1. What is Nassau County’s lopsided scores policy? What is the purpose of the rule?

2. a) What did Coach Shaver say is the intent of the rule?
b) How did he defend his 61-13 score?

3. How did Coach Shaver explain his reason for keeping his starting players in for the whole game?

4. For what reasons did the committee determine the coach violated the lopsided scores policy?

5. Consider the following:

• Re-read paragraphs 15-16 (which point out that no other sport in the county has a rule penalizing a coach for a lopsided score and that the neighboring county (Suffolk) leaves it up to individual schools to address the lopsided score issue with coaches).
• Watch the news report under “Resources” which notes the rule is intended to protect the losing team from a “demoralizing” defeat. Patrick Pizzarelli, Executive Director of the Athletic Association for Nassau County said they wanted to come up with a policy "so we don’t embarrass the other team." He also points out that if a team is winning by so much, the coach should give the second-tier players the opportunity to play, as they have been practicing all week.
• Some say running up the final score on an opposing team is part of the game, while others feel it is unsportsmanlike conduct.
  The two teams in question were both top teams and undefeated. They were equally matched.

What do you think? Is the rule necessary? Is it unsportsmanlike conduct to run up the score? Was the coach wrong? Is the Athletic Association wrong? Explain your answers.