SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Boys Varsity Soccer Soccer Needs A Mercy Rule (Gerald Davis - The State)

Soccer needs a mercy rule
Posted 3/25/2009 2:38 PM EDT on The State

The evidence is in the daily high school scoreboard.

High school soccer games have become more lopsided and, perhaps, the S.C. high school soccer coaches or who ever the governing body is, should consider implementing a mercy rule. You know, something akin to high school softball and baseball.

Look, it's embarrassing for a team to lose 16-0 as Orangeburg-Wilkinson did against second-ranked Irmo earlier this season. In seven games, Irmo has scored nine or more goals four times.

This is not to suggest that Irmo, are any team, is running up the score. In fact, unlike basketball, soccer coaches don't have the option of holding the ball for minutes at a time to eat minutes. Some states have already implemented a mercy rule. Shouldn't S.C. do the same?

Soccer Needs A Mercy Rule - Blog

I've seen worse scores than this. What about the ridiculous assault where Spring Valley beat Lower Richland 32-0 in 2001? Where was Mr. Davis at then?

Freaky Zeeky, you're going to jail!

Maybe there should be. I understand that by the end of the IRMO-O-W game, Irmo had 7 players on the field. I don't think anybody feels good about a game like that.

I've always considered the clock as the mercy rule. It's not like baseball or softball in which innings are the deciding factor on the time limit of a game. There isn't a mercy rule in football when a team is winning 63-0 nor is there one in basketball when a team is beating the brains out of another at 80-20. Run it up!

and maybe we could hand out juice boxes and snacks after the games.

I agree, but until that happens we can only sit and bear the results.Sometimes it is hard to watch from both sides.If scheduling or redistricting was that easy,it could make the games a better match.

Here in Illinois, we have a mercy rule. If a team goes down by 7 goals, the second half time will be cut in half. If the 7 goal differential happens in the second half, the amount of time is cut in half. It makes painful games end quicker which would limit the pain and possibility of injury. I like the rule!

I think areas like Orangeburg that probably don't have any competitive soccer options are at a disadvantage. It takes alot of guts for them to even field a team and to the get beaten game after game by such large margins. The next year they'll say why bother.

The problem in this country is the kids that don't grow up playing organized soccer pay zero attention to the sport. Then if they do take it up in high school they are miles behind the better teams. Kids can first play organized football in high school and be good at it. If it is their first time stepping on a soccer pitch then they don't have a chance against kids that have been playing since they were little.