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Resting the starters


Resting the starters is the substitution of regular players on a sports team with backup players, and it occurs when a team has clinched at least a playoff berth, often its division, and in many case home advantage, and no further regular season losses would hurt the team in the standings (or, inversely, if the team has been eliminated from postseason contention and has nothing further to gain by playing). This enables the team to avoid risking injury to the starters, and to give real life playing practice to backup players.

Veteran starters are also frequently rested in the final preseason games in order to get them ready for the early part of the season.

Also, starters are sometimes rested during a game during garbage time when the outcome is mostly certain. While usually garbage time takes place toward the end of the fourth quarter of a game, in games where there is such a vast difference in talent and the winning team very quickly gains a large lead, the starters will be removed from the game early -- sometimes well before the end of the first half -- and the second- and lower-string players will play the remainder of the contest. As such, the starters play long enough only to gain a significant lead, and giving the reserves extended playing time.

The debate on whether or not it is a good idea to rest starters has not been resolved. Some analysts argue that it is good for the team by enabling the bodies of the players to be fresh, while others state it could make them more rusty.

While resting starters may have the advantage of preventing injuries, it may deprive them of various statistics they are trying to accomplish, particularly individual season records.

In sports with a small number of games per season, such as gridiron football, there is also the argument over whether it is better for a team with a perfect record up to that point to rest players or to try for the perfect season. For example, the 2007 New England Patriots did not rest their starters and accomplished a perfect 16-0 regular season in a victory against the New York Giants (who also played their starters), but ultimately lost Super Bowl XLII to the same Giants team. The 2009 Indianapolis Colts, after starting 14-0 and clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs, rested their starters and lost the final 2 games. They made it to Super Bowl XLIV, which they also lost.


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