# Thunderball! Design a sport one rule at a time

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [September 13, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388 "2014-09-13T14:24:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/1 "2014-09-13T14:24:36Z")

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The name of the game is Thunderball! (exclamation mark included). It’s time to give Thunderball! some rules, regulations, laws and punishment.

You can add one rule per post. The inaugural matchup will take place New Years Day 2015, high noon, in Deadwood, SD, on the condition that there are at least 3,200 rules, regulations, laws and/or punishments. If we don’t reach the minimum, the match will be moved to Yankton.

1. The field shall be rectangular, 500 feet x 300 feet, divided into equally-sized quadrants.

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### 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: [September 13, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/2 "2014-09-13T14:32:43Z")

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Once used, no rule may be used again.

Eventually, all our games turn into Calvinball.  
😃

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### Author: ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/3 "2014-09-13T18:30:05Z")

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Each player shall ride a buffalo.

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### Author: ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/4 "2014-09-13T18:42:54Z")

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You mustn’t talk about Thunderball.

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### Author: ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/5 "2014-09-13T19:45:47Z")

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Any mention of Yankton, whether by players, officials, or media, must be immediately followed by “cocksuckers.”

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### Author: ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/6 "2014-09-13T19:52:02Z")

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Any player in possession of the ball who is capable of successfully singing the first verse of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” before being intercepted, shall score five points for his or her team.

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### Author: ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/7 "2014-09-13T20:15:25Z")

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The ball shall be a log, no longer than 24 inches, no shorter than 12 inches, with a diameter no wider than 20 inches.

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### 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: [September 13, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/8 "2014-09-13T20:22:31Z")

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> [@John\_DiFool](#):
>
> Each player shall ride a buffalo.

The referees shall be dressed as zebras.

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### Author: ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/9 "2014-09-13T20:28:15Z")

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> [@LawMonkey](#):
>
> Any mention of Yankton, whether by players, officials, or media, must be immediately followed by “cocksuckers.”

Failure to do so will require offending party to immediately drink 3 rapid-fire shots of Kentucky bourbon.

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### Author: ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/10 "2014-09-13T20:28:33Z")

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> [@John\_DiFool](#):
>
> Each player shall ride a buffalo.

A buffalo shall be defined as either an American Bison or a Water Buffalo.

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### Author: ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/11 "2014-09-13T20:30:27Z")

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> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> The ball shall be a log, no longer than 24 inches, no shorter than 12 inches, with a diameter no wider than 20 inches.

The Thunderball will have a stolen Nuclear weapon concealed in it.

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### Author: ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/12 "2014-09-13T20:33:08Z")

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> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> Failure to do so will require offending party to immediately drink 3 rapid-fire shots of Kentucky bourbon.

Use of bourboun produced outside Kentucky (but otherwise meeting the standards established in 27 CFR 5.22) is permitted during a state of national emergency, provided the offending team take a 5-yard penalty and dance the Charleston for no less than 47 seconds during halftime (except for games occurring within the boundaries of Lexington county).

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### Author: ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/13 "2014-09-13T20:36:41Z")

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The offense will field 40 players: four in each quadrant, 23 rovers and one coxswain sitting on a brick tower 30 yards from the field yelling play-by-play to the coach, who is blindfolded while his team has the log.

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### Author: ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2014, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/14 "2014-09-14T01:52:07Z")

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Taunting any opposing player is prohibited; offenders will be made to wear a petticoat of shame for the remainder of the half in progress when the taunt was detected. But unlimited taunts in the Navajo language are allowed without penalty.

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### Author: ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2014, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/15 "2014-09-14T04:39:32Z")

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Taunting players on your own team is mandatory.

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### Author: ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/16 "2014-09-14T14:06:28Z")

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Every participant must chug a bottle of Boonesfarm.

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### Author: ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/17 "2014-09-14T15:06:56Z")

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Superman is no longer allowed to play ThunderBall!

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### Author: ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/18 "2014-09-14T15:35:22Z")

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2 points will be awarded to a team if it passes the log to each member of the offense within 75 seconds of taking possession of the log.

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### Author: ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/19 "2014-09-14T19:39:07Z")

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Catching the snitch is worth 150 points.

I’m not talking about the Golden Snitch, as in Quidditch. I mean the guy who ratted you out for failing to follow all of the above rules.😛

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### Author: ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thunderball-design-a-sport-one-rule-at-a-time/698388/20 "2014-09-15T01:17:18Z")

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Fans are to be seated in the outer quadrants of the west and east side and are encouraged to participate.

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