Mercy rule
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule (or, less commonly, knockout rule and skunk rule), brings a sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably insurmountable lead over the other team. The mercy rule is most common in games such as baseball or softball, where there is no game clock and play could theoretically continue forever, although it is also used in sports such as hockey, football, and soccer. It is very rare in competitive sports beyond the high school level.
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[edit] Usage details
The rules vary widely, depending on the level of competition, but nearly all youth leagues and high school sports associations, and many college sports associations have mercy rules for sports including baseball, softball, football (though not college) and soccer. It is common in video game simulations of sports because it helps move the game along.
However, it should be noted that mercy rules usually do not take effect until a prescribed point in the game (e.g., the second half of a football game). That means one team, particularly if they are decidedly better than a weaker opponent, can still "run up the score" before the rule takes effect. For instance, in (American) football, one team could be ahead by 70 points with three minutes left in the first half; in baseball, the better team could have a 20-run lead in the second inning, but the game would continue.
[edit] Baseball and softball
In the World Baseball Classic (WBC), games are stopped after five innings when a team is ahead by 15 or more runs and after seven innings when a team is ahead by at least 10 runs.
In Little League baseball, rules usually call for the game to end if the winning team is ahead by 10 runs after five innings. In some leagues, this margin may be as little as eight.
Softball rules are similar, but some rules call for the game to end if the winning team is ahead by 12 runs or more after three innings.
Due to the untimed nature of innings, some leagues impose caps on the number of runs that can be scored in one inning, usually in the 4-8 range. This ensures that games will complete in a reasonable length of time, but it can also mean that a lead of a certain size becomes insurmountable due to the cap.
[edit] American football
At the middle or high school level, the mercy rule may involve a "continuous clock" – that is, the clock continues to operate on most plays when the clock would normally stop, such as an incomplete pass – once a team has a certain lead (e.g., 35 points) during the second half. Under the rules, the clock stops as usual during such events as a touchdown or injury time out, and reverts to normal timing procedures once the lead falls below the prescribed amount.
In some states, the rules call for a game to end when one team is ahead by a certain score (e.g., 45 or 50 points) in the second half.
Another variant in some states with the "continuous clock" rule allows coaches and game officials to choose to end a game at their own discretion any time during the second half, especially if a lopsided margin continues to increase or threatening weather strikes.
[edit] Soccer and hockey
In competition, the winning margin usually is somewhere from 5-10 goals in the second half.
[edit] Amateur Wrestling
See Technical Fall.
[edit] Ultimate (Frisbee)
In WDFD League Ultimate, the mercy rule is 17 points with a 2 point lead. If the score difference is less than 2 points then a cap to 19 points is applied.
[edit] Pros and cons
Opinions on mercy rules vary widely. For instance, those who believe that the rule is a good idea commonly cite the following reasons:
- It stops coaches from running up the score.
- It allows the losing team to not feel forced to play out an obviously losing and perhaps embarrassing game.
- It cuts down on unnecessary injuries on both sides and allows team members to rest up for games against more equal opponents.
- It saves time.
Opponents of the mercy rule often cite one of the following:
- It is not a “pure” result.
- It eliminates the chance of a comeback.
- It can cut down playing time for junior varsity and less-experienced team members on the winning team.
- It is often infeasible due to point differential often serving as a tiebreaker for playoff or tournament (e.g. round-robin tournament) play.
