# Strictly legal by the letter of the rules, but a jerk move nonetheless **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 24, 2023, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489 "2023-05-24T02:34:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/1 "2023-05-24T02:34:28Z")
What examples are there in sports and/or games in general where there are legal moves or actions that are allowed, but frowned upon as being a jerk move? The only one I can think of offhand is in 8-ball, if your opponent has to put the cue ball behind the line if you scratch. If all of your opponent’s balls are also behind the line, deliberately scratching so they have no viable next shot is technically legal, but something I would consider a jerk move. Any examples from sports (or games, reality shows, whatever) you can think of? One possibility might be something that would get a pitcher to throw at you, but I don’t know baseball well enough to come up with a good example. (I’m trying to refute what is essentially a “don’t hate the player, hate the game” argument, and examples of legal moves that are simply not done would help me out. As opposed to, say, bluffing in poker, which is expected and not a dick move at all. My inability to come up with anything other than the 8-ball example has me questioning my position.) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/2 "2023-05-24T02:37:18Z")
Intentionally hitting a batter after the previous one hit a home run. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/3 "2023-05-24T02:38:55Z")
Sweep the leg ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/4 "2023-05-24T02:39:10Z")
To clarify, the jerk move has to be in service of trying to win. I don’t know that beaning the next guy after a home run makes you more likely to win the game. EDIT: Yeah, sweep the leg is something I can use. Pithy! ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/5 "2023-05-24T02:40:04Z")
Beaning isn’t legal in baseball. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/6 "2023-05-24T02:40:46Z")
In football, coaches who call a timeout a split-second before the opposing kicker kicks a field goal, thus nullifying the field goal attempt. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/7 "2023-05-24T02:43:25Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Beaning isn’t legal in baseball. I didn’t say beaning. Throwing a ball in his back is de facto legal since the pitcher is never thrown out of the game. Or should I say first pitcher because both teams get warned. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/8 "2023-05-24T02:45:26Z")
For my purposes, a better example would be beaning the best hitter on the opposing team the first time they come up to bat. With the intent of knocking them out of the game entirely, or at least making them less effective for the rest of the game. Would you get away with a warning for that and be able to keep pitching? Edit: Actually, scratch that. Even if you only get a warning, the warning itself is evidence that it’s not perfectly legal. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/9 "2023-05-24T02:46:30Z")
In Monopoly; buying all 30 houses and not upgrading to hotels. This means players with new monopolies can’t build and those with hotels who need cash have to sell the whole hotel back to the bank rather than just downgrade to houses. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/10 "2023-05-24T02:46:35Z")
A “nothing” rider going for the stage win in the last stage of the Tour de France. > **[Why Do They Not Race the Last Stage of the Tour De France?](https://cyclingbeginner.com/why-do-they-not-race-the-last-stage-of-the-tour-de-france/)** > > If you have ever watched Tour de France, you probably wondered why they don’t race on the last stage. Are they too tired after 20 days of racing? Is it > There is absolutely no rule that prevents riders from taking a leader’s jersey on the last day. The last stage counts towards the general classification as any other stage. > > However, ever since the last stage became ceremonial, it’s expected that the yellow jersey is not attacked and that the wearer of it can enjoy a peaceful day in front of thousands of fans. > > **It’s a gentleman’s agreement between riders.** I’m sure every year, some of them would like to attack and try to change the general classification, but they never do. They understand that there’s an agreement that needs to be honored. > > Even if a rider thinks about attacking, he has two arguments in mind that make him change his mind. Those are tradition and course profile – neither favors the attack. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/11 "2023-05-24T02:49:26Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > > [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > > > Beaning isn’t legal in baseball. > > I didn’t say beaning. Throwing a ball in his back is de facto legal since the pitcher is never thrown out of the game. Or should I say first pitcher because both teams get warned. And… beaning isn’t strictly illegal. I withdraw my contention. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/12 "2023-05-24T02:50:29Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > A “nothing” rider going for the stage win in the last stage of the Tour de France. The final stage of the TdF is heavily contested, just not really until the last lap. If any rider did a breakaway early they’d be reeled in because the course heavily favors the peleton. All teams with a good sprinter wants to be in contention in Paris - they’ll make sure no one gets a cheap win. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/13 "2023-05-24T02:54:04Z")
But they’re not attacking the leader or trying to upstage him. Granted, if you had two or three riders who had a chance at the overall win, it would be an all-out battle. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/14 "2023-05-24T02:56:07Z")
[Cricket: delivering an underarm ball to deny the batting team an opportunity to take the lead.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underarm_bowling_incident_of_1981#:~:text=The%20underarm%20bowling%20incident%20of,at%20the%20Melbourne%20Cricket%20Ground.) It’s illegal now, but only because of this incident. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/15 "2023-05-24T02:57:31Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > In football, coaches who call a timeout a split-second before the opposing kicker kicks a field goal, thus nullifying the field goal attempt. This is a good example, but it’s not quite jerkish enough. Mainly because it’s so common that it doesn’t elicit a reaction of “That’s just not done!” A better example might be going hard on defense, jumping over the line aggressively when the offense is just trying to kneel it out. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/16 "2023-05-24T03:11:46Z")
> [@UDS1](#): > > It’s illegal now, but only because of this incident. It was, as mentioned in the Wikipedia article, already illegal in England in limited overs games. I saw the Trevor Chappell incident when it happened. I was watching with my brother and said to him that bowling underarm would be a good move and so effective that it was banned in England. Next thing I knew they were obviously planning to do it. Mind you, I had never envisaged rolling the ball along the ground. The latest ethical dilemma in cricket is of course [Mankading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mankading_incidents_in_cricket#:~:text=In%20the%20sport%20of%20cricket,in%20their%20final%20delivery%20stride.). The best example in terms of the OP is: [Deepti Sharma makes Charlie Dean cry after mankading](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR9cmXBOmFM&t=0s) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/17 "2023-05-24T03:12:42Z")
I see, yeah, that’s a real thing - the Buccaneers did it in 2012 against opponents, who got mad. (Giants and Cowboys). Although I actually didn’t have a problem with it, I consider it fair play, but I can see why other fans would be ticked. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/18 "2023-05-24T03:21:47Z")
For Starcraft (RTS) there’s often a gentleman’s rule of no Zergling rush in the first X minutes. Since that race has a built in early advantage in unit production, if playing on a known map (and a good player knew all the maps) you could be wiped out before you could put up any defenses. But it was never a hard rule. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/19 "2023-05-24T03:22:19Z")
Cricket: Mankading _The non-striker being run out by a bowler in their delivery before releasing the ball:_ The once-rare dismissal is named after India all-rounder Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australia’s Bill Brown in such fashion in a 1948 Test. Although they can be a source of ill-feeling, lawmakers have repeatedly insisted ‘Mankads’ are legitimate. The game situation is broadly similar to the runner on 1st base absently mindedly wandering off the base. In which case in cricket a warning was considered appropriate. But with the rise of limited overs cricket the non-strikers are more likely to be leaving the base seeking material advantage, as is the case in baseball and cricket bowlers thinking they should be able to take the equivalent action to a baseball pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489/20 "2023-05-24T03:41:20Z")
Showboat dunk when your basketball team is way ahead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strictly-legal-by-the-letter-of-the-rules-but-a-jerk-move-nonetheless/984489.md?page=2)