The Mercy Rule

[radness]

Thinking about the word ...Mercy...
That conversation goes
Q~ How did your team do?
A~ The other team stop playing us because we couldn't score enough.
So they showed Mercy.

Is that really what a team that's losing wants? Mercy...?!
Maybe they want to keep trying?!!!
Especially when games have a game time anyway why not play it out?!
Should the mercy rule be an option for the team that's losing?

What do you think?
GO DFP

 

[jsoftballcoach]

Maybe the losing team should have the option, but when you are losing in HS 10-0 with no hits in the 3rd inning and haven’t had a baserunner, I don’t think you want to keep playing.

In TB, it should stay, advantage to the winning team.


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[JayW]

The winning team would just start stepping off the base, which is even more humiliating.

 

[cnardone]

My fastpitch experience only extends to 12U, but I've seen games 15 even, 20 - 0 by the end of the 2nd inning. While I understand that every child handles adversity differently, no one needs to be humiliated. My dd was on the losing end of a 40 something to 3 basketball game once. They only people that got anything out of that game were the POS parents going crazy for every basket their team scored.

 

[radness]

Hmmm seem to recall young ages in rec ball having run rule per inning to offset the mega scoring rallies?!

Other than the mega blowout games if another team is only ahead by five, six runs heck sometimes teams score five or six runs in one inning anyway just out of a bad errors fluke.
So a team can rally, and one inning can do a lot.

The option seems like an important one for the losing team!

 

[_MIA_]

Hmmm seem to recall young ages in rec ball having run rule per inning to offset the mega scoring rallies?!

Other than the mega blowout games if another team is only ahead by five, six runs heck sometimes teams score five or six runs in one inning anyway just out of a bad errors fluke.
So a team can rally, and one inning can do a lot.

The option seems like an important one for the losing team!

In college it is 8 after 5. I don't see any of OU's opponents this year complaining about the run rule..

I have seen tournaments have it something like 8 after 5, 10 after 4 and 12 after 3. Why should the team getting their teeth getting kicked in get to determine whether the winning team has to waste pitches/pitchers on a game which they are going to win 95 out of 100 times? If you don't want the game to be taken out of your hands don't get your teeth kicked in to begin with..

 

[radness]

Do believe there are people who want to keep on trying despite hardship.

Even at some point playing an extremely better team it's nice to be able to at least score one run against them. Also think it gives coaches an opportunity to completely mix up their strategy and try something new just to see if they can figure out how to do a little better in a hard situation.

Definitely do not think everybody reacts the same to getting their teeth kicked in. Definitely know people who do not give up!!!
Thankfully!!!

Recently a team playing UCLA got mercied think it was 17-1. The one run the other team got was a homerun. While it may not have made much of a difference in the outcome of the game it can make a mental difference in the ability to at least know it could happen.

 

[_MIA_]

Do believe there are people who want to keep on trying despite hardship.

Even at some point playing an extremely better team it's nice to be able to at least score one run against them. Also think it gives coaches an opportunity to completely mix up their strategy and try something new just to see if they can figure out how to do a little better in a hard situation.

Definitely do not think everybody reacts to same to getting their teeth kicked in. Definitely know people who do not give up!!!
Thankfully!!!

Recently a team playing UCLA got mercied think it was 17-1. The one run the other team got was a homerun. While it may not have made much of a difference in the outcome of the game it can make a mental difference in the ability to at least know it could happen.

There are two teams playing, not one. If anything it should be up to the winning team to determine if they want to keep playing or not. They earned the right to decide..

 

[radness]

There are two teams playing, not one. If anything it should be up to the winning team to determine if they want to keep playing or not. They earned the right to decide..

Ok, you think that option should be up to the winning team.

Kinda brings it back to that word going to show you Mercy. the other team could say we do not want your mercy.

If someone showed you Mercy would that make you feel better mr. pattar, or does that rub it in a little?

 

[_MIA_]

If someone showed you Mercy would that make you feel better mr. pattar, or does that rub it in a little?

If I got my butt kicked I would be mad that I got my butt kicked..wouldn't really care whether the other team showed me mercy or not. They kicked my butt..they've earned the right to do what they want. If I want to be able to control if the game continues I need to play better next time.