For what it's worth, as exposed above, our junior league places the total points differential "last resort" as the tie breaker....so that it diminishes the need for top teams feeling they have to belt the bottom teams. Ie
"In the event of two or more teams being equal in competition points or performance percentage at the end of the competition rounds, final placings will be decided by:
(A) A higher ranking being awarded to the team which has forfeited less games during the season,
(B) A higher ranking being awarded to the team which has defeated otherwise equally placed teams more often during the season,
(C) Totalling the points scored for and against by the two or more teams level in the competition when those teams met in the competition rounds,
(D) Where one of the teams has forfeited to the other, placing the team against which the forfeit has been recorded behind the other team
(E) If the teams are still equal, totalling the total points scored For and Against during all competition rounds."
Yes it can be overly complex at times to explain this ranking process to people come the end of the season, but it does seem to work out ok. It doesn't stop the drubbing though as some coaches still hunt out the huge wins! Our league had also implemented a mercy rule of sorts this season (similar to what was mentioned in this thread) where a team drops a player each 10 points above 30 differential in an attempt to 'even up' the contest. That has only had limited success too. That is followed up by a regrading system halfway through the season where teams can be moved divisions more suited to their ability. (Personally I'd prefer if our league administrators applied a bit more effort into grading the teams more evenly in the first place for eg using the first few rounds of the season conducting mini round robin contests or such).