Sportsmanship and "Running up the Score"

[Shruikan]

This was a topic that came up last night in the Sherando vs. Washington (WV) game. Sherando led 49-0 at the end of the first quarter, and 65-0 at halftime. From what I saw the score could have been far worse than that had the Warriors kept their foot on the gas. Nearly every play they ran resulted in a TD.

There was a lot of chatter after the game that this proved that Sherando played dirty and lacked sportsmanship. My opinion on the matter is that you can't tell players not to play football, regardless of the score. Sherando's starters were out well before it got that ugly, and they still were able to score despite using standard running plays. If the other team can't stop your third string guys, that's not the fault of the leading team.

Here's my question: what constitutes "running up the score" in your eyes? 35-0? 49-0? 61-0? Is there a particular number where it's considered classless to keep scoring even when the starters are out?

 

[hamspear]

I really don't know what they could have done except kneel the ball for three quarters, how are the second and third stringers supposed to get game time and experience. As far as running up the score, Washington could have helped themselves out a little if they would have ran the ball some, the clock stopped after every incompletion and interception. The first quarter took a full hour to play. In my opinion, there is no such thing as running up the score. Do baseball teams get accused of running up the score? , what about basketball? It's just a win no matter what the score. That's what the running clock is supposed to help with.

 

[schoolboard]

There is nothing wrong with what Sherando did. In my opinion, it is the losing team's obligation to sub first and wave the white flag.

How do you feel about the team up by 50 calling a timeout in the last minute to put starters back in against losing teams bench warmers because they are threatening to ruin their shutout?

 

[hamspear]

There is nothing wrong with what Sherando did. In my opinion, it is the losing team's obligation to sub first and wave the white flag.

How do you feel about the team up by 50 calling a timeout in the last minute to put starters back in against losing teams bench warmers because they are threatening to ruin their shutout?

Well I think that is uncalled for, Martinsburg did that to us a couple of years ago.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I agree with your sentiments and will add another twist to consider. Suppose a running back needs a few yards to break a game, or a season, or a team record. And the score got rediculious early like Sherando, Dinwiddie and Lord Botetourt last night. How do you feel if they put the player back in and call his number to break said record?

Personally, I find that very offensive. I think it taints the record.

Without giving it a lot of thought, I think for the most part you keep scoring with your #1's through the first half, in a blow-out. The classy thing to do is start putting in you #2's in the second quarter, but maybe not en masse. I have absolutely no issue with putting the #1's in for the first offensive or defensive series after halftime. I think it's important to keep the same routine for the first team. Of course, then it's time to send in everybody. Maybe even put pads on the band and cheerleaders!

Two final thoughts. First, what goes around, comes around! And second, as the losing coach, I would be offended if you told your deep subs to take it easy on me. That, I find disrespectful. Cramming it down my throat with your starters when it's no longer a game is one thing. Beating me up with your #3's and/or JV's is just the price I have to pay for putting up such a poor performance.

 

[schoolboard]

Teams who are used to winning usually do it the right way. It is when a team has been a losing program for a decade and suddenly are winning, they don't know how to do it.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

Teams who are used to winning usually do it the right way. It is when a team has been a losing program for a decade and suddenly are winning, they don't know how to do it.

I was thinking along those lines, but couldn't think of the right way to say it. Thank you.

 

[cutnjump]

This was a topic that came up last night in the Sherando vs. Washington (WV) game. Sherando led 49-0 at the end of the first quarter, and 65-0 at halftime. From what I saw the score could have been far worse than that had the Warriors kept their foot on the gas. Nearly every play they ran resulted in a TD.

There was a lot of chatter after the game that this proved that Sherando played dirty and lacked sportsmanship. My opinion on the matter is that you can't tell players not to play football, regardless of the score. Sherando's starters were out well before it got that ugly, and they still were able to score despite using standard running plays. If the other team can't stop your third string guys, that's not the fault of the leading team.

Here's my question: what constitutes "running up the score" in your eyes? 35-0? 49-0? 61-0? Is there a particular number where it's considered classless to keep scoring even when the starters are out?

I do not believe you can boil it down to a cutoff number and sometimes more damage/embarrassment is inflicted upon an opponent when the competitive nature of the game is "altered" just to prevent a wider victory margin. You can't tell tell kids who rarely get off the bench to give less than full effort and if everybody has played early and often with the score continuing to rise the coach's best option is to be as conservative as possible in play calling and encourage his players to avoid overly demonstrative celebrations of positive plays. Just my own opinion but, it is a rare situation when the score is run up in the first half just because, no matter how unlikely, whatever is done in the first half could conceivably be duplicated in the second half by the other team. A coach has to balance sportsmanship with the risk of calling off the troops too early and allowing an opponent a window to get back in the game.

 

[Tank5449]

I think it's both schools responsibility to schedule competitive teams. I can't blame a school for playing first team at least half way through the 3rd. now if you get to the 4th quarter it's different. First team needs reps and game experience. I think as a coach you react in this order. 1. how safe is the win 2. did my first team get enough reps to keep them in game shape for a tougher opponent 3. is there anything we need to work on as a first team unit.

Personally if I'm struggling passing the ball and I have an opportunity to work on that part of my game that's what I'm doing in that situation. I think it's rarely about running up the score and most of the time about working out kinks, getting first team enough reps etc.

 

[cutnjump]

I think it's both schools responsibility to schedule competitive teams. I can't blame a school for playing first team at least half way through the 3rd. now if you get to the 4th quarter it's different. First team needs reps and game experience. I think as a coach you react in this order. 1. how safe is the win 2. did my first team get enough reps to keep them in game shape for a tougher opponent 3. is there anything we need to work on as a first team unit.

Personally if I'm struggling passing the ball and I have an opportunity to work on that part of my game that's what I'm doing in that situation. I think it's rarely about running up the score and most of the time about working out kinks, getting first team enough reps etc.

I agree on game outcome. Numbers 2 and 3 are a little of a stretch, in my opinion, because if the opponent is not competitive enough to prevent the question of a blowout it is debate able whether you really get anymore benefit of working the kinks out against them than you would going against your own second team in practice. Again, just my opinion, and this topic clearly has a lot of sides for debate with few hard and fast rules.

 

[1MoreHokie]

Easy rules:

- No such thing in the first half. Absolutely none. If your staff and coaches get mad because their team can't handle 2 quarters, fold the program and find a new profession.
- 34 points or less, first string is OK in 3rd quarter.
- 35 points or more(running clock) in the 2nd half should signal you to start subbing out
- If opposing team is tryharding in late game(chucking ball 40 yards down field with 1st teamers) feel free to respond in kind by subbing back in 1st team D
- 30+ points in the 3rd, start condensing the playbook. Don't have to kill it entirely but no need to stay creative
- 30+ points in the 4th, run the ball except in obvious passing situations. Your backups don't need to be punished because the other team can't play defense but fun n' gunning it with your backups is douchey. A 3rd and 8 pass is OK so you can continue to run the ball and kill the clock.

Also for fun: there is no RUTS in college or the pros. Those are grown men, they will deal with it.

Moreover, most of the time the adults are the ones complaining. Kids are much more capable of dropping it and moving on. There's certainly cases where I'd feel more inclined to empathize(traditionally bad program) and you maybe use the kid gloves on them but if it's just a freak happening then it is what it is.

 

[obguthr]

I was thinking about this while watching last night's Buffalo Gap-Bath game. Gap won 50-6, but easily could have scored 100 if they tried, even with the running clock. The physical mismatch of the two teams was evident when they came out of the locker room.

A couple of Bath players were injured early in the game. Gap's coach did the right thing and began substituting some underclassmen into the lineup as early as the second quarter. One of his players made a viscious late hit on a Bath player who was clearly much smaller. He received a stern talking to from his coach even the officials unbelievably did not call a penalty.

Plain and simple, you should teach your players to play with intensity every down and never let up. However, as a coach, you must exercise discretion with play and personnel calls to ensure that defeating your opponent does not turn to humiliating and needlessly injuring them. I think most coaches do the right thing even though sometimes the score would suggest otherwise.

 

[Gunz41]

I think it depends on the perception on things from everyone. A coach knows if his team is outmatched, but perception if a team is running trick plays, throwing the ball, etc is where it looks bad

 

[Lafayette]

My opinion?/ you have to let your starters go for at least a full half, maybe the first series in the 3rd Q. after that all subs. If that results in 80-0, so be it- Not running up the score.

 

[redzone4us]

In my opinion, if your teams defense lays down or quits, then you have bigger problems than a team running the score up on you.

 

[Tank5449]

I agree on game outcome. Numbers 2 and 3 are a little of a stretch, in my opinion, because if the opponent is not competitive enough to prevent the question of a blowout it is debate able whether you really get anymore benefit of working the kinks out against them than you would going against your own second team in practice. Again, just my opinion, and this topic clearly has a lot of sides for debate with few hard and fast rules.

Good Points

 

[DinwiddieProud]

In my opinion, if your teams defense lays down or quits, then you have bigger problems than a team running the score up on you.

The flip side of this is we beat Colonial Heights something like 77-7 in 2013, I think. The CH kids were so over matched it was sad. But, they never quit!

 

[Tom Potter]

Plain and simple, you should teach your players to play with intensity every down and never let up.

Football 101 : Keep your head on a swivel on that field! You have to play to the whistle and then some.

When I played H.S. ball we watched films of one team and noticed one of that teams defenders liked to cheap shot guys right as the play was over. Needless to say we all where extra careful that game!

 

[southbottomU]

Is this running up the score? Salem 77. Hidden Valley 7 at the half. Final 77 14. This Was last year.

 

[obguthr]

Is this running up the score? Salem 77. Hidden Valley 7 at the half. Final 77 14. This Was last year.

It sounds like Salem thought it was a track meet in the first half. A lot of people have suggested that you wait until the second half to call off the dogs. I think in some situations, like last year's Salem-Hidden Valley game, you can and should call them off even earlier. I wouldn't base the decision solely on the score though. If Hidden Valley was in self-destruct mode, committing turnovers and unforced errors, you can't really blame that on Salem.

 

[1MoreHokie]

It sounds like Salem thought it was a track meet in the first half. A lot of people have suggested that you wait until the second half to call off the dogs. I think in some situations, like last year's Salem-Hidden Valley game, you can and should call them off even earlier. I wouldn't base the decision solely on the score though. If Hidden Valley was in self-destruct mode, committing turnovers and unforced errors, you can't really blame that on Salem.

I'm not entirely sure HV ever crossed the 50 except their one scoring drive. There were two pick 6's, at least 1-2 more picks beyond that, maybe a fumble six(or just a fumble) and a bunch of bad punts that kept Salem 30-40 yards from the endzone at all times. None of that was Salem's fault and they were subbing throughout the 2nd quarter and the 2nd half kept the crowd wondering who was doing anything for Salem because that's how deep they had subbed. HV was a demonstrably bad team(3-8, wins over 1-9, 2-8, and 2-8 teams) with a D that gave up 478 points in 11 games.

That was also a state title winning Salem team with a viciously potent O.

 

[tombstone]

In the end you have to be prepared for the good teams you play. So for me, with the exception of a 50+point lead, you play your starters the first half and at least one series in the 3rd qtr. Rest is great but they gotta be ready for the 2nd half.

After that, if the back ups score then they score, period. They need that game experience in case they have to step in as a starter later.

Now putting the starters back in to preserve a shutout with just a little time left is,too me, absolutely ignorant. Forget wether its sportsmanlike or not, those kids havent stayed warm and could easily get injured.

Just my 2 cents

Go Cougars
Tombstone

 

[gwb16]

Every year when this topic gets brought up, someone will throw out the "should they take a knee?" For me personally, that would irk me more than losing 80-0. That would be more disrespectful, IMHO. Nothing like telling the opposing kids and staff that they are so feeble that we won't run another play. When I played at KW 30 some odd years ago, we were on the winning end of a lot of those 60+ point wins. It doesn't feel good. When we played teams that made us fight, scratch and claw our way to victory, those wins felt great. It isn't only demoralizing for the losing team. The winning team "in most cases" doesn't feel good about it either. I do remember one game though, we beat a team at their Homecoming game 76-6, that was VERY satisfying because as we were getting off of the bus,their players and some fans were jacking their jaws pretty hard, so we came out swinging, hard and scored at will.

 

[skynard1]

This was a topic that came up last night in the Sherando vs. Washington (WV) game. Sherando led 49-0 at the end of the first quarter, and 65-0 at halftime. From what I saw the score could have been far worse than that had the Warriors kept their foot on the gas. Nearly every play they ran resulted in a TD.

There was a lot of chatter after the game that this proved that Sherando played dirty and lacked sportsmanship. My opinion on the matter is that you can't tell players not to play football, regardless of the score. Sherando's starters were out well before it got that ugly, and they still were able to score despite using standard running plays. If the other team can't stop your third string guys, that's not the fault of the leading team.

Here's my question: what constitutes "running up the score" in your eyes? 35-0? 49-0? 61-0? Is there a particular number where it's considered classless to keep scoring even when the starters are out?

Running up the score is a pet peave of mine! There is no excuse for it IMO. I did the TV game Friday night and didn't see the game but coach Fisher of Louisa took a 30 to 0 lead late in the third quarter and emptied his bench and allowed Courtland to score two TD's. That's not only showing good sportsmanship but by replacing your seniors with players that will be their next season is the correct way to build a program. In a blow out you should play your backups to give them needed experience for the future. Coach Rich Serbay of JM is the best at that I have ever seen thus you see year end and out a good program he has built. Those kids that get very little playing time have practiced in the hot summer two a days and deserve a chance to play and maybe a coach can see improvement in the player that he cant see on the pine!
Now on the reverse side let me explain what is as bad or worse in running up the score as the losing team coach losing 50 to nothing and don't play backups and leaving their starters in to score on the winning teams third string players! This is what I have experienced with these so called coaches that have coached my team Spotsy after Coleman left 15 yrs ago! I have seen them do this a lot. One time a few years ago Spotsy was losing 48 to 0 to Chancellor and Oliver had taken out his starters in the third qtr and the Spotsy coach left his starters mostly seniors in to finally score with less than a minute to go in the game. Now how are you going to build a program like that when you have practiced all year and 48 to 0 and can't get in the game when will you ever play! Then those players either quit or don't come out next year and who could blame them. This is why Spotsy's program is in the shape its in now! So this is my opinion on running up scores and some coaches like to do it. Totally unacceptable to me!