# Reminisce about defunct sports rules **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 9, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538 "2010-12-09T15:36:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [December 9, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/21 "2010-12-09T21:05:07Z")
> [@zoog](#): > > That must go way back, because I don’t remember it, and I’ve been watching Pro Football religiously since the early 70’s. It was changed before the 1974 season. Googling informs me that there were some even [wilder variations](http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/NFL-officials-referee-Paganelli-brothers-101410) in the early years: > [@](#): > > In 1934, the league passed a rule that said that the second incomplete pass over the goal line in the same series or a fourth down incompletion in the end zone results in a touchback. Just imagine — prior to this change, any incomplete pass in the end zone became an automatic touchback. At least it took two incompletions in the end zone to give up a touchback. > > That portion of the rule gotten straightened out in 1938, but it wasn’t until 1974 that the rule regarding fourth-down incomplete passes in the end zone was changed to what we know it as today. Up to that point, a fourth down incomplete pass into the end zone resulted in a touchback if the ball was snapped inside the 20-yard line. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/22 "2010-12-09T21:25:46Z")
NFL used to require that when you tackled a guy you had to be on top of him or end up on top. So if you knocked a guy down you had to jump on him. That must have been very strange. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/23 "2010-12-09T21:40:02Z")
Was there a US football rule in which the player had to touch the ground of the end zone with the ball after scoring a touchdown? I seem to have seen that quite a few times in movies and tv. If so, what would happen if you failed to do this? ETA: Holy crap, I just realized that this would be a literal touchdown! I never even wondered why it was called that. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/24 "2010-12-09T21:46:39Z")
That was required in football, the way it still is in rugby. It’s where the spike comes from. I don’t know what happened if you didn’t do it, if anything. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/25 "2010-12-09T21:49:42Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That was required in football, the way it still is in rugby. It’s where the spike comes from. I don’t know what happened if you didn’t do it, if anything. Was the defense allowed to try to stop you even after the ball crossed the goal-line? If so, This would be a completely distinct skill for goal-line defenders. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/26 "2010-12-09T22:11:34Z")
If you go way back a FG was worth more points than a touchdown. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/27 "2010-12-09T22:29:21Z")
Way, way, way back, ice hockey was a seven-man game. There were the goalie, three forwards, and two defencemen as today (although back then the defence were called the “point” and the “cover point”). There was also a [rover](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_(ice_hockey)), who didn’t have a set position, instead skating all over the ice, going where needed. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/28 "2010-12-09T22:51:11Z")
Long ago, Pitchers in baseball used to have to throw underhanded, to the spot where the batter requested them to throw. I miss that. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/29 "2010-12-09T22:55:20Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Was the defense allowed to try to stop you even after the ball crossed the goal-line? If so, This would be a completely distinct skill for goal-line defenders. In Rugby League and Union you can hold the ball up in a tackle preventing a try, as the ball needs to be grounded cleanly. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/30 "2010-12-09T22:59:20Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > I miss the NBA having a rule against traveling. LOL, try being a junior coach when they all want to play like Bron Bron!:mad: ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/31 "2010-12-09T23:02:15Z")
> [@Bootis](#): > > Long ago, Pitchers in baseball used to have to throw underhanded, to the spot where the batter requested them to throw. I miss that. What are you, 135? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/32 "2010-12-09T23:55:58Z")
I miss… Hockey players being allowed to go helmetless Basketball players being allowed to go tattooless Pitchers batting in both leagues Football and hockey being allowed to end in ties (of course, they rarely happen in the NFL) A pass incompletion having to at least have the pretense of reality (no spiking) The two-line pass in the NHL Jump balls before the alternate possession rule ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/33 "2010-12-10T00:04:02Z")
Hoops used to have a jump ball after every made basket. Talk about slowing down the game. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/34 "2010-12-10T00:27:39Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Cricket. Miss the days of unrestricted bouncers and batsmen in agony…god I miss the screaming! And the hook shot off the eybrows for six. > > Ponting and Tendulkar would have been nothing in that era. Cricket has rules? Wow … who knew 😕 ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/35 "2010-12-10T00:32:10Z")
I miss when all pitchers were actually in the batting lineup. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/36 "2010-12-10T02:31:47Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > NFL used to require that when you tackled a guy you had to be on top of him or end up on top. So if you knocked a guy down you had to jump on him. That must have been very strange. It was called securing the tackle. When he was knocked down, you had to show you were in front and he had no way to go. If a tackler was on your back, you could crawl with him. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/37 "2010-12-10T02:41:44Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I miss when all pitchers were actually in the batting lineup. You missed when guys who were terrible athletes would come up and swung in the general direction of the pitch. You must also miss the fact that they would not pitch to the guy in front of the pitcher giving you 2 dead spots in every lineup. It was horrible. The DH is genius.It gets action in the game and more runs. It gives guys who are not great runners that can hi,t a career . It extends careers of players who may be hall of famers. Whats not to like? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/38 "2010-12-10T02:44:42Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > I miss the NBA having a rule against traveling. And the rule against playing defense against the leagues favored stars. Fouls for showing up on the same court as Lebron or Jordon. Basketball reffing has made the game ugly. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/39 "2010-12-10T03:07:47Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Football and hockey being allowed to end in ties This. I hate the college/HS football OT rules, and the hockey shootout. Ties weren’t so bad. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538/40 "2010-12-10T03:18:57Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Football and hockey being allowed to end in ties (of course, they rarely happen in the NFL) I don’t know about ties being all that rare before 1974, bob. As per [pro-football-reference.com](http://pro-football-reference.com) Ties - Year 7 - 1973 5 - 1972 8 - 1971 9 - 1970 (3 involved the Chargers, in a 14 game season) 8 - 1969 (NFL + AFL pre merger) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reminisce-about-defunct-sports-rules/563538.md?page=3)