Antec
04-22-2008, 05:24 PM
By MIKE HAUTAMAKI
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, April 20, 2008 11:29 PM CDT
VIRGINIA - High school basketball's a pretty good game, so why does the Minnesota State High School League keep messing with it?
That's what at least two area coaches were left to wonder earlier this month after the MSHSL approved mercy rules for high school basketball and football, which will take effect this fall. In the past two years, the state high school league has mandated one significant change in basketball and moved towards another. The new mercy rule, in theory, will speed up the pace of lopsided games.
But will it really?
"I think it's ridiculous," said Mesabi East girls basketball coach Dave Hillman. "It's not going to make the games any shorter, so what's the point?"
Under the basketball plan approved by the MSHSL, the clock will go to running time if a team's lead hits 35 points in the final nine minutes of the game but will return to stop time if a timeout is called or the lead is cut to 30. And in football, the clock will go to running time if a team leads by 35 points in the fourth quarter but will return to stop time if the lead is cut to 30.
Hillman, who is also an assistant on the Mountain Iron-Buhl football team, wondered why the rules have to be so convoluted. If you're down by either 30 or 35 points late in the game in either football or basketball, logic says stop time isn't going to be that big of an asset.
Even so, he was happy to see a mercy rule instituted in football.
"I think it was a good move for football, especially in nine-man," said Hillman. "I've been a part of a successful program over the last few years, and it gets tough when you're up by 40 or 45 points and still have game left to play. It can make for a long night."
Virginia boys basketball coach Rich Odell called the approval of a mercy rule in basketball "curious," pointing to the MSHSL's decision a few years ago to change games from four eight-minute quarters to two 18-minute halves.
"That change was supposed to help more kids get some playing time, and now they approve a rule that's supposed to shorten games," Odell said. "It doesn't make much sense, but I don't think it will be a signifcant factor very often."
Odell also questioned whether the move to 18-minute halves has served its intended purpose.
"I guess it depends on your style of play and what kind of depth you have," he said, "but I saw some games down at the (boys) state tournament where teams were only using six or seven guys. The boxscores were pretty short."
Last October, the MSHSL also approved a 35-second shot clock on an optional basis, but Odell said it's probably "inevitable" that the clock will become part of the high school game.
"As a coach, you do sometimes get the feeling that they (the state high school league) are constantly trying to tweak the game and make it better," said Odell. "But I think it's pretty good as it is, so you wonder why they just can't leave it alone."
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, April 20, 2008 11:29 PM CDT
VIRGINIA - High school basketball's a pretty good game, so why does the Minnesota State High School League keep messing with it?
That's what at least two area coaches were left to wonder earlier this month after the MSHSL approved mercy rules for high school basketball and football, which will take effect this fall. In the past two years, the state high school league has mandated one significant change in basketball and moved towards another. The new mercy rule, in theory, will speed up the pace of lopsided games.
But will it really?
"I think it's ridiculous," said Mesabi East girls basketball coach Dave Hillman. "It's not going to make the games any shorter, so what's the point?"
Under the basketball plan approved by the MSHSL, the clock will go to running time if a team's lead hits 35 points in the final nine minutes of the game but will return to stop time if a timeout is called or the lead is cut to 30. And in football, the clock will go to running time if a team leads by 35 points in the fourth quarter but will return to stop time if the lead is cut to 30.
Hillman, who is also an assistant on the Mountain Iron-Buhl football team, wondered why the rules have to be so convoluted. If you're down by either 30 or 35 points late in the game in either football or basketball, logic says stop time isn't going to be that big of an asset.
Even so, he was happy to see a mercy rule instituted in football.
"I think it was a good move for football, especially in nine-man," said Hillman. "I've been a part of a successful program over the last few years, and it gets tough when you're up by 40 or 45 points and still have game left to play. It can make for a long night."
Virginia boys basketball coach Rich Odell called the approval of a mercy rule in basketball "curious," pointing to the MSHSL's decision a few years ago to change games from four eight-minute quarters to two 18-minute halves.
"That change was supposed to help more kids get some playing time, and now they approve a rule that's supposed to shorten games," Odell said. "It doesn't make much sense, but I don't think it will be a signifcant factor very often."
Odell also questioned whether the move to 18-minute halves has served its intended purpose.
"I guess it depends on your style of play and what kind of depth you have," he said, "but I saw some games down at the (boys) state tournament where teams were only using six or seven guys. The boxscores were pretty short."
Last October, the MSHSL also approved a 35-second shot clock on an optional basis, but Odell said it's probably "inevitable" that the clock will become part of the high school game.
"As a coach, you do sometimes get the feeling that they (the state high school league) are constantly trying to tweak the game and make it better," said Odell. "But I think it's pretty good as it is, so you wonder why they just can't leave it alone."