An Ottowa children’s soccer league has modified the 5-point “mercy” regulation.
Instead of stopping counting goals when an outmatched team is losing by more than five points, the stronger team will now automatically lose them game.
The Gloucester Dragons Recreational Soccer league’s newly implemented edict is intended to dissuade a runaway game in favour of sportsmanship. The rule replaces its five-point mercy regulation, whereby any points scored beyond a five-point differential would not be registered.
Kevin Cappon said he first heard about the rule on May 20 — right after he had scored his team’s last allowable goal. His team then tossed the ball around for fear of losing the game.
He said if anything, the league’s new rule will coddle sore losers.
“They should be saying anything is possible. If we can get five goals really fast, well, so can the other team,†said Kevin, 17, who has played in the league for five years. “People grow in adversity, they don’t really get worse…. I think you’ll see more leadership skills being used if a losing team tries to recuperate than if they never got into that situation at all.”
But why would they want to get any better if they’re all supposed to be equal?
Found at Zombietime
I no of no sport where it’s considered to be either good technique OR good sportsmanship to deliberately NOT play your best.
In fact, this is known as “sandbagging”, and is considered BAD sportsmanship.
If they’re really all that worried in Ottawa, why don’t they just make the stronger team pull one player off the field?
This rule will once again be changed when the team that trails by four in the final minutes of the game does an “own goal”, giving the other team a five point lead, losing the game, and producing an upset victory for the heretofore trailing team.