# Big Ten rule change for Wrigley Field game **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 19, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254 "2010-11-19T19:27:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/1 "2010-11-19T19:27:25Z")
Northwestern hosts Illinois at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Although the field was approved months ago by Big Ten officials, apparently the teams expressed some concern that the (heavily padded) wall on one end of the field was way too close to the end zone. So the solution? For this game, teams will swap ends of the field [on every change of posession](http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/11/only-one-end-zone-to-be-used-at-wrigley-field-game.html) so that whoever is on offense is always moving toward the “safe” endzone. The teams will also switch sidelines at halftime. Is that crazy or what? Has a game ever been played like that before (except in someone’s backyard?) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/2 "2010-11-19T19:47:32Z")
Probably answered in article, but my first thought was “What will they do re: turnovers returned for a TD?” Actually, it wasn’t answered in the article, unless I missed it. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/3 "2010-11-19T19:51:12Z")
I think it’s genius. It was going to be a dangerous situation, and they addressed it. Nice to see. At the end of the day, no college football fan wants to see players get hurt because of the bloody field design. As for turnovers returned for a TD… that would present much less of an issue as all the player has to do is break the plane of the endzone. It’s the pass plays to the rear of the endzone that would get dicey. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/4 "2010-11-19T19:53:22Z")
Since the potential problem is with players overrunning the back of the end zone and into the wall, there shouldn’t be any problem with turnovers being run back; the problem would be with passes to the back of the end zone or something like that, where the receiver and DB might well have a lot of momentum heading into that wall. Anyone who scored on a run-back would have the full ten yards of end zone to slow down. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/5 "2010-11-19T19:53:43Z")
It doesn’t seem like that big of an issue, except for the fans seated at that endzone, who won’t really get to see any action. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/6 "2010-11-19T19:55:05Z")
It’s a bit amazing that they got this far into the process before deciding that this is a problem, but it’s not a bad solution. Kind of a bad deal for anyone with seats in the right field stands, though. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/7 "2010-11-19T19:55:41Z")
Yeah, if the defense scores (interception, fumble recovery, returned kick, whatever) the play happens right at the front of the end zone. Not really an issue. I wonder how much it will slow down the game, though. I change of possession at the 20 YL means both teams have to line up for the next play at the other end of the field. ---
**Author:** ![TheFifthYear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@TheFifthYear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFifthYear)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/8 "2010-11-19T20:00:28Z")
It’s a decent solution, but someone should have realized this was going to be a problem months and months ago. There’s no reason that the Big Ten should have had to step in 24 hours before the game and change the rules for player safety. Everyone involved in putting this game together should be embarrassed. I’d be really pissed if I had bought tickets in the East endzone bleachers. Those seats looked awesome…until they decided all the action would be at the other end. ETA: that’s what I get for taking a phone call before hitting submit. Everyone above me made my points. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/9 "2010-11-19T20:04:54Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I wonder how much it will slow down the game, though. I change of possession at the 20 YL means both teams have to line up for the next play at the other end of the field. I doubt it will have much effect. Generally there’s a commercial timeout between changes of possession anyway. And to echo others, it’s a good solution given the circumstances, but it really shouldn’t have come down to the wire like that. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/10 "2010-11-19T20:05:47Z")
Wow, SI’s Steward Mandel [is not impressed](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/stewart_mandel/11/19/wrigley/index.html?eref=sihp). Part of that could be because it’s ESPN’s marquee game tomorrow, though. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/11 "2010-11-19T20:29:22Z")
Good lord, Mandel is going a little overboard. It’s not a “mockery” and does not break the “integrity of the game”. It’s a bit of a funny situation but it doesn’t really affect the actual game conditions at all. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/12 "2010-11-19T20:47:01Z")
I’m glad to hear this, because I hope it will discourage them from ever playing this game again. There’s a reason the Bears stopped playing at Wrigley Field–_because it isn’t a football stadium_. And since the Bears left it has gotten worse, because the field has gotten smaller (due to additional seats) and the Cubs won’t allow them to run temporary bleachers alongside the field. The vast majority of the ridiculously overpriced seats for this game are going to suck. Look, even though I’m a White Sox fan, I like Wrigley Field. Really, I do. It’s a nice place to watch a baseball game. _But it isn’t a football stadium_. Play the Illinois game in Dyche Stadium where it belongs, where the seats would cost a third as much and be three times better. Fuck this Wrigley Field crap. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/13 "2010-11-19T20:48:07Z")
Have they planned out what to do for the extra point in an interception is returned for a touchdown? Just finish it out there, or move all the way down to the other side of the field? Whati f they want to go for two? ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/14 "2010-11-19T20:53:52Z")
All the way down to the other endzone, whether they want to go for one or two. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/15 "2010-11-19T21:12:53Z")
**Baseball players run INTO the wall to make a catch**. Football players run away from it. Somewhere, George Carlin spins in his grave. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/16 "2010-11-19T21:13:24Z")
Pretty much nullifies any advantage to the team that gets to choose which end of the field to defend at the start of each half. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/17 "2010-11-19T21:24:23Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > **Baseball players run INTO the wall to make a catch**. > > Football players run away from it. > > Somewhere, George Carlin spins in his grave. Smart outfielders only run into walls that are adequately padded though. Ivy-covered brick walls aren’t things to go running into. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/18 "2010-11-19T22:30:56Z")
There’s another consideration-in Wrigley, the sun field is right field. Now, that is in the summer, not late fall, when the sun’s location may be offset, but the offenses will then all be going into the sun, which can’t be easy when you’re trying to complete passes. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/19 "2010-11-19T23:04:16Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > There’s another consideration-in Wrigley, the sun field is right field. Now, that is in the summer, not late fall, when the sun’s location may be offset, but the offenses will then all be going into the sun, which can’t be easy when you’re trying to complete passes. If I’ve got the alignment of Wrigley correct in my head, then right field is in the east, and the offenses will be driving toward the 3rd base dugout in the west. The receivers and DBs who have to look up for the ball will be looking back to the east, so the sun shouldn’t make too much of a difference. Anyway, I don’t know the forecast, but I’m pretty sure a late November day near Lake Michigan has a good chance of being cloudy. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254/20 "2010-11-19T23:09:03Z")
Not having seen pictures of the other side (news articles I’ve seen only show the “offending” end zone), I wonder what Allstate has to say about this? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-ten-rule-change-for-wrigley-field-game/561254.md?page=2)