A buddy asked me a question.
He wanted to know why if there was a running clock to shorten a game where a team was overmatched-----why were the first teamer’s still playing?
I didn’t have a good answer.
What do you people think?
We generally will slowly start rotating our JV kids in throughout the 3rd quarter.
Some coaches wait until the team that is down to pull their starters then rotate their JV kids in.
Also, kids get 5 quarters. Can’t throw your jv kids all in the game in the 3rd quarter and have them for 4 quarters in their game.
One thing is teams need to remain in game shape. If team A is kicking the tar out of team B and it’s only second quarter team A still needs reps and game conditioning. This is one example I’d see.
Just speculating, but maybe to work on formations and plays that aren’t necessarily that successful for you. Example, you may be a team that runs the ball 95% of the time, you get a running clock, that’s a great time to work on the passing game
Max qtrs per year in both Ohio & Wv is 50 (excluding playoffs) and the limit per day is 4.
And you get 40 total quarters per year /per player and some coaches don’t go by that rule for players who play freshman/JV/varsity . 40 quarters is for safety.
It is 50 per year, as Fanosports said. That’s odd that some coaches wouldn’t follow the rule knowing that it is an OHSAA regulation.
once the running clock starts it shouldnt stop!
one team puts in jv and other keeps their varsity in
then all of a sudden 30 becomes 14 and you are forced to put varsity back in and start playing
Some smaller schools simply can’t sub in another group of kids and keep rolling.
It is a sticky situation. Beat a team too bad and sub too much, too early, your starters don’t get enough reps to prepare for playoffs. Sub too early, the opponent losing doesn’t sub at all and their varsity runs all over the 2’s and 3’s and makes the coach put in starters and risks getting someone hurt coming off the bench cold.
Bobby Bowden’s quote applies here, “it’s my job to score, it’s your job to stop me.” It may sound cruel, but there’s a lot that goes into a game, even blow outs where there is a running clock.
I hate running clock it ruins the reps for younger players and older players that don’t start.
At Nelsonville York, we use a running clock as a goal for our program. It’s how we know where we are as a team.
I disagree with a running clock. Put your second string and jv in. What better way for the kids of next year to learn. have reps at a full speed game. I think you learn the most thru a loss. I feel it’s like giving up. You play the whole game. I read earlier this year when green played the Hannah wv school the green coach ask to shorten quarters or a running clock and the losing coach said no we are playing the full game. I assume since they score 84 there was a running clock
When games get out of hand, a few really bad things can happen and that’s why the running clock has been implemented:
- Quicker endings in blowouts lead to fewer injuries. I’ve witnessed season ending injuries that could have been avoided by a running clock.
- Unnecessary ejections by both teams. When a team gets down, there are times that they get the attitude of “hey, lets start trouble and get thrown out”, leading to problems.
- What does it teach anyone by winning like Green did scoring over 89 points on Hannan, WV? Just leaves bad tastes in players mouths for future and can even lead to erosion of a program.
While other schools may think these, they definitely do not LOL 
Very good points.
It has its good and bad points. It still doesn’t stop some scores from getting out of hand. Mayby keep having it,and mayby after Halftime if the losing team falls behind by 50 pts, consider stopping the game. Something like the 10 run rule in Softball.
I think it’s a great thing. I wish they would put it in the second quarter if you’re down by more than 40.
Didn’t realize it is now 50 quarters per year. I reffed enough local games where some kids from a school would play 4 quarters of freshmen football. 4 quarters of JV football and a quarter of varsity football all in the same week for most of the year. 50 is the rule, but it’s strictly on the honor system.