# Obscure sports rules? Have any? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 3, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214 "2009-02-03T03:44:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214/61 "2009-02-04T18:53:18Z")
I’m not sure if this is still a rule or if it’s ever enforced, but if a basketball player dunks during warmups, it’s a technical foul. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214/62 "2009-02-04T19:24:53Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I’m not sure if this is still a rule or if it’s ever enforced, but if a basketball player dunks during warmups, it’s a technical foul. Yep, still on the books–for (NCAA) men. Any dunking of a dead ball is a T, although you can get away with it a second after the whistle blows if you couldn’t stop. For women, curiously enough, the ban only applies to dead balls during the game, not during warmups. While looking that up, I noticed that it’s a T to possess or use tobacco. So ixnay on that jar of Skoal in the back pocket, and don’t even think about a victory cigar. ---
**Author:** ![jkirkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@jkirkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jkirkman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214/63 "2009-02-04T19:44:20Z")
> [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > Reffing a bunch of fatties chasing a ball round a mid-west cornfield doesn’t pass muster as an appeal to authority, As far as authority goes, here is the official position of the USSF: > **[FOUL OR MISCONDUCT? - Ask A Soccer Referee](http://www.askasoccerreferee.com/foul-or-misconduct/)** > > Question: Under the rules for “Unsporting Behavior”, are there any restrictions on what players may/may not say? For example, is it a foul to say… (If that doesn’t link properly, it’s the July 7, 2008 answer). For a more real-world answer for the US, try here: > **[Soccer Rules Q&A Search AskTheref.com](https://www.asktheref.com/soccer-rule-search.asp?SearchTerm=calling+for+the+ball)** Note that the second link leads to answers are **NOT** in any way official, but merely the opinions of a board of experienced refs. They also mention that there appears to be a bit of a cultural divide on this one depending on geographical location. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214/64 "2009-02-04T21:06:23Z")
If manure are trailing at Mould Trafford then the ref is obliged to add on as much extra time as is required for Manure to equalise. This ruling is not in the book but is widely accepted because after all Manure are the most famous football club in the known universe ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214/65 "2009-02-04T22:09:20Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > Interesting. > > Over here the tote, or parimutuel, substitutes a scratched horse with the returned favourite in that race. Should there be joint or co-favourites, the animal with the lowest racecard number replaces the non-runner in the wager. Favorites are substituted for scratched runners in the pick six wager in the US, and possibly the pick four in some jurisdictions. There’s no rule about co-favorites, because usually one entrant has more money bet to win than another, even if it’s by a dollar. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214/66 "2009-02-05T01:06:31Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > If manure are trailing at Mould Trafford Up City, eh, mate? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214/67 "2009-02-05T02:27:21Z")
Some fun lesser-known NHL ones: - If the same team has 2 face-off violations during the same face-off, it’s a delay-of-game penalty. - If the league finds out that a player’s team paid his fine rather than the player himself, the team is fined $100,000. - If any unusual delay happens within 5 minutes of the end of the 1st or 2nd period, (ie. broken plexiglass), the Ref can order intermission immediately, then have the rest of the period played at the start of the next period, with the team playing from the same ends of the ice. Then when that time runs out, the teams switch ends and play resumes right away. - If the puck stops on top of the boards and was never touched by another player, it’s live and playable. - You have three seconds to play a puck that’s come to a stop on the netting. After that, the play’s whistled dead. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214/68 "2009-02-05T08:10:16Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Up City, eh, mate? Indeedy:D ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214/69 "2009-02-05T22:17:39Z")
In Mornington Crescent, if a given station is accessible by more than one line it can only be straddled if all of the contiguous stations are played in successive moves by one player, however this is almost impossible. Straddles are illegal in some variations of the game but highly prized in others. What? 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obscure-sports-rules-have-any/484214.md?page=3)