters could enjoy the last few minutes of a quarter or game and cheer on their teammates that were always cheering for them. This was the time when it didn't matter if you were on the floor and missed a shot or turned the ball over. The game was in hand one way or the other, the coaches had both emptied their benches and the players on the floor played hard and did their best with the minutes they got. But the fact was, it was still a real basketball game! The officials might be calling it a little looser, the fouls had to be committed a little harder, but the clock stopped when the ball went out of bounds, a foul was called or some one got injured. The score didn't really matter, what mattered was players who didn't normally play were getting their chance on both sides of the floor. For some of the younger players it was an opportunity to prove that they belonged, to show that their skills were worthy of the varsity game. To have the crowd cheer for them, let their parents see them playing and build some self esteem.
In my humble opinion, the 40 point "mercy" rule is wrong. The games don't take that long to play ordinarily and we shouldn't be speeding it up because someone felt that it would be better if the kids didn't have to be subject to a bad defeat. Well, that's just tough! You don't learn to be better if someone is always there saying," it's okay, we'll just pretend like it didn't happen, here's a cookie!" I sure if you asked the players, they don't like it either, (unless you talk to those kids with no inner fire, no heart, no will to win, but those kids aren't in the gym sweating and pounding on each other every day trying to get better.) Let the players play, let the coaches coach, let the referees do the job they are getting paid to do and let the game be played with the rules they were intended to be played with..."I'm Nic Beckman, Play Fair, Play Hard, Have Fun...Let's Play Basketball!!!!"
