MSHSL Approves Mercy Rule

The MSHSL has approved a mercy rule for football and basketball next year. If you're up 35 or more in the last 9 minutes we go to running time. If you get it under 30, then we're back to regular time. I'm not a fan of this at all. This punishes the end of bench kids (like I was once upon a time) by cutting their playing time in some of the few instances where they get it. Some of the best moments in games are with those kids. If one of the purposes of high school athletics is to teach the kids character, then blowouts are a lesson in character from all team members. The real world isn't always fair or pleasant. And as a purist, I don't think its in the spirit of the game. There's an old saying that you can't legislate morality and I think this a case where the MSHSL did just that. I think this cries out for the coaches to take it upon themselves to schedule better opponents and to do a better job getting their bench players into the games.