12-OT high school game in Texas

http://deadspin.com/5677724/texas-hs-football-team-loses-12+ot-game

Puzzled, and maybe some of you familiar with Texas overtime rules and playoffs can answer: what the hell did the story mean when it said one team purposely extended the overtimes?

The writer failed to explain it. If I had been one of his deskers, I would have kicked it back to him to add a graph.

 

It was mentioned on the bizarre eight-man thread. Apparently, one of the teams had to win by eight points to make the playoffs. So they purposely missed their two-point conversions until they could get in a position to make one and win by eight.

 

That's beyond stupid. It's worse than the first OT rule in Florida, the "Penetration Point." Each team got four plays from the 50. The team advancing the scrimmage marker the farthest won the game (or, whoever gained the most yards in four plays won). It got really silly when one team would turn the ball over on the first play, then watch the other team run QB sneaks to get the inch they needed.

 

Back in the day, when I covered Texas preps in the early '80s, and then the early '90s, they had the 'penetration' rule for the playoffs.

They penalized teams for playing good defense.

Team A got five penetrations inside the 20, to Team B's four, they advance. Score goes as a tie.

If penetrations are equal, they went to first downs.

If first downs are equal, they went to a toss of the coin.

In '91 or '92, one coach had his team take a dive near their own goal line so they could drive, tie it up, and advance on penetrations.

It sucked.

 

What's so stupid about it? Lots of states use point differential to break three-way ties.
The penetration rule is just moronic, though.

 

Big problem here is that so many teams are making the playoffs it sets up some weird scenarios at the end of the year...including the 12-ot game.

A few year back one team I covered needed to either win, or lose by less than 4 to the team they were playing to be assured a playoff spot. I remember them down by 5 and driving late when they faced a fourth down with about 30 seconds to go. Their field goal kicker was solid and would have easily made it with the team losing by 2 and making the playoffs.
I still applaud the coach (since gone from the team) for not taking the back door into the playoffs and going for the win. They fell short by the way.

To clarify, in most districts if there is a 3-way or more tie in the standings, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head, but if that's all even it goes by margin of victory (most districts also cap that at 19 points per win) between those teams.

<<<In '91 or '92, one coach had his team take
a dive near their own goal line so they could drive, tie it up, and advance on penetrations.>>>

What? I'm not sure I understand what you just said here. How would taking a dive on their own goal line help?

 

Here's what happened, Joe.

The Haywagon Hayseeds had a big edge in penetrations over their opponent and trailed by a point, if memory serves.

The coach told his team to hit the deck, the Bumblefuck Bumblebees score, kick the PAT, lead by 8.

Then the Hayseeds drive for the score to tie it up, go for 2, make it to tie the score, say, at 29.

They advanced. Bumblefuck stayed home.

 

Wow, after reading this...Michigan with it's playoff points system or Indiana with it's "Everyone In" mentality makes me thankful I've never covered sports except in those two states.

 

These are the kinds of rules you have when over-officious adults are in charge. Have a problem? Make a rule.

 

Ok sorry when I read the first one, I was reading as the team that took a dive had the ball. Don't ask me why.

Good strategy by the coach regardless of the penetration rule. Same strategy would work to force OT. Either way, the team has to score to make it happen.

 

I'm not totally sure on that. It's easy to figure out when the tie-breaker is two teams (head-to-head result) but in a three-way tie for one spot, that doesn't really work.

 

This explains it fairly well, but too far down in the story for my liking ...

http://jacksonvilleprogress.com/local/x1364880328/Jacksonville-edges-Dragons-84-81-in-12-OTs