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Youth league institutes TD limit to hold back 11-year-old

  • hoops23
    More vaginifacation in America.

    When somebody is too good, we must hold him back in order to make everybody else happy. SMH

    http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Youth-league-institutes-TD-limit-to-hold-back-11?urn=highschool-wp6562
  • Glory Days
    Eh, I dont think its a bad idea, it is just a youth league and open to everyone, not likes a school or something with tryouts etc. it also depends on how many carries he has a game too. a rule is probably a bit much. If i was in charge i would just have a talk with the coach about it.
  • Nate
    If I was the coach, this is what I'd do.... Hand the ball to him EVERY time and have him run out of bounds at the 1 yard line every time.
  • Hamp89
    Smh.
  • THE4RINGZ
    If I were this kids parents I would find another place for my kid to play.
  • HitsRus
    ^^^This.
  • thavoice
    Can he get moved up to the next level at all?

    I know back in the day our little league baseball system would move up kids to the next level if they were too good for their last season. They sited safety issues though.


    SOunds like BS though. As someone else had said..have him run outta bounds at the one.
  • Scarlet_Fever
    This is ridiculous. This will screw up the kid who is good worse than what the kids who can't stop him will be screwed up for all he scores on them :cry:
  • xKoToVxSyNdRoMe
    Scarlet_Fever;918026 wrote:This is ridiculous. This will screw up the kid who is good worse than what the kids who can't stop him will be screwed up for all he scores on them :cry:
    How would this screw the kid up? If they are beating them and he is running wild they simply let someone else have the ball which is the point of youth football-letting all the kids play.
  • Fly4Fun
    It won't screw up a kid... but I also think it's a shame to hold anyone back. Imagine telling the child prodigy piano player he can only practice once a week or telling the child genius he can only go to class one hour a day.

    There is no reason to hold a kid back in anything they excel at... unless it's excelling at something inappropriate, like hooking up with teachers.
  • sherm03
    Fly4Fun;918088 wrote:It won't screw up a kid... but I also think it's a shame to hold anyone back. Imagine telling the child prodigy piano player he can only practice once a week or telling the child genius he can only go to class one hour a day.

    There is no reason to hold a kid back in anything they excel at... unless it's excelling at something inappropriate, like hooking up with teachers.
    That's apples to oranges. They aren't telling the kid he can't practice. They aren't telling the kid he can't play. They are telling him that after his team is up 14 points, his touchdowns don't count anymore.

    We are talking about fifth and sixth grade football here. It isn't like he's in junior high where winning starts to matter. At that age, it's about laying the foundation and teaching the kids the fundamentals to get them ready for the next year. Nobody is saying the kid can't run the ball. If the coach wants to, he could hand it off to the kid all day long and let him run forever. Let him run to the one and go out of bounds. Hell, let him take it to the house...it just won't count.

    At that level, there are all kinds of rules that are there for safety, and to keep the kids interested in the game. Like I said, it's all about teaching the kids the basics, and getting them excited about football. I coached in a league where a player wasn't allowed to get the ball two plays in a row. Another rule was that the clock went to continuous if the winning team was up by 21 at any point in the game.

    I don't have a problem with this. And it's pretty obvious that the kid doesn't have a problem with it.

    But clearly, moving him up a level would have been the best solution. Then, this wouldn't even be a story.
  • sleeper
    ^^ LOL what?

    Who cares if the kid scores 20 TD's a game? What's the difference between having the kid run to the one and not score vs. him just scoring the TD?
  • Fly4Fun
    sherm03;918131 wrote:That's apples to oranges. They aren't telling the kid he can't practice. They aren't telling the kid he can't play. They are telling him that after his team is up 14 points, his touchdowns don't count anymore.

    We are talking about fifth and sixth grade football here. It isn't like he's in junior high where winning starts to matter. At that age, it's about laying the foundation and teaching the kids the fundamentals to get them ready for the next year. Nobody is saying the kid can't run the ball. If the coach wants to, he could hand it off to the kid all day long and let him run forever. Let him run to the one and go out of bounds. Hell, let him take it to the house...it just won't count.

    At that level, there are all kinds of rules that are there for safety, and to keep the kids interested in the game. Like I said, it's all about teaching the kids the basics, and getting them excited about football. I coached in a league where a player wasn't allowed to get the ball two plays in a row. Another rule was that the clock went to continuous if the winning team was up by 21 at any point in the game.

    I don't have a problem with this. And it's pretty obvious that the kid doesn't have a problem with it.

    But clearly, moving him up a level would have been the best solution. Then, this wouldn't even be a story.
    Okay, imagine telling the child prodigy piano player he's only allowed to perform 1/2 of the piece he prepared or the genius kid he's only allowed a fraction of the amount of time on the test that are allowed to other kids... you know, to keep the playing field fair.

    The notion of holding kids back in something they excel at is wrong.
  • Fly4Fun
    Actually... I will make an exemption for limiting a kid in athletics. In a physical sport with potentially violent contact like football, I would be okay with potentially making limitations on the participation of an athlete if he's just too big and the potential for injuries is just increased too much... safety first when it comes to kid sports.

    However, limiting a kid because he is too good is absurd. The only thing you have to worry about with a kid that is just an amazing athlete is making sure he knows some humility and sportsmanship.
  • sherm03
    What is that kid learning by getting a hand off and making a house call almost every time he touches the ball? What does he get out of it? What would every other kid on his team learn by standing there watching him take another one to the house? Absolutely nothing. Like I said, in junior high, winning starts to matter. If he was a year older, the rule would be dumb to me. But he's not. He's in a league that focuses on developing the skills needed for the next level. His teammates, as well as the kids on the team he is facing, are not getting anything out of him getting every touch and naming the score.

    If he's really that good, he should be moved up. But he isn't getting anything out of this league.
  • Fly4Fun
    No reason for the league to say he can't play at that point. The coach should be thinking of other ways to get him involved but still spread the ball around to other players. There is no one saying that this kid has to touch the ball every time he is on the field. Have him block for teammates. Have him also learn how to play the WR position.

    Telling the kid he isn't allowed to play isn't the appropriate response. Teach him how to be a teammate by helping the team without the ball in his hands. The coach should spread the ball around some himself, but still be able to play the kid.

    There are BETTER ways to handle this situation.
  • sherm03
    Fly4Fun;918153 wrote:No reason for the league to say he can't play at that point. The coach should be thinking of other ways to get him involved but still spread the ball around to other players. There is no one saying that this kid has to touch the ball every time he is on the field. Have him block for teammates. Have him also learn how to play the WR position.

    Telling the kid he isn't allowed to play isn't the appropriate response. Teach him how to be a teammate by helping the team without the ball in his hands. The coach should spread the ball around some himself, but still be able to play the kid.

    There are BETTER ways to handle this situation.
    They aren't saying the kid can't play. He doesn't have to come out of the game. He just can't score. The rule forces the coach's hand to do exactly what you just said.
  • bigkahuna
    Let's talk about the real issue, how much is it going to cost for an SEC school to sign him in a few years?

    Seriously though, the kid is pretty talented.
  • Fly4Fun
    Okay, I guess I misunderstood the rule at first. But while the rule does essentially what I say... I still think it's a tad ridiculous for a rule to do that. It should be the coaches job to get his other players involved and his star player learning to play without the ball in his hands.

    I'm not a fan of rules forcing people's hands when the adults in charge of the situation (coaches) should figure out how to spread the ball around.
  • sleeper
    sherm03;918172 wrote:They aren't saying the kid can't play. He doesn't have to come out of the game. He just can't score. The rule forces the coach's hand to do exactly what you just said.
    Why does it matter then? Like I said, what's the difference between running him to the one vs. scoring the touchdown? So some other kid can get some points? LOL
  • sherm03
    sleeper;918280 wrote:Why does it matter then? Like I said, what's the difference between running him to the one vs. scoring the touchdown? So some other kid can get some points? LOL
    It's clear that the idea of the rule it to limit his touches after he has scored three TD's and his team is up by 14. The coaches have the option to run him to the one and use someone else to punch it in if they want. But it's obvious that the idea is that once this kid has racked up his 3 TD's...start spreading the ball around.
  • Glory Days
    Fly4Fun;918249 wrote: I'm not a fan of rules forcing people's hands when the adults in charge of the situation (coaches) should figure out how to spread the ball around.
    really? you really want to rely on the coaches? thats exactly why they made this rule. because some asshat of a coach thinks one 11 year old team pounding on another 11 year old team means something. if the coach had been spreading the ball around to other players, this wouldnt be an issue right now.
  • sleeper
    sherm03;918335 wrote:It's clear that the idea of the rule it to limit his touches after he has scored three TD's and his team is up by 14. The coaches have the option to run him to the one and use someone else to punch it in if they want. But it's obvious that the idea is that once this kid has racked up his 3 TD's...start spreading the ball around.
    Exactly. There is no difference between having him stop at the one vs. him scoring a touchdown. This is a stupid rule and the entire league should be thrown into a fire.
  • I Wear Pants
    Glory Days;918346 wrote:really? you really want to rely on the coaches? thats exactly why they made this rule. because some asshat of a coach thinks one 11 year old team pounding on another 11 year old team means something. if the coach had been spreading the ball around to other players, this wouldnt be an issue right now.
    +1

    If the coaches were smart enough to think "gee, this kid scoring 32342 points a game isn't helping him or anyone else develop why don't we have him work on blocking or his WR skills after he scores a few touchdowns a game so that he becomes a more well rounded player and other kids can develop their games" then they would have already done so.
  • Captain Cavalier
    Fly4Fun;918153 wrote:No reason for the league to say he can't play at that point. The coach should be thinking of other ways to get him involved but still spread the ball around to other players. There is no one saying that this kid has to touch the ball every time he is on the field. Have him block for teammates. Have him also learn how to play the WR position.

    Telling the kid he isn't allowed to play isn't the appropriate response. Teach him how to be a teammate by helping the team without the ball in his hands. The coach should spread the ball around some himself, but still be able to play the kid.

    There are BETTER ways to handle this situation.

    I Wear Pants;918406 wrote:+1

    If the coaches were smart enough to think "gee, this kid scoring 32342 points a game isn't helping him or anyone else develop why don't we have him work on blocking or his WR skills after he scores a few touchdowns a game so that he becomes a more well rounded player and other kids can develop their games" then they would have already done so.


    This...plain and simple.
    Glory Days;918346 wrote:really? you really want to rely on the coaches? thats exactly why they made this rule. because some asshat of a coach thinks one 11 year old team pounding on another 11 year old team means something. if the coach had been spreading the ball around to other players, this wouldnt be an issue right now.


    But unfortunately, Glory Days is right. For a lot of coaches winning is everything. Even at JrH I don't agree with letting him run wild. A lot of school systems start football at JrH, Coldwater included, and to not spread the opportunity is BS as a coach. How are they gonna learn. Doesn't look like any linemen have to do anything but watch him run. Learnin' a lot there coach.