Our league unofficially keeps score and lets the other team add a player if there's too big a gap. The person keeping time keeps track. No one else is supposed to keep score. That didn't stop one of the parents on our team from arguing with a six year old player from the other team about what the score was. It was horrible, they were shouting at each other. After she was dragged away from the kid she congratulated all the players on our team for crushing the other team. I felt so bad for her kid. I don't know what is wrong with people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So explain please how recreational soccer has a mercy rule if NO ONE is keeping score during a game.

It doesn’t have the rule. That’s the point. They were both keeping score (there’s not even a goal keeper in first grade soccer) and imposing a rule intended for games where you do actually keep score. They were out there to win an unwinnable game

The rule definitely exists. typically when a team is up by 5 the trailing team puts on a player, once they gain a difference of 4, the extra player exits.

Yeah, a lot of rec leagues have this sort of mercy rule. I also think it's odd that PP has no clue what the score is. If you are not paying enough attention to notice if your team is crushing another team (or getting crushed) what are you doing during the game? The mothers in question may have wanted to make sure the coach followed the league rules or they may have been concerned about whether the other team was having a positive experience. That's very different from yelling at kids or the ref or being overly intense in other ways.

There’s no keeping score! I said the rule exists for games during which you keep score.

Either obtuse or dumb.

I imagine you are at least a little of both. There are often mercy rules in leagues that do not post scores or have standings.

+1. You don't need to keep score to notice that one team keeps scoring goals over and over again and it's reasonable to suggest or talk about how to even out the game. The parents were probably surprised the coaches hadn't done something already. Even in 1st or 2nd grade soccer the good coaches would take out one player or two or impose a 5 touch passing rule, like no shooting at the goal until you've passed five times.
That PP who raised this issue must not be one of those judgmental, know-it-all parents who don't have any older kids. She'll realize how idiotic she sounds when her kid is older.

Yeah, for the littler kids (maybe 2nd grade and under), I agree that is true. I also agree that any kid who is trying, even at an older age, deserves equal playing time in rec, even if they're not good. But is is sort of frustrating when there are third and fourth graders who clearly don't want to be there and aren't interested. By the time kids are that age, if they don't want to do a sport, you shouldn't force them. It just creates bad feelings with the rest of the team and makes everyone unhappy.

Don’t you people have better things to do like yelling at your kids to send it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So explain please how recreational soccer has a mercy rule if NO ONE is keeping score during a game.

It doesn’t have the rule. That’s the point. They were both keeping score (there’s not even a goal keeper in first grade soccer) and imposing a rule intended for games where you do actually keep score. They were out there to win an unwinnable game

The rule definitely exists. typically when a team is up by 5 the trailing team puts on a player, once they gain a difference of 4, the extra player exits.

Yeah, a lot of rec leagues have this sort of mercy rule. I also think it's odd that PP has no clue what the score is. If you are not paying enough attention to notice if your team is crushing another team (or getting crushed) what are you doing during the game? The mothers in question may have wanted to make sure the coach followed the league rules or they may have been concerned about whether the other team was having a positive experience. That's very different from yelling at kids or the ref or being overly intense in other ways.

There’s no keeping score! I said the rule exists for games during which you keep score.

Either obtuse or dumb.

I imagine you are at least a little of both. There are often mercy rules in leagues that do not post scores or have standings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So explain please how recreational soccer has a mercy rule if NO ONE is keeping score during a game.

It doesn’t have the rule. That’s the point. They were both keeping score (there’s not even a goal keeper in first grade soccer) and imposing a rule intended for games where you do actually keep score. They were out there to win an unwinnable game

The rule definitely exists. typically when a team is up by 5 the trailing team puts on a player, once they gain a difference of 4, the extra player exits.

Yeah, a lot of rec leagues have this sort of mercy rule. I also think it's odd that PP has no clue what the score is. If you are not paying enough attention to notice if your team is crushing another team (or getting crushed) what are you doing during the game? The mothers in question may have wanted to make sure the coach followed the league rules or they may have been concerned about whether the other team was having a positive experience. That's very different from yelling at kids or the ref or being overly intense in other ways.

There’s no keeping score! I said the rule exists for games during which you keep score.

Either obtuse or dumb.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So explain please how recreational soccer has a mercy rule if NO ONE is keeping score during a game.

It doesn’t have the rule. That’s the point. They were both keeping score (there’s not even a goal keeper in first grade soccer) and imposing a rule intended for games where you do actually keep score. They were out there to win an unwinnable game

The rule definitely exists. typically when a team is up by 5 the trailing team puts on a player, once they gain a difference of 4, the extra player exits.

Yeah, a lot of rec leagues have this sort of mercy rule. I also think it's odd that PP has no clue what the score is. If you are not paying enough attention to notice if your team is crushing another team (or getting crushed) what are you doing during the game? The mothers in question may have wanted to make sure the coach followed the league rules or they may have been concerned about whether the other team was having a positive experience. That's very different from yelling at kids or the ref or being overly intense in other ways.

Hmm, when our non-score-keeping little kid rec teams are unbalanced like that, the coaches mix up the players from both teams to even things out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So explain please how recreational soccer has a mercy rule if NO ONE is keeping score during a game.

It doesn’t have the rule. That’s the point. They were both keeping score (there’s not even a goal keeper in first grade soccer) and imposing a rule intended for games where you do actually keep score. They were out there to win an unwinnable game

The rule definitely exists. typically when a team is up by 5 the trailing team puts on a player, once they gain a difference of 4, the extra player exits.

I heard Chantilly got caught playing THREE travel players in a U12 rec game last week. SMH!

Anonymous wrote:So explain please how recreational soccer has a mercy rule if NO ONE is keeping score during a game.

It doesn’t have the rule. That’s the point. They were both keeping score (there’s not even a goal keeper in first grade soccer) and imposing a rule intended for games where you do actually keep score. They were out there to win an unwinnable game

I wear headphones at the games now and blast music so I cannot hear a damn thing.
It makes the games much more fun.

So explain please how recreational soccer has a mercy rule if NO ONE is keeping score during a game.

No idea. The women I was hanging out with at a first grade game 2 weeks ago said the following about 5 minutes into the game:

1: we are crushing them. It’s like 6 to nothing already.
2: I know. Time to implement the mercy rule.

I’ve never in my 4 years of 4yo soccer through 8yo soccer kept score.

People have no concept of age appropriate activities

Why are so many parents hung up on winning?

The MSI rec level is supposed to be where beginners are welcome and soccer is fun.

The parents can wreck the fun.

If the kids are getting exercise, improving their play and having fun outside, and the committed coach is working for free, and you are paying a pittance, why make life unpleasant for the coach and make your kids feel bad about themselves?