In high school football, the mercy rule refers to an early end to games that become too lopsided.
Many high school football teams are noticeably better than their opponents.
The score often gets out of control when one of these high-quality teams faces one of the league’s bottom teams.
A quarter or two of football usually determines the winner of these games. The problem is that the teams still have a lot more football to play.
There is a mercy rule that comes into play when a team is up by a large margin.
A mercy rule can be implemented in two different ways. The first method involves ending the game early, which means that once a team wins by a certain margin, the game is over.
It is also common to keep a running clock as a mercy rule.
Game clocks will continue to run between each play instead of stopping between each play.
As a result, the game passes much faster than usual and the score won’t get even worse.
Mercy Rule Arguments
Safety of players
In high school football, the mercy rule is primarily used to protect players.
When the lead in the game is extremely lopsided, the outcome is already decided.
With football being such a dangerous game, players are at risk of injury.
It doesn’t necessarily make sense for players to continue playing this game since the result is already determined.
To prevent injuries to their players, the end of the game will be expedited.
A team can benefit from the mercy rule after just one major injury in a blowout victory.
Mercy Rule Arguments
Time for the Backups to Play
The mercy rule in football affects the playing time for backup players, which is one of the main arguments against it.
Getting playing time in blowout games is essential whether you are a four-year backup or a younger player looking to get noticed.
Since backups are likely to sit out close games, blowout games are often the only opportunity for many players to play.
The amount of time these players spend playing is drastically reduced when they use a running clock.
In high school football, this is the biggest flaw with the mercy rule for parents of backup players.
Players Gain Valuable Experience
A mercy rule in high school football is also opposed by many people due to its experience.
It is inevitable to lose in life. Getting blown out in a football game can be a valuable lesson for players.
There are some people around the game of football who feel that the mercy rule prevents players from experiencing tough losses properly.
These football fans believe that finishing a blowout loss is better than ending it early.
There is no way to tell which group is right. Some states impose mercy rules at all levels of high school football, while others do not.