# Ruin sports by changing the regulations **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 28, 2021, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691 "2021-08-28T20:44:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2021, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/61 "2021-09-04T23:31:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Bill Veeck did that with portable fencing back in 1947, changing the dimensions by 15 feet, but the American League put the kibosh on that next season with a rule change making outfield dimensions permanent. Veck never quite did that. The dimensions were only altered between different series. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2021, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/62 "2021-09-05T00:06:02Z")
Sorry — I should have clarified that it wasn’t during a game. I didn’t realize it was the entire series, though, so thanks for that. (Though that would make the most sense.) ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/63 "2021-09-05T03:18:09Z")
All global professional sports City teams can only get players from that state/province/region (if dealing with a city or state with multiple teams split areas of the state into spheres of influence) National teams can only use players born in that country. Moving or changing citizenship can not be used to circumvent this. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2021, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/64 "2021-09-06T23:36:24Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Speaking of free throws… Slight Hijack: At the Pro level, and the money these guys make, Free Throws should be 100% Automatic. I think if they miss, they have to pay a hefty fine. So, the name may or not be more accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2021, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/65 "2021-09-07T02:26:23Z")
This would make sports so much better. Instead of cheering for laundry you’d be chearing for a local guy. That’s the reason the Olympics and college sports are so popular you have a connection to the team and players. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/66 "2021-09-09T23:18:20Z")
jaycat, meet nail on head. Specially the cockamanie idea that baseball should start an inning with runners on base. That made me LOL. Can you imagine such a thing? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/67 "2021-09-26T03:24:50Z")
College players generally aren’t local, especially for competitive programs. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/68 "2021-09-26T15:05:35Z")
That’s kind of true but most programs stress winning the recruiting battle in their own state. This ends up with a higher percentage of local players on every team. For instance [Alabama](https://www.secsports.com/roster/football/alabama-crimson-tide) has 53 players from Alabama on their 99 man roster. Aside from that my point with colleges was also about the connection to the players because you go or went to the same college. So even the kid from out of state who goes to Alabama is connected to the players because they go to the same school. Of course, this doesn’t explain people who didn’t go to the college that are passionate about that college. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/69 "2021-09-26T15:20:36Z")
NASCAR racing: the drivers are blind folded, the spotter tells the driver how to get around the track. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/70 "2021-09-27T03:46:47Z")
And the spotters can’t use the words ‘turn’ or ‘left’. Actually, not sure there is anything left to ruin NASCAR. It’s all been tried. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/71 "2021-09-28T04:43:28Z")
Make every driver the person on the freeway who’s always ahead of you who routinely goes 10MPH under the speed limit on the far left lane until you try to pass them and they then passively aggressively try to block you from overtaking. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/72 "2021-09-28T11:56:56Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Mandate clubs be 10x heavier and or have rugby ball shaped balls. They make football shaped golf balls, there’s even a game called [GolfCross.](https://www.golfcoursetrades.com/golfcross-a-new-way-to-play-an-old-game/) ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/73 "2021-11-11T00:30:41Z")
I hear people say all the time that “pros should be able to make all their free throws!”. Given that only four players in NBA history have been able to average even 90% for their career, it seems like a weird thing to say. (Rick Barry, Mark Price, Steve Nash, and the current all-time leader, Steph Curry at 90.8%) ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/74 "2021-11-11T08:06:20Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > NASCAR racing: the drivers are blind folded, the spotter tells the driver how to get around the track. “Okay now… turn left, left, straight… left, hang a left. Now straight, K, hang a left, another left… straight. Left again, more left. … (etc.)” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/75 "2021-11-11T16:13:53Z")
Any football player, college or NFL who makes a referee-type signal to indicate a first down or claim a penalty gets his team flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. End zone celebrations of sacks will result in the offending team being assessed a safety. Failure to help an opposing player off the turf will be considered taunting. There will be periodic breaks in pro soccer games in which players gather at midfield to enact advertisements for their team’s major sponsors. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/76 "2021-12-20T23:01:28Z")
In European football, player transfers are restricted to winter and summer transfer windows. The whole transfer business is rife with shady deals and brown envelopes. I think that transfers should be by public auction. Players could be put up on a stage and auctioned off to the highest bidder. On TV I am sure that it would get a huge audience, especially if they had to parade naked and oiled up. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/77 "2021-12-21T12:26:13Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > Baseball option #2 - balls hit out of the park are considered foul. Way behind - tournament slo-pitch softball has limits on the number of home runs a team can hit (# depends on level). I believe extras are outs. Teams work to load the bases prior to using one. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/78 "2021-12-21T20:35:44Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > tournament slo-pitch softball has limits on the number of home runs a team can hit Back about 100 years ago when I attempted to play competitive slo-pitch, a rule was instituted that one player per team could hit home runs. Whoever did it first in a game could hit as many as he could muster in subsequent at-bats. All other home runs hit by other players were outs. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/79 "2022-01-05T23:08:00Z")
All football fields must be constructed so they can be tilted on a central axis. Thus, the underdog or team that’s behind by a certain number of points gets to play downhill, while the other squad is compelled to fight uphill. Such a rule would make sense of the inane sportscaster reference to “running downhill”, and would level the playing field for real. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691/80 "2022-01-05T23:29:30Z")
Hockey will henceforth be played with crampons on players’ boots, instead of blades. No other changes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruin-sports-by-changing-the-regulations/949691.md?page=5)