Running Up the Score: When is Enough Enough?

[conehead]

Pressing when you're up by a lot isn't doing your starters any favor but making them think they can do that to any team. They're not really learning anything. The team they're beating obviously can't handle the press, so they're not doing any more than the 2nd string could do in practice. Coaches don't have to lose the intensity, but they can call off the press and give the team a chance to get it up the floor. Practicing other defenses is important, too! And of course, get the younger players in, too. They're going to need the varsity experience when they get older, so why not put them in?

I agree with MD. Sportsmanship seems to be a thing of the past for a lot of teams these days. A win is a win whether you beat a team by 1, 20, or 50 (but don't blow the big lead and only win by 1 :P).

[jimmy chipwood]

You always hear these stories of great comebacks in high school basketball. The reason it happens is usually (but not always) the winning team stops playing fundamental defense or/and the winning team starts taking poor/quick shots.

[all-time athlete]

My thoughts on it is you are either going to be a good person or a good coach....it all depends on what is most important to the particular coach

[javon white]

There is a fine line here. However, the coaches who often run up scores often leave when their talent pool dries up or their transfer athletes leave, which is often the case. The teams that they have pounded in the past then take it out on the team he left. If the coach who runs up scores does stay and his talent pool dries up for whatever reason and opposing teams who have been pounded in the past does the same to him in terms of running up the score, I often notice that the coach that ran up the scores in the past has an instant case of memory loss and can't understand why any coach would do such a thing.

[we_believed_99]

My thoughts on it is you are either going to be a good person or a good coach....it all depends on what is most important to the particular coach

i like that! if you can beat a team by 30pts then obvilously you will get nothing out of pressing late in the game! i want my team including the bench to get BETTER not a false confidence!! if the subs are in and a slight comeback is being made then let your subs press..if not leave it for practice because if you practice against your subs everyday and they challenge you enough to beat teams by 30pts then the opposing team can't play with your subs either..just sit back and if it starts getting out of control then go back to pressing and regain control!

[jimmy chipwood]

I think All-Time Athlete is saying thta if you dont run up the score when you can that your a good person and if you do run up the score you are a good coach. Which I strongly disagree with. A good coach builds a winning program and thinks about the future instead of how many points he can beat a team with his starters. Typically, a team with a winning basketball program wins at every level (Varsity, JV, freshmen, jr high) for a reason.

[jeepmadness]

Call off the dogs, but keep mixing your starters with the bench players. Try to get your bench players enough touches that they start to feel comfortable with the ball in their hands during a game. Even the losing team should try it when you are down big. Cant hurt your chances when you are already getting pounded. That is the only way your bench players will learn to play.

I would like to see a coach start putting in subs in the meat of the game. Especially if your team is in definite control. That is the only way these kids that set on the end of the bench will learn how to play in a game. Practice and games are a lot different from each other. Nothing worse to watch than 2 bench clears in the last couple minutes of a game. Might as well blind fold these kids, spin them in a circle 10 times and then tell them to put the ball in the basket while wearing the blind fold. Half the time these kids don't even know which end they are shooting at anyway.

A coach should know when to back his starters off and let the other kids get their opportunities. But keep playing. Game isn't over until the buzzer sounds.

[love_the_game]

It seems everyone has an opinion on this so I might as well give mine. If a team is just superior in talent and wins by say 20, 30, or even 40 then that is just the way it goes, BUT, when a team is up 20+ points and they DO NOT play their bench (and I have seen Peebles do this numerous times even at the peewee level, not saying they are the only ones that do that though), that is where the problem lies. I strongly feel that even though the bench players may possibly be weaker players (and I don't say that to be mean) they are expected to attend practices and give 100% the same as the starters, they should be given some playing time in a real game situation if possible, such as the case when a team is up 20+. These players cannot be expected to improve if they never ever get an opportunity.

If bench players never see playing time then it shows the character of that coach who obviously does not care about each member of their team or they would want to give them opportunities when they can. I thought the role of a coach is to work with all members of their team, not just the ones with the most talent, or even possibly their own child. Hard to imagine that, isn't it? I bet it is a rare instance where that one that never leaves the bench is the coaches kid. . .

[jchitwood]

I mentioned this on another thread, but a few years ago Corey Copas broke the North Adams single game scoring record against Peebles. The game wasn't close at all, but they kept Corey in so he could break the record.

What if you're the coach in that situation? Do you let the kid step in the record books, or tug on the leash in the name of fairness? (I honestly don't know what I'd do...good thing I'm not the coach in the family).

And hey, just for gits and shiggles: what if the losing team has pulled their starters?

[TribeManiac10]

I mentioned this on another thread, but a few years ago Corey Copas broke the North Adams single game scoring record against Peebles. The game wasn't close at all, but they kept Corey in so he could break the record.

What if you're the coach in that situation? Do you let the kid step in the record books, or tug on the leash in the name of fairness? (I honestly don't know what I'd do...good thing I'm not the coach in the family).

And hey, just for gits and shiggles: what if the losing team has pulled their starters?

Also an interesting topic. Why keep starters in when down by 40+ with one quarter to go?

[jchitwood]

I've seen coaches keep one starter in in those situations..usually a good guard who can bring it down the floor and dish it to the bench players that finally have a chance to score.

[jchitwood]

[I drain 3's]

No such thing as "running up the door". It's the defenses job to stop the offense. The offense shouldn't have to stop itself just because you can't play defense. Don't want to get blown out, get better.

[Chief Lefty]

There was a team in 1993 that was up 25-30? at halftime, and coach didn't know what he doing. A decent Valley team came back and beat them. so lesson learned never call off the dogs.

[peeblesfan97]

Chief Lefty, I was in the 8th grade and at that sectional game and what a shame, that team was state ranked and should have won district at the least. Instead they tried to be the nice guys and had their season ended in doing so by subbing to early and the wrong "Indians" won that game.

[Space Cowboy]

One other thing to consider, although rare, is thinking about your teams ranking for sectionals.
When team records are tied, points scored and points against say alot.

[peeblesfan97]

There is a flip side to every coin, and I have been involved in both sides of it. It can be really great or really awfull, "it is what it is" these things go in cycles and when you are up it's never enough and when you are down you are not out, it just seems that way.

[rockyraccoon]

I say if your subs are in and they are scoring, that's fine, but I have watched a team keep their startes in after the losing team has subbed out theirs, keep on pressing and run up the score. That's uncalled for and shows no class, and then is excused by saying "That's they way we play the whole game".

[oak hill71]

If the losing team has their starters still in, then the winning team has every right too. Or if your playing a rival.

One of my favorite quotes describes it perfectly;
"Coach, why did you go for two?"
"Because I couldn't go for three."
-Woody Hayes after a failed two point conversion after they were already winning.

[jchitwood]

If the losing team has their starters still in, then the winning team has every right too. Or if your playing a rival.

One of my favorite quotes describes it perfectly;
"Coach, why did you go for two?"
"Because I couldn't go for three."
-Woody Hayes after a failed two point conversion after they were already winning.

I believe OSU was beating Michigan by 48 to almost nothing when they went for the conversion. 50 does have a nice ring to it....