MHSAA Rule Clarification

[SteelCurtain74]

The MHSAA has enacted a rule this year that if a team is leading by 35 or more at halftime or anytime in the second half the referees can enacted a running clock without coaches input.

What happens if the score difference falls below 35? Does it continue to be a running clock until the end of the game or will it resume to stop on dead balls/out of bounds/penalties?

[coachnorm]

The MHSAA has enacted a rule this year that if a team is leading by 35 or more at halftime or anytime in the second half the referees can enacted a running clock without coaches input.

What happens if the score difference falls below 35? Does it continue to be a running clock until the end of the game or will it resume to stop on dead balls/out of bounds/penalties?

Generally from a national standpoint, once the mercy rule is in place, the clock will not revert back. I have seen high school coaches get penalized for arguing with officials when the winning coach called time out to further slow down the game and the idiot referee would not keep the clock running. The coach wanted to drain the clock then take a knee because his opposition was at risk?

[parabrave]

This has been going on for years. But usually both coaches would tell the refs to keep running the clock.

[CaptainObvious]

Since one of the tie-breakers in a 3 team tie is score differential against the other 2 in the tie, that could interesting to sort out, say it?s 35-0 at the half, the leading coach goes to his bench and the score ends up 35-20 and the team that loses ends up winning the tie breaker based on their score differential against the other opponent being higher. But alas, let?s not let anybody get embarrassed for not being good or well coached.

[Pancho]

They only was to properly deal with this issue would be to mandate that all varsity players come off the field when a 35 point differential is reached. Then the young guys from both squads get work and an opportunity to play on friday night in a normal setting.

[Coach34]

If a team is getting beat by 35 at half- they are rarely involved in the point differential tiebreaker. Once the running clock I agreed to- it doesn’t change.

Also with a running clock- no team is going to score 20 points against a much better team. Even their back-ups. 12 min running clock usually gives a team about 2 second half possessions. The clocks runs on out of bounds, possession changes, everything.

[TheLostDawg]

If a team is getting beat by 35 at half- they are rarely involved in the point differential tiebreaker. Once the running clock I agreed to- it doesn’t change.

Also with a running clock- no team is going to score 20 points against a much better team. Even their back-ups. 12 min running clock usually gives a team about 2 second half possessions. The clocks runs on out of bounds, possession changes, everything.

Don't tell that to leach. The game is never out of reach for him

[Coach34]

Don't tell that to leach. The game is never out of reach for him

Seriously? Go back and see when he came back once down 35

[msudawg1200]

Since one of the tie-breakers in a 3 team tie is score differential against the other 2 in the tie, that could interesting to sort out, say it?s 35-0 at the half, the leading coach goes to his bench and the score ends up 35-20 and the team that loses ends up winning the tie breaker based on their score differential against the other opponent being higher. But alas, let?s not let anybody get embarrassed for not being good or well coached.

That scenario wouldn't matter because +12 is all you get in the point differential tie breaker. Example: Team A beats Team C 70-0. All they get is +12. Team B beats Team C 12-0. They also get +12. This was done to keep teams from running up the score.

[Homedawg]

Seriously? Go back and see when he came back once down 35

He did low a 35 point lead to ucla. So there's that!

[confucius say]

He came back from 31 fwiw

[Liverpooldawg]

Since one of the tie-breakers in a 3 team tie is score differential against the other 2 in the tie, that could interesting to sort out, say it?s 35-0 at the half, the leading coach goes to his bench and the score ends up 35-20 and the team that loses ends up winning the tie breaker based on their score differential against the other opponent being higher. But alas, let?s not let anybody get embarrassed for not being good or well coached.

If the score is 35-20 the point diff as far as the tie breaker goes will be exactly the same. You get 12 points + or - max no matter how bad it is.