Editing Running up the score (section)

=== Other justifications ===
An argument frequently used in favor of running up the score is the belief that it is not the coach's or winning team's fault if a weak team is unable to stop a high-powered offensive juggernaut.<ref name="Fernami">{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/Fernami/76485|title=Fernami's SportingBlog – Running Up The Score|date=April 11, 2007|work=SportingNews.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930115733/http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/Fernami/76485|archive-date=2007-09-30|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Florida State Seminoles football|Florida State]] coach [[Bobby Bowden]] contended that it was not his job to call plays that are inconsistent with his regular offense. He felt that the prevention of further scoring was the responsibility of the opposing team's defense. Also, some coaches advocate running up the score to make another point, such as showing disapproval of comments made by opposing players, coaches, etc., in the media.

Running up the score in professional leagues generally creates significantly less controversy and indeed the term is far less common. While there are numerous reasons to run out the clock, there is no reason not to score more points if the situation allows. As all teams are professionals, even perceived underdogs have the potential to score points quickly if they are given the chance. Even teams with a dominant lead have a strong interest in maintaining possession to run down the clock, which often puts them in the position to score more points.

At all levels of play, it is generally accepted that players or teams close to breaking significant records can run up the score without it being seen as overtly disrespectful. In fact, many offensive records almost require running up the score to be in contention as a result of records set in eras in which leagues were less balanced, seasons were of a different length, or rules were substantially different.

In one instance that did not involve the score, but where a long-established record could have easily been broken, a coach was praised for his sportsmanship. In [[1999 Cincinnati Bengals season|1999]], during a 44–28 defeat of the [[Cleveland Browns]], [[Cincinnati Bengals]] coach [[Bruce Coslet]] took running back [[Corey Dillon]] out of the game early in the fourth quarter. By that point, he had gained 246 yards and, had he continued playing, almost certainly would have broken [[Walter Payton]]'s single-game rushing record of 275 yards. After the game, Coslet explained that since Payton, who had died the month before, had set the record in a game his team won 10–7, he did not feel it right for Dillon to break it in a game that, by the point he took the player out, became one-sided.<ref name="1999 Corey Dillon near-record">{{cite news|last=King|first=Peter|author-link=Peter King (sportswriter)|title=Inside the NFL|url=https://www.si.com/vault/2000/01/10/272121/inside-the-nfl|newspaper=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=January 10, 2000|access-date=June 17, 2019}}</ref>