Would you run it up to return the favor...........

whenever (in any circumstance) it becomes NOT about the kids, then something is wrong.

And that's all I have to say about that.

I agree with Brophy 100%.

If you are in it for yourself - you might as well tell everyone you are Al Bundy, from Polk High School, and you scored 4 touchdowns in one game.

I have had this happen to me (getting taken to the wood shed) and a few years later I had the chance to do it to the team that did it to me. Instead, I put in my second team and they got some real good work in, and we still won the game.

I think that was the best way I could have handled my situation.

Never run it up I had a team do that to me when I was coaching middle school and I yelled all the way I across the field. That being said I wouldn't run the score up. If you are playing a team that has done it to you before you send a great message IMO if you don't return the favor.

I've never understood it. We've taken our share of beatings, a few have run it up, and we always say, "When we get the chance!" But in reality, when the game is decided win or lose, I want to get the kids who work as hard as anyone else all week in the game. You never know when you'll need them.

Leaving the starters in for the first series of the 2nd Half and then making substitutions after that is NOT running up the score.

IMO, "running up the score" includes very specific actions by the opposition...leaving the first string in deep into the 2nd Half of a blowout, running trick plays or throwing deep passes in an attempt to score or pad stats when the game is clearly in hand...

If the other team's backup players are kicking my best player's butts and the other coaches are outcoaching me, that's not running up the score.

Personally I would think it serves the same purpose to drive the ball to their 20. Take a knee 4 times and give it back to them. It proves a point, it's sort of kind in the score column, it's the higher road, and for the guy on the losing end of it, he knows exactly what's going on. It's called counting coup.

LOL, great point- teams would be relieved if we were throwing We just do not do that near as well as we pound it out. One thing about throwing though it stops the clock (can anyway) and that prolongs things.

You forgot the key ingredient, which would be leaving the starters in deep into a game that has already been decided.

1> play to win the game
.... once that has been decided
2> play the backups in an effort to get them game-time reps in case they are needed down the road. run normal offense/defense
... once 2's have gotten adequate reps
3> play everyone else. run the most basic schemes (which, is probably all they can handle anyway)

if more scoring occurs during 'phases' 2 & 3 then that is merely a product of your depth continuing to be better than their starters or depth NOT really a product of you running it up. obviously, you are not in it to embarrass their players/coaches/fans/program. but, at the same time, you need to be fair to your kids by a) repping your backups with meaningful play calls and b) allowing the 2's & 3's to 'showcase' their skills as well by allowing them the chance to play.

If I get the score ran up on me the only one im mad at is me for letting it happen but with that said i would never run the score up on anyone else there is no place for it. Earlier this season, leading 24-0, we took a knee at the opponents 3 yd line with a minute left in the game and they called a timeout. I went ahead ran a play score then took a knee on the point after.

About trick plays: a couple of years ago we were up big on a 3-3 blitzing team. We put in the 2nds and 3rds and ran the ball. They kept their first defense in and kept blitzing. We ran a reverse and scored. Were we supposed to keep sending the young kids, behind a young line, into a meatgrinder to spare their feelings?

Been there, done that.

Couple of years ago, we were spanking a team and had our back-ups in and were just trying to run the ball, keep the clock moving, and get the heck out of there.

Other team leaves their starters in, packs 9 guys in the box, and starts blitzing like crazy and hooting and hollering after every play.

Didn't think twice about calling a bootleg after that. Sophomore QB made a great fake, defense jumped all over the FB and TB, WR got behind the defense, and we scored an easy 60-yarder.

That is exactly the philosophy that we have typically employed, to a "tee." We are lucky that, without anything having been written or spoken, if Team A puts in their substitutes in a lop-sided game, then Team B will match your manuver, usually on the very next play (or, at least at the beginning of the very next series depending on the circumstances).

I know that if we are clearly blown-out and overmatched, and our opponent substitutes, we substitute on the very next play. We will even call a timeout to make sure it happens smoothly and that the young kids are ready to go. We do the same if we are the ones in the lead.

As for throwing deep when the score is up and running trick plays, I'm not sure if I would personally ever do that, even with my 3's and 4's against a team we are blowing out. I guess it's hard for you to NOT do that if that is your base offense (which would be unusual, but whatever), but it's not something I would do. I am going to run my base package and formations, and call plays to gain first downs.

We were winning 35-0 against the (at the time) #1 ranked team in the state. We were 3-6, so we were not an exceptional team. The game was down to about a minute-and-a-half and we had our 3rd string QB in, and a mix of 2nd and 3rd string players. We were about 3rd and 15 because of a couple of false-start penalties. I called our base playaction pass (because, like I said, we are still calling plays to get 1st downs). Well, our noodle-arm QB drops the ball right on top of our 5'6" WR on a corner route, and he takes it the rest of the way for a TD (against the opponent's first string). I felt HORRIBLE and EMBARASSED and I was absolutely mortified. I went directly to the other team's HC and he laughed and told me not to worry about it and that that "freaking kid didn't cover anyone all day anyway!"

I was glad he said that, because we always had a good relationship with that staff, but I'll never forget how bad I felt. That's all I needed to know about what's "right" and what's "wrong" in my mind. Even though the other coach was fine with it, I personally was not. I know I didn't do a sh*tbum thing, because I had my back-ups in and he still had his one's in, and because we were throwing a simple (like, installed on the first day of practice kind of simple) playaction pass on 3rd and 15, but it just didn't sit well with me.

Now, conversely, we played a team that had a great RB. He had a chance for 2,000 yard season and a school rushing record against us. Well, they ripped us. It was 38-6 at halftime. We started subbing with about 2 min left in the 3rd. It was clear that we were subbing. They left their kids in for 2 more series, and during that time, they left their stud back in so he could get his 2,000 yard season. They ended up beating us 53-6. They onside kicked, went for 2, ran halfback option passes with their stud RB, and behaved like total {censored} during the second half. They even took a sledgehammer out to our midfield emblem after the game and pounded on it. I thought that was absolutely classess and I wanted to go nuts and beat the fat bastid into a lifeless ball of meat. Even worse, we beat them two years before 28-6, and we kneeled the ball out with our third team offense with the clock running out, when we clearly could have scored with what was our 3rd team.

The whole thing is definitely a grey area, in terms of what's "running it up" and what is not. I guess it's really about what's best for the kids in each program.

So let me ask the flip side of it. What is a guy supposed to do on defense when he's ahead 42-0 and has the subs in? I'm not out to get anyone hurt or make it worse, but if my #3 Defense is in and the opposing starters are in and still trying to pass the ball a ton and really move it downfield against my undermatched kids, I'm not going to make them sit in the same coverage every play and let them be out there helpless either. Sure, our #3s are going to get to be on the winning team, but I'm not going to let them be cannon fodder for a team that is now ticked off because they're down by 42.