Hitting Too Hard in Football?

[LLion22]

I have it from a very reputable source, that this past Thursday night, both the 7th and 8th grade football teams from what will remain an anonymous school, were asked by the refs to not hit the other team so hard. I've been to a lot of games over my years, of all grades and ages from Pop-Warner thru HS, but have never experienced this.

 

There were no penalties, i.e. personal fouls. Both games were apparently out of control on the score, the clock was already running continuously in the second half, and next the refs were on the sideline asking that the winning team please not hit the other team's players so hard.

 

Has anyone else come across this?

[Tatum_DirtyBird]

I have it from a very reputable source, that this past Thursday night, both the 7th and 8th grade football teams from what will remain an anonymous school, were asked by the refs to not hit the other team so hard. I've been to a lot of games over my years, of all grades and ages from Pop-Warner thru HS, but have never experienced this.

 

There were no penalties, i.e. personal fouls. Both games were apparently out of control on the score, the clock was already running continuously in the second half, and next the refs were on the sideline asking that the winning team please not hit the other team's players so hard.

 

Has anyone else come across this?

 

 

I can understand trying to protect players with rules against chop-blocks and spearing and face masks, but a good clean hit is totally acceptable. If a parent don't want their baby to have that much contact, football is not the sport for him. Maybe they should try chess. As for the refs the called for it, do your job. Make calls and let the coaches coach.

[flukeshot]

Well, did they stop hitting so hard?

[KarnackKing]

This has to be a joke.

[CardinalEdge]

Well if it was a smaller school that has low numbers and are playing kids that have never played, you might as a coach have your players back off or put in your not so talented players. As a coach I have been on both sides. Sometimes you play a team with a bunch of studs and all you have is a bunch of guys you are trying to get involved in the sport. At Longview we sometimes played schools that we could beat 100-0 if we really wanted to just pound them into submission. But as an opposing coach when the game gets that out of hand, you shouldn't have in your studs. Jr. High football is a sport where sometimes you don't have numbers to play 11 kids that grew up playing football. You have to understand that you can't just throw kids out to slaughter. Teach them to play hard but also teach them the compassion to not try and knock the head off of a 75lb kid that is trying to become a football player. If that was your child or player in an overmatched game with a power house in the district that has 10 kids that could play varsity as 7th graders. Would you want the opposing coach keeping his stars in until the final buzzer? I am not saying not to play hard, but Jr. High football you have to use your brain and not let your big players keep playing when the other team puts in their not so talented players. Heck that might be all the other team has. Would you rather that coach cancel the game if he is having a down year. If the Ref said that at the beginning of a close game then I would be questioning it. Safety of each player is my first concern. I want my kids to compete and play hard, but if I am up by 30 or more I get my starters off of the field. Some coaches don't do that. They want to put their foot on your throat after you have already been pronounced dead. Kids can learn to play hard nosed ball with good sportsmanship.

[Tbone-05]

I remember my first year of coaching jr high we where away and the ref threw a flag on our running back for illegal use of the head. We tried to explain that a running back can lower his head and truck somebody and that its not in the rule book. The ref (uncle to the boy who got trucked) would not hear of changing his call.

[CardinalEdge]

you also got to remember that the good...(I Mean better refs) work on friday night and not Thursday....

[kramer]

you also got to remember that the good...(I Mean better refs) work on friday night and not Thursday....

 

 

You got that right. There not working on Sunday's either.

[LLion22]

Well if it was a smaller school that has low numbers and are playing kids that have never played, you might as a coach have your players back off or put in your not so talented players. As a coach I have been on both sides. Sometimes you play a team with a bunch of studs and all you have is a bunch of guys you are trying to get involved in the sport. At Longview we sometimes played schools that we could beat 100-0 if we really wanted to just pound them into submission. But as an opposing coach when the game gets that out of hand, you shouldn't have in your studs. Jr. High football is a sport where sometimes you don't have numbers to play 11 kids that grew up playing football. You have to understand that you can't just throw kids out to slaughter. Teach them to play hard but also teach them the compassion to not try and knock the head off of a 75lb kid that is trying to become a football player. If that was your child or player in an overmatched game with a power house in the district that has 10 kids that could play varsity as 7th graders. Would you want the opposing coach keeping his stars in until the final buzzer? I am not saying not to play hard, but Jr. High football you have to use your brain and not let your big players keep playing when the other team puts in their not so talented players. Heck that might be all the other team has. Would you rather that coach cancel the game if he is having a down year. If the Ref said that at the beginning of a close game then I would be questioning it. Safety of each player is my first concern. I want my kids to compete and play hard, but if I am up by 30 or more I get my starters off of the field. Some coaches don't do that. They want to put their foot on your throat after you have already been pronounced dead. Kids can learn to play hard nosed ball with good sportsmanship.

 

Very well said. The team asked to not hit so hard was actually one of the smallest 2A schools in the state and they were playing a 3A. Even with that being the case, I can see your point, keeping the kids safe should always be the first concern, regardless of anything else. That may have been the refs concern and if so, kudos to him. If there was a safety concern, the 3A coach should have been the first to speak up and/or pull his team from the field.