# If you could add a rule to a sport . . what would it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2001, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699 "2001-01-06T05:32:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/41 "2001-01-09T01:01:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > \*\*Now what about that rule that says a country can get its players from a colony that gained its independence _25 years ago_, huh? 😉 \*\* I know you’re in jest, but to clarify: the same rule applies as to any other country - these guys have to have the Dutch Nationality, and one of the terms of Suriname independance has since been interchangable nationalities, under certain circumstances. I know, it’s comparable to the Irish/Welsh situation. Sort of. Besides that, guys like Kluivert and Seedorf were born and raised in Amsterdam, as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![socpro69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@socpro69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/socpro69)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/42 "2001-01-09T02:05:10Z")
No touch icing in hockey. They have this in the Q and, after 7 years, I have _never_ seen anyone hurt in a race for the puck. Won’t happen in the NHL until someone gets killed though. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/43 "2001-01-09T02:29:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > > \*\*As the XFL will learn with its “no fair catch” rule, punts will become very dull plays because the return man will more likely just let the punt fall to the ground and let it be downed rather than catch it and get clobbered. > > > > \*\* > > They’ve already thought of that – the ball will be live, so the punting team will be able to pounce on it and continue its offensive series. > > [http://www.xfl-central.com/other/rules.shtml](http://www.xfl-central.com/other/rules.shtml) \*\* I see from this site that it hasn’t been decided how long a punt has to be for someone to recover. It better be a fairly long punt, at least 40 yards beyond the line of scrimmage or else it would be too easy to recover. ---
**Author:** ![frodosteve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e19adc/32.png) [@frodosteve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frodosteve)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/44 "2001-01-09T02:45:01Z")
Basketball Make it illegal to throw the ball at a member of the other team so it will bounce off the opponent and go out of bounds. This becomes a technical foul. Baseball The catcher can’t block the plate; the runner can’t charge into the catcher. Pro Football Almost any change to overtime rules so that both teams get a chance. I’d go with something like the college rule, but both team get kickoffs instead of just starting at the 20, or wherever it is. College Football Make halftime shorter. I’m falling asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/45 "2001-01-09T03:06:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > \*\*It better be a fairly long punt, at least 40 yards beyond the line of scrimmage or else it would be too easy to recover. \*\* That distance seems too far given that the XFL’s main interest is pain. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/46 "2001-01-09T03:50:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > **Ahem. Most of the current Irish squad are, in fact, Irish.** Phew, good thing that’s been sorted out! “There’s only one Tony Cascarino…” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/47 "2001-01-09T05:51:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by frodosteve \* > \*\*Basketball > > Make it illegal to throw the ball at a member of the other team so it will bounce off the opponent and go out of bounds. This becomes a technical foul. > > Baseball > > The catcher can’t block the plate; the runner can’t charge into the catcher.\*\* The rules CLEARLY STATE that no fielder may block a base or home plate. EVER. If they have the ball, fine, but then they aren’t blocking, they’re just making a tag. If the umpires don’t enforce the rule, you’re screwed. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/48 "2001-01-09T07:25:57Z")
plnnr - I hear this all the time, and I find it to be an extremely fallacious argument. Golf _is not the same as baseball_. Neither are tennis or any number of indoor games where spectators are expected to behave themselves. The environment is different. The players are different. The generally accepted customs are different. If you can’t abide by this _very_ simple requirement, don’t go. It’s that simple. (Me, I’d find it a little hard to keep silent during each and every swing, but that’s why I don’t watch golf live. Well, one of the reasons, anyway.) ruadh - I’m pretty sure the refs wouldn’t have any trouble discerning a fake injury, provided one of them saw the player off the field each time. Some instances are so incredibly blatant (there was one player during the last World Cup who _jumped off his stretcher_), even the dumbest ref wouldn’t miss them. At any rate, the foul on the “perpetrator” remains the same whether or not the ref misses the fake injury, so I see no harm in pulling out the big gun when they do catch one. Re: football overtime Instead of a kickoff, the winner of the coin toss has the option of taking the ball on its own 10 or giving the other team the ball on their 10. The way it is now, with kickoffs from the 30, the team that wins the toss and receives has much too big an advantage. If they have to take it deep in their own end, they can still drive all the way to a winning field go but have to go a lot farther to do so. Likewise, a team with a strong defense might actually find it preferable to give up the ball; if they force a punt, it’ll be that much easier to get the winning score (this is possible under the current system, but much harder). ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/49 "2001-01-09T07:31:59Z")
Baseball: Batters may not wear body armor unless they have a bona fide injury. There should be at least a little bit of fear of being hit by a pitch. You may wear all the body armor you want while in the outfield. Golf: If you are a top 25 golfer and win a car at a tournament, you must give it to charity. What they fuck do you need a car for? Table Tennis: Play slower, y’all go too fast for me. Every Other Sport: **I win** ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/50 "2001-01-09T07:47:32Z")
> [@](#): > > …guys like Kluivert and Seedorf were born and raised in Amsterdam, as far as I know. A quick web search confirms that you’re right about Kluivert, but Seedorf was in fact born in Surinam. > [@](#): > > I’m pretty sure the refs wouldn’t have any trouble discerning a fake injury Absolutely laughable IMHO, but I was more responding to the idea of automatic red cards for diving. I don’t like diving any more than anyone else, but I’ve seen enough instances where nobody _except_ the ref thought the player was diving to know this is a really bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2001, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/51 "2001-01-09T10:29:20Z")
**ruadh** , as far as Seedorf is concerned, Surinam can have him back 😉 But then, you already knew about my great appreciation of Seedorfs input in our national team. However: did you see the pass he played at Sükür (sp?) yesterday? Breathtaking, and a superb goal by Sükür to boot. _Now why is it that Clarence only takes corners at knee height, and penalties at stadium roof height when it comes to the national team??_ Damn, that kid pisses me off. OK, sorry for the hijack - carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/52 "2001-01-10T01:08:04Z")
NFL Europe has field goals worth four points if they’re over 50 yards. That seems like an innovation worth exploring in the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/53 "2001-01-10T09:49:11Z")
NFL Europe is also played in 50,000 capacity stadiums, with 200 people watching. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/54 "2001-01-10T12:46:59Z")
**Soccer:** No penalty for injuries unless the injured party leaves the pitch for, say, at least 15 minutes. If you’re not that badly injured, quit whining. If you want to fake, fine, but get off the field. **Professional Darts:** A slowly rotating dartboard. I think this would be cool, and make a 180 score _really_ impressive. **Ping-pong/Table Tennis:** One of those oscillating table fans to blow across the table during the match. **Snooker:** Cushions that make little “boing” noises when the ball hits them. No reason, really. **Basketball:** One automatic free throw per game for every player not currently endorsing a product of any kind. **Auto racing:** Screw the physics of it – I want ramps and jumps and loops and other Hot Wheels type things. And maybe a criss-cross too.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Piell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@Piell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Piell)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/55 "2001-01-10T13:03:19Z")
No giving thanks to God when you win. You know, “God helped us to win today”. I’ve always wanted someone to say “Yeah, we were doing great, until Jesus made me miss the ball.” ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/56 "2001-01-10T13:50:14Z")
**College football:** All players must be able to speak a coherent and grammatically correct sentence in English. **Baseball:** More than four foul balls, and the batter has to switch to a wiffle bat. **Bowling:** A less confusing scoring system would be nice. **Cricket:** Given that test matches can take up to _five days_, anyone who watches cricket on a regular basis is not allowed to complain about the length of American football or baseball games. **Boxing** : Why are there rules in boxing? Is beating the living crap out of people okay as long as there are rules? Should there be referees for muggings and lynchings? (Actually, I have some rules for boxing: ONE title per class – none of this three or four different heavyweight titles stuff. And the next fight should be Mike Tyson vs. Don King. **I** might even go see that.) **Rugby:** What’s not to like? The ball gets dropped, they pick it up and keep going; no namby-pamby padding like US football; plus there’s that haka sub[/sub] thing the All-Blacks do… **Professional wrestling:** Must involve actual wrestling. ---
**Author:** ![uberDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f04885/32.png) [@uberDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uberDave)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2001, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/57 "2001-01-10T21:15:25Z")
**Hockey** When the goalie comes out of the crease, he can be checked just like any other player. Especially when they go behind the net to handle a puck that’s been dumped in. As it is now they go back and slap it out and a opposing player can’t touch him. I hate this rule as it currently stands. **Basketball** Change the goaltending rule to the same as international rules for both college and professionals. After the ball his off the rim and its still in the cylinder let 'em take it off. They should probably go ahead and just play by all the international rules. If the NBA and American college teams play by international rules, whenever the USA plays against international teams they would already be comfortable with rules and, for better or worse, I believe you’d see more lopsided scores again (in favor of the USA.) I know this sounds bad, but it would more accurately display the talent and level of play of each country. Dave ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2001, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/58 "2001-01-11T02:30:00Z")
Byzantine wrote: > [@](#): > > I’d turn the bitch into fertilizer but she only weighs 80 pounds or so and isn’t worth her weight in shit… Don’t mince words, Byz, tell us how you **really** feel. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/59 "2001-02-06T07:53:51Z")
jr8 - Bowling and boxing! How could I forget them. All righty… Boxing: Throw out the stupid point system. This is a fight, not a dance competition. If a fight goes the distance, the judges vote for the winner right then and there (they can also vote for a draw, although I doubt that many would do that). Even better, have them get up in the ring and announce their decisions one by one. Sorry if this _offends_ anyone, but I have had it with the point system covering up endless horrible, brainless, insane, unthinkable, _wrong_ decisions. Let’s bring a sembalnce of accountability back. While I’m at any, any boxer who disqualifies himself forfeits 90% of his share of the purse. If we’re going to hold judges accountable, it’s only fair that the boxers be held to the same standard, too. Bowling: I’ve seen various scoring systems on arcade bowling games. Here’s my idea. Strike - 20 points, spare - 10 points plus the number of pins on the first roll. I think there’s way too much emphasis on consecutive strikes, and I’m tired of having a strike be worth only 20 points because I missed ONE PIN in the next frame. And why is it that you need to roll 12 strikes in a 10-frame game to score 300? Furthermore, I think getting a good first roll should count for something. Strikes are still worth more than anything, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699/60 "2001-02-06T14:49:25Z")
I want to see NHL hockey played on International sized rinks. Oh, and eliminate the last six expansion teams (enough already!!). Cheers, Hodge [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-add-a-rule-to-a-sport-what-would-it-be/48699.md?page=4)