Sports rules changes you would like to see changed

[JustSomeJackass]

George Carlin has a famous bit about rules changes for sports, but I am looking for more...

I wish the NFL would allow players to be picked up and thrown. In the 80's you had the Refrigerator getting the goal line carries...let's go the opposite direction...have the biggest lineman on the team line up in the backfield next to a midget (or liitle person, dwarf, freakishly tiny dude, whichever PC term you prefer..just not the ones with the tiny hands or they will fumble too much) and the QB will hand the midget the ball and he will be picked up by the lineman and chucked into the end zone. Maybe give an extra 3 if he clears the uprights. The other team would have to counter by tossing their own midget(s) into the air to try to collide and stop the other one before they cross the plane of the end zone. It would revolutionize the game.

Goal line opportunities aren't the only role though...you could do the same thing for blocking field goals.

Let's liven up some of these games..especially the low scoring ones like hockey and soccer.

I do enjoy the recent changes to the PBA tour...where the bowlers trash talk into the camera. ("Oh yeah Baby, there's plenty more where that came from!!!") It is only a matter of time before they are allowed to creatively interfere with the other bowler.

I need a hobby.

JSJ

[Clarkmeister]

I didn't know they still played hockey?

[AncientPC]

I wish all divisions of college football had instant replay. Some of the calls refs make are just plain wrong.

[JTrout]

the "tuck" rule

[youtalkfunny]

I never liked the fact that the defensive linemen can be called for "offsides" if his flinch "draws" the O-lineman out of his stance. I stayed on my side of the ball, never even came into the neutral zone, and **I'm** offsides?

Also, I'm the only man in America who doesn't like it when the game stops for 20 minutes so the official can go look at a replay. I was SO in favor of replay when the debate raged before it was introduced. But it's too much of a disruption to the game. I'd rather deal with a few blown calls per year, then putting every other mundane play under the microscope.

I watched Tony Dungy challenge a play this week. The opponent's QB was hit while his arm was cocked to throw. The ball came lose, and a linebacker picked up the ball. The whistle blew immediately, and it was ruled on the field that the QB's arm was moving forward, incomplete pass.

I'm thinking, "Close call, but they can't review it. The play was whistled dead." Dungy tossed the red flag anyways.

The ref announced, "OK, we'll look at it. But if it wasn't an incomplete pass, the defense STILL doesn't get the ball--we'll just call it a sack." We wasted ten minutes to see if the next play would be 2nd and 10, or 2nd and 13.

PHOOEY!

[youtalkfunny]

Just thought of another one: only defenders lined up on the line of scrimmage are allowed to leap to block a kick.

WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE IS THAT? You're going to outlaw LEAPING?

If this rule was put in to combat a rash of injuries sustained by O-linemen, let's change the rule to this: Leap all you want, but if you land on an opponent, it's 15 yards.

[B00T]

To fix hockey, easiest thing is to can the red line in the NHL (if it ever comes back)

Widening the goals would be better as well. The goals are ok, but with the increased size in goalie equipment the amount of open space has collectively shrunk. Now I understand players shoot harder, and I dont have a problem with the safety of goalies in mind. You do have to increase the size of the goals to make the same amount of empty space as their used to be.

[benfranklin]

In football, defensive pass interference should be 15 yards from the line of scrimage or half the distance to the goal, with automatic 1st down. Right now, if you interfer in the end zone, the ball is placed on the 1 yard line. That could be a 50 yard penalty, and it is the only penalty that can be more than half the distance. You only get 15 for grabbing a face mask and trying to rip some guy's head off.

[elwoodblues]

You would create too large an incentive to interfere on big passes to the endzone if you changed the rule.

[2planka]

Two words:
Designated Hitter
End of discussion.

[HDPM]

DH as mentioned above of course.

But I would like to see the rule about hitting a defenseless receiver helmet to helmet changed. I figure if you go over the middle and lay out you should get whatever you get. I hate receivers. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[IndieMatty]

Balks are stupid. The runner is trying to "STEAL A BASE". The pitcher should be able to do anything he wants to prevent that.


If a NFL Coach win's a challenge, he should not lose it. That's stupid.

[Usul]

In the CFL and all other Canadian football, PI is a 15 yard penatly. I think its one of the few rules in Canadian football that's better.

Also, I agree that replay should be abolished. First of all it kills the momentum of the game that already has WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY to many comercial breaks (Comercial, kickoff, comercial? Give me a ****ing break). Secondly it overturns awesome, amazingly athletic plays because of a slight technicality, or a matter of an inch or two. I think the NFL should air on the side of letting amazingly athletic plays stand. Thirdly, I've seen several instances, not just one or two, where the official looks at the replay for several minutes, trots out onto the field and makes a blatently wrong call.

While I'm ranting, the NFL should change the rule from two feet in bounds to only one foot in bounds for a catch, like in college. Also make it so there is no "force out rule" (where the reciever would have landed in bounds but was forced out by a defender, so its called a catch), like in college. That would make for more spectacular catches and more huge hits by DBs on the sidelines.

Also, the "helmet to helmet" rule is hypocritical bullcrap, but that's the subject of another rant entirely.

[Richard Tanner]

A lineman can "flench" all he wants and there's no penelty, it's when he enters the neutral zone that it is illegal. Hince the explaination by referees, "Defensive player entered the neutral zone causing the offensive player to rise up."
Second, please tell me you're kidding with the replay, that's rapidly becoming a nessecary evil. Although I will grant you that with officals already in the booth, why not just have them do it instead of the middle man on the field.
My guess, tradition.

Cody

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
Two words:
Designated Hitter
End of discussion.

[/ QUOTE ]
with your permission, I would like to re-start the discussion. Why should the DH be dissolved?

BTW, me supporting it has 0 to do with Edgar Martinez.

[Richard Tanner]

Again, with PI penelties, okay I'm a defensive player defending a long pass, guess I'll just hit the guy if I'm beat, why not, he only get's 15 yrds. The penelty is there for a reason, and it's a good one.
As for the one foot thing (and the others you mentioned), the goal of the game is not to be customized to be super-sensational. The goal of the game is to be a fair contest with set rules. While we're removing the force out rule, why not just make the sidelines go from white to grey to black so that black is clearly out of bounds but we can judge the "sensation-o-meter" on a play to determine how far into the grey the receiver may go.

Cody

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
Balks are stupid. The runner is trying to "STEAL A BASE". The pitcher should be able to do anything he wants to prevent that.

[/ QUOTE ] By intentionally misleading the baserunner and the batter? Balks are banned for various reasons. 1. It is basically cheating(how can you motion torwards home then decided to throw to first?) come'on
2. Its total bush league clown [censored]. It might as well be a clown show out there, with elephants and trapeze artists.

If you let the pitcher balk, then runners should be able to deflect hit or thrown balls, right?

[Richard Tanner]

"If a NFL Coach win's a challenge, he should not lose it. That's stupid."

I agree in principle, however there has to be a balance between a challenge every play and none at all (or three, max, a game as it is now),

Cody

[razor]

[ QUOTE ]
Widening the goals would be better as well. The goals are ok, but with the increased size in goalie equipment the amount of open space has collectively shrunk. Now I understand players shoot harder, and I dont have a problem with the safety of goalies in mind. You do have to increase the size of the goals to make the same amount of empty space as their used to be.

[/ QUOTE ]

But would 10" goalie pads really impact goalies safety... I hear some tv bobbleheads talk like this is so, but I don't get how. The goalie catching glove is also ridiculously big.

I really don't see how cutting back on the size of goalies equipment will impact their safety.

Also, if the goalie goes out of his crease to play the puck he should be fair game (now that will impact their safety)... but I simply don't understand how a goalie should be allowed to go into the corner to play the puck and be immune from getting hit. If you don't wanna get hit, stay in the crease.

Reduce goalie equipment size, make goalies fair game if they leave the net to play the puck, tag up offside and no red line. That just might open things up enough to eliminate the effectiveness of clutching and grabbing.

[Usul]

The PI thing works both ways. How many times have you seen a WR take a dive instead of trying to catch the ball so he can get his 50 yard penalty.

I'm not advocating bending the rules for more sensational plays. The fact is that every league wants rules that make the game sensational and more interesting. That is the main criteria. The thing about rules is that they are assesed equally to all teams (in theory) and therefore they constitute a "fair contest with set rules" whether they are sensational or not.

[Peca277]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, if the goalie goes out of his crease to play the puck he should be fair game (now that will impact their safety)... but I simply don't understand how a goalie should be allowed to go into the corner to play the puck and be immune from getting hit. If you don't wanna get hit, stay in the crease.


[/ QUOTE ]

Seeing the goalies then get pissed and start fighting would also be more entertaining. Big brawls make hockey more fun... and it never gets better than seeing 2 goalies attempting to beat the crap out of each other.

I agree with the no red line when hockey finally returns. 2-line pass calls just slow the game down too much.

[PhatTBoll]

[ QUOTE ]
If this rule was put in to combat a rash of injuries sustained by O-linemen, let's change the rule to this: Leap all you want, but if you land on an opponent, it's 15 yards.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is, in fact, the rule. Except that you aren't allowed to land on a teammate or an opponent. Players behind the line are allowed to jump all they want, they just can't land on a player.

Explanation of leaping rule (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6702086)

[PhatTBoll]

F the 2-minute warning. Dumbest rule in sports. Even dumber than the DH, because at least there is a reason for the DH.

The only reason I can think of for the 2-minute warning is to allow more commercial time.

[Richard Tanner]

I agree that WRs flopping is bad, but that's what replay is for (and if it isn't then it should be).
As for the other rules, sports are primarily a contest, not entertainment. We, as an entertainment based culture, choose to reward our stars with large sums of money. However if the only concern in sports was hitting the biggest homeruns and the hardest tackles, then steroids would be legal. As it stands, they are illegal because it ruins the spirt of compition that makes sports entertaining.

Cody

[Richard Tanner]

The two minute warning is there for the same reason that the two point conversion is in place, to allow close games to be a little closer. I don't like the stoppage in play, but I do like the timeout it provides.

Cody

[Usul]

See that is where you are wrong. The purpose of pro sports is entertainment, not competition. Competition is merely a pleasent byproduct.

[Richard Tanner]

See I'm not so sure about that. That's because if sports stopped so would "sporting entertainment" yet if people stopped watching football they would still play it (granted without the million dollar paychecks).

Cody

[daryn]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
I think the NFL should air on the side of letting amazingly athletic plays stand.

[/ QUOTE ]

[B00T]

its a catch-22 with the goalie pads. You can make them smaller and keep the goals, or let them be the current size and just widen the goals to compensate. The pads were enlarged due to safety and now are becoming pompous. You can take away their safety arguement by just making the goals bigger and they can still feel as comfortable as they do now with their gaudy oversized equipment. Either way the ratio size of goalie equipment to goal needs to be decreased in either facet.

I agree let the goalies get creamed playin the puck. Let a defenseman go back there and play it and give the offense more of a chance to intercept the clear attempt and have an odd man opportunity with the other defenseman behind the net.

[Usul]

Err

Wanna fight?

[daryn]

come on, you know i do

[zephed56]

Two line pass is definitely the dumbest rule ever. That would open the game up a lot. Who cares if it allows cherrypickin.
Goalies being fair game would be a blast, it would also stop the goalie from blocking the wraparounds.
Change icing, so it is only icing if you clear from behind your own blue line. 3 periods, 3 zones.

End regular season games with shootouts after the 5 minute overtime period. Who cares if it's not a major part of the game, it's exciting as hell and there's always a winner!
Or make the goalies fight to determine the winner.

[IndieMatty]

If the ref's can't get it right...then there should be no limit. I don't care how long my game is as long as the ref's dont have an influence.

[Usul]

The refs will always have an influence. You can't review penalties.

[IndieMatty]

TSC,

Why is it ok for the runner to steal the base then? Why would you handcuff the pitcher in preventing it? I mean the term "Steal" is valid, he's taking a base that does not belong to him.

Your other analogies are outside of the realm I am presenting this in. To say its unfair for the pitcher to "mislead"? thats ridiculous. If "Stealing" a base is ok, then me tricking him into thinking it is "safe" to steal should be fine.

(yes I know I am taking "steal" too literally)

[IndieMatty]

review those too.

Come on, we know within 20 seconds if a ref blew a play. If we gave universal power to some guy in the CBS booth. The games would be called right for once.


That Jets game on sunday was a travesty with some of the calls. And lasts nights was pretty bad too.

[PhatTBoll]

[ QUOTE ]
The two minute warning is there for the same reason that the two point conversion is in place, to allow close games to be a little closer.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then why have one in the first half? This is the one that really annoys me anyway.

[ThaSaltCracka]

but he can't steal the base(with regular success) unless he waits for the pitcher to throw home.

Basically its all about deception. The pitcher is not allowed to decieve the hitter or baserunner, and a balk does just that.

[IndieMatty]

But why is the baserunner allowed to deceive the pitcher? Thats just twisted logic.

[ThaSaltCracka]

How does he deceive the pitcher? Good baserunners pester the pitcher, but they don't deceive them.

[IndieMatty]

A lead off the base is "deception", does the pitcher know for certain if he is going to try and steal? Sounds like "deception" to me.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
A lead off the base is "deception", does the pitcher know for certain if he is going to try and steal? Sounds like "deception" to me.

[/ QUOTE ]well lets see, suppose you have Frank Thomas at first base, he takes a lead off, he must be thinking about stealing right???/ At least the pitcher is thinking that right? I mean, how couldn't he think that, he is leading off!?!?!?!?!?!

[Richard Tanner]

Duh, for semetry (sp?) duh. Honestly I don't know, just go to halftime. The only real explaination is that they want the halves to mirror one another.

Cody

[IndieMatty]

Specific players..."meh".

Tell me why it's ok for a baserunner to do anything they can, deception or otherwise (i've seen steal fakes plenty) and the pitcher is not allowed to trick the person trying to advance on him? It's the most illogical rule in sports.

On a side note theres lightning in New York in December..this is weird.

[daryn]

ok, i'll answer.

because say you allowed the pitcher to go into his windup, like he's gonna throw, but he just doesn't let go of the ball. fakes the batter out and everything.

there would never again be another stolen base in MLB history.

[DeucesUp]

One that's never talked about but is obvious to me:

Do away with the extra point. Make a TD an automatic 7 points. A 2pt conversion would become a +1 or -1 point conversion (make it for +1, miss it for -1).

Extra points are ridiculously automatic in the NFL, there have only been 7 misses out of almost 900 attempts this year. Why waste everyone's time on a formality?

[jstnrgrs]

The dumbest rule in all of American sports is that if a player fumbles foward and the ball goes out of bounds, his team keeps the ball . . . unless it rolls through the end-zone. Please be consistant

[youtalkfunny]

[ QUOTE ]
A lineman can "flench" all he wants and there's no penelty, it's when he enters the neutral zone that it is illegal.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sorry, but you're 100% wrong.

I think.

But don't feel badly. This is a league that has changed a dozen rules per year, in the last dozen years. How can anybody be expected to know the rules?

It is my understanding that Neil Smith, DT for the Chiefs back in the day, was really, really good at getting sacks, and his "flinches" were drawing off-sides calls. He never came NEAR the neutral zone. He'd be in a 3-point stance, and he'd suddenly raise his free hand like he was a coiled spring ready to come flying at you. But his free arm was the only part of his body that moved.j

The league outlawed the practice.

Maybe they changed it back. Who knows? This is the league with no rules. Did anybody, I mean ANYBODY, ever hear of the tuck rule before that snowy night in Foxboro? I was working in a sportsbook at the time. I worked with a dozen guys, each of whom had been watching pro football for 30 years, and none of us knew that rule.

IOW, anyone who states with any certainty that he knows the rules of professional football, is a fool.