Connecticut To Put Stop To High School Football Routs

High school football coaches in Connecticut that want to run up the score, may want to think twice this year. The football committee of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference has adopted a "score management" policy aimed at stopping teams from winning by more than 50 points.

The rout will be considered an unsportsmanlike infraction this fall, and the head coach of the offending team will be disqualified from coaching the next game.

From my perspective, Connecticut officials should have looked to the mercy rule that several states have adopted, which calls for a continuous clock that usually is instituted once a team falls behind by more than 35 points.

The one thing that I don't think that CIAC officials thought about is, what happens if the JV players come-in and are playing well? Do you tell these kids, who rarely get into the varsity game, "take it easy"? And what happens if the JVs score two or three touchdowns, causing a final score above 50 points? Should the coach be suspended for the next game?

The answer is simply no! CIAC officials should re-evaluate this decision now, before the season starts.

To read more on the new rule from the Boston Globe, click on The High School Football Huddle headline "Connecticut To Put Stop To High School Football Routs".