The Mercy Rule

[_MIA_]

Wonder what the consensus is about doing that?

Which is something coaches will even do early in the game sometimes before run rule would even apply.

Again, you are only thinking about this from losing team's side. Say it is 100 degrees and the winning team knows they are going to play 3 more games that day. Wouldn't it behoove them to get the game over as quick as possible? In that case if they are already at the run rule point (in terms of the score), scoring more runs would just make the game go longer and have their players out there in the heat longer. You don't see this in college softball, even though there are plenty run rule games, because the specter of being out there in 100 degree heat for another 8 hours isn't there.

Yes it is certainly embarrassing..but again don't put yourself in that situation if you don't want the other team to do it.

You hear a similar sentiment in pro sports sometimes..fans complaining about teams running up scores. If you don't want them to score, stop them...

 

[HunterMO]

All for the mercy rule. And DD has been on both sides of it.

The one time I was truly thankful for the mercy rule on the losing side was during a Fall tournament game with DD's new team. First year 14u team playing B/A level ball. Talented group of girls. After having won a bit of a roller coaster for the first bracket game, they start the second bracket game going up 3-0. DD's team ends up giving up 15+ runs in the third inning. It was just an absolute epic collapse with no ending in sight. Talk about working through adversity all you want, but this one was over.

For school ball (JH), they mercy ruled other teams a lot. Sounds fun. Winning feels good. The (selfish) downside was the innings that weren't played, were where DD would have been pitching. The starter would throw the first 3-4 innings. And DD would come in relief for the final 1-2 innings. When not pitching DD started at 1B and hit in the #2 or #3 spot, so she was still playing every inning and having fun. In the end, all good. But, it was something I had not thought about until she went through it.

 

[EdLovrich]

In HS ball last fall, we were playing a team that was overmatched but in the conference. The coach came over and asked that we simply stop the game. The umpire said that my team had the winning run on 3rd and that the game will end when that run crossed the plate. The coach took her team off of the field saying that she was not going to allow her team to be embarrassed. We had stepped off the base each inning to prevent a slaughter. Would you have this team stay out there?

Not sure which code this game was played under, but: NFHS in ANY sport, but specifically SB in this case, the opposing coaches can agree to end a contest at any point for any reason and have it be an official contest. Records stay intact. The umpire in this case was wrong. The problem with the coach pulling her team from the field is that the game become a forfeit and there are possible implications from a sanction standpoint.

 

[radness]

The semantics are why nobody calls it the Slaughter rule anymore, but let's be honest, it's the best way to describe what happened.

How devastating would that be if it was called Slaughter rule in the books LOL.


Announcer
"And Oklahoma completely slaughtered _____________.
It was like a meat processing plant in the Box."

 

[radness]

Yes it is certainly embarrassing..but again don't put yourself in that situation if you don't want the other team to do it.

 

[obritt]

Wonder what the consensus is about doing that?

Which is something coaches will even do early in the game sometimes before run rule would even apply.

Is that humiliating or merciful?

Think there are times coaches do that so that they can get their defense some more work on the field.

There are other ways to show mercy than just stepping off the bag. Coaches who know the game would end up this way can use a pitcher that needs circle time, girls that are working on slap hitting that never get slap in a game get the chance, girls work on bunting ETC.

 

[canyonjoe]

The mercy rule isn't in place for coaches with sportsmanship. It's in place for the minority of coaches who think it's great to win 50-0 and just humiliate the other team. In basketball the ones who press up 50 or in football blitzing up 50.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

The mercy rule isn't in place for coaches with sportsmanship. It's in place for the minority of coaches who think it's great to win 50-0 and just humiliate the other team. In basketball the ones who press up 50 or in football blitzing up 50.

If I am down 50 (or some large number) in basketball and the other team is pressing, is that the other coaches problem or my problem?

As a coach I think that is my problem. I am never concerned with what the other team does or doesn't do.

 

[Cannonball]

Not sure which code this game was played under, but: NFHS in ANY sport, but specifically SB in this case, the opposing coaches can agree to end a contest at any point for any reason and have it be an official contest. Records stay intact. The umpire in this case was wrong. The problem with the coach pulling her team from the field is that the game become a forfeit and there are possible implications from a sanction standpoint.

The umpire wasn't saying that the game couldn't end. He was saying that under the rules as covered in the pregame meeting that with one more run, the game was official. Perhaps I mislead posters here with my brief post on what was a longer event. The coach went ahead and walked off. My AD didn't want this game to count. I'm fine with it all but I did not agree to end the game. It seemed that this coach did this a lot during the season and didn't play us our second conference game. Perhaps the most ironic thing that happened during this game is that this coach thanked me several times for having my player walk-off bases to end innings.

 

[canyonjoe]

If I am down 50 (or some large number) in basketball and the other team is pressing, is that the other coaches problem or my problem?

As a coach I think that is my problem. I am never concerned with what the other team does or doesn't do.

Whatever