by jumbo » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:07 am
The new mercy rule introduced into the APFL this season for the U17s and U14s is ridiculous, anti player development, knee jerk, unworkable, standard reducing and will not have the desired outcome in my opinion (if anyone can work out why it is needed). The U17s is the final stage of junior player development before stepping up to senior football and players, coaches , APFL and clubs at this stage should be concentrating on developing their football.
I agree football is tribal and the vast majority of footballers rebel when they are asked to put on an opposition guernsey - if anyone thinks that it is an easy task to convince your best footballer that he now has to play for the opposition for the rest of the game then they obviously have never coached or have any idea of the notion of a team and its goals. The rule is shifting the focus from all clubs ' ensuring there are enough players to field a side ' , to making the better players play for the opposition. I cannot see how this will help the competition, why would a Mallala U17 want (or even be made) to play for United, why would a Virginia kid want to play for Two Wells, why would a Balaklava kid want to play for Hummocks and vice versa. Now with this rule, if a club looks like not having enough players there is no reason for them to even try to find good players or better numbers - now the pressure is placed on the more successful clubs for the particular season and their better players. The better served clubs who have no player problems now have the problem of managing the changing of sides if they are good enough to be 10 goals in front.
The rule will bring the overall standard down because there is no encouragement for the players to push themselves or improve - "if you play too well you will be rewarded with an opposition guernsey for the next quarter" - some encouragement I don't think. Players at U17 are not stupid - I would almost guarentee that most knowing the rule will pull back to ensure the criteria is not met to trigger the rule. The primary school system years ago brought in the notions of "no scoring" to sport and other non-competitive ideas - these non-competitive ideas need to stay in the schools, the APFL needs to behave as a true FL and aim to develop and require exellence in their clubs - this rule is encouraging quite the opposite. What will happen in a few years if a few B Grade sides are getting thumped, will the do gooders in the league want to bring in a similar rule - I hope not.
To be honest, getting beaten by 10 goals or more has never hurt anyone. Those players that are fringe types and who are not willing to improve themselves in all honesty wont be there next year anyway. I have seen kids come through the underage systems who are good players but chose not to continue to senior level, but I have seen many many more that no matter what you put inplace for them don't continue on either. I am still failing to see how this system will encourage players to continue with their football past the current year. Life can be a bit tough, too bad, there will be times that your side will get pumped by 10 or more goals - THATS Football.
What happens if one of the players asked to swap sides gets hurt? What happens if one of the better players was only to play a half and then come off to play in the A grade - is there a fine to be paid? What happens if there is a howling gale and a side gets 10 up (breeze can blow up after a game starts)? No chance to come back, no chance for a coach to see how he can get better results out of his players, no chance to have something to build on. What happens if one of the better players in the U17s is that miffed that he does not try when playing for the other side? What happens to that lad's chance at winning an association medal? What happens if these better players get that upset they NO LONGER want to play - is this what the league wants? Turn off the good players? I can see the BL&GFL benefitting more from this rule as the better players move across to a commonsense competition.
This rule needs to be recinded immediately, those clubs that voted for it need to sit down and analyse why they voted for it and what it will do to help them and what it is doing for their U17s. Those clubs that are having trouble finding enough numbers need to have the pressure put on by the APFL to get enough numbers and be competitive - not have ridiculous rules put in place to pamper them. The APFL Junior comittee needs to sit down with the Directors and re-visit this rule immediately. Surely commonsense must prevail and it is removed post haste.
Over the past 2 months I have discussed this rule with many people from many clubs (in and out of the APFL) and have not yet come across a single person who thinks the rule is a good idea, some of the amazed looks on the faces of lifelong football people is a real reflection on the rule. How did it get up is perhaps an even more important question.
That's a tougher choice!
