What are the dumbest rules in sports?

[Hardcore troubadour 12,670]

A rule should be made outlawing the shift in baseball. Killing the sport. 

[GobbleDog 818]

In basketball, it's an illegal "charge" to move forward into a defender who's standing still.  Why then is it perfectly legal to go backwards into a defender...  looking at you Shaq.

That doesn't make any damn sense.

[Bill E. 666]

42 minutes ago, GobbleDog said:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/best-pawn-promotion-rule

Scroll down 10+ posts. Shows a diagram of such a situation.

That does make sense.  Stalemate.  I would never think of that. 

[Utilit99 4,099]

9 hours ago, edjr said:

Houston Astros?

They cheated by using video while in the game. At least that's what I heard. Guys on the field or in the dugout should be able to steal signs all they want without retribution. 

[Thornton Melon 544]

The OP was right, except that the offense should get the ball at the spot of the fumble, just like a ball that's fumbled forward out of bounds anywhere else on the field. It should be no different.

Why should the defense get the ball, and get it 20 yards up the field on top of that? They didn't recover the damn ball! 

Any other dumb sports rule pales in comparison to the touchback rule.

[edjr 5,572]

46 minutes ago, Thornton Melon said:

The OP was right, except that the offense should get the ball at the spot of the fumble, just like a ball that's fumbled forward out of bounds anywhere else on the field. It should be no different.

Why should the defense get the ball, and get it 20 yards up the field on top of that? They didn't recover the damn ball! 

Any other dumb sports rule pales in comparison to the touchback rule.

Nailed it. 

[edjr 5,572]

I have a rule I would like added.  Illegal defense in MLB.  The shift is another reason baseball sucks

[TBayXXXVII 2,124]

15 hours ago, JustinCharge said:

On 570 AM KLAC in Los Angeles today, they were talking about the Browns - Chiefs game.  They were saying they hate the rule where if you fumble and it rolls into the end zone, it is a touchback.  They were calling it the dumbest rule in all of sports and the Browns should have gotten the ball at the 10 yard line.  What are some of the dumbest rules in sports to you?

Giving the Browns the ball on the 10 yard line would make a good rule stupid.  Makes sense that stupidity would come from LA.

[Mookz 1,287]

12 hours ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

A rule should be made outlawing the shift in baseball. Killing the sport. 

I want to be against this, because it's the same nine guys defending the field regardless of where they're standing, so if they move one of them it means a different area of the field is now undefended, so the batter just needs to learn to adjust and he'll get some easy hits until the defense then readjusts.  But if it actually becomes an existential crisis to the game, then I guess they have to do what they have to do. 

[Hardcore troubadour 12,670]

1 minute ago, Mookz said:

I want to be against this, because it's the same nine guys defending the field regardless of where they're standing, so if they move one of them it means a different area of the field is now undefended, so the batter just needs to learn to adjust and he'll get some easy hits until the defense then readjusts.  But if it actually becomes an existential crisis to the game, then I guess they have to do what they have to do. 

How many guys are capable of taking an inside pitch and going the other way? They don’t use half of the plate when the shift is on, it would defeat the purpose. There is no adjusting, or they would have at this point. 

[BiPolarBear 476]

The drug rules. Let players take whatever performance enhancing drugs they want. 

[posty 2,296]

3 hours ago, edjr said:

I have a rule I would like added.  Illegal defense in MLB.  The shift is another reason baseball sucks

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the shift...  The problem is that 99% of the players want to pull everything and hit a home run...  Maybe if they wouldn't do that, they wouldn't get the shift put on them...

[Hardcore troubadour 12,670]

3 minutes ago, posty said:

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the shift...  The problem is that 99% of the players want to pull everything and hit a home run...  Maybe if they wouldn't do that, they wouldn't get the shift put on them...

They want to hit  a home run because the shift can’t stop a fly ball. Chicken/Egg. Baseball was better pre -shift. There’s no denying that. Get rid of it, bring defense back. 

[Vikings4ever 496]

30 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

How many guys are capable of taking an inside pitch and going the other way? They don’t use half of the plate when the shift is on, it would defeat the purpose. There is no adjusting, or they would have at this point. 

Bunt to third.

[Hardcore troubadour 12,670]

Excuses, complications etc etc. The game was better before the shift. I don’t hear anyone denying that. Simple solution to make the game better is to get rid of it. All the hemming and hawing isn’t going to stop it or change things for the better. Outlawing it would. 

[Hardcore troubadour 12,670]

57 minutes ago, Vikings4ever said:

Bunt to third.

It’s so easy no one does it. I wonder why? You don’t pitch to the outer part of the plate when the shift is on. Again, it defeats the purpose of the shift. And go ahead and take the 6 hits you get a year bunting to third, if that many, into your arbitration hearing of free agency instead of a HR and an rbi. It’s as if some of you don’t know what baseball players get paid for. It ain’t bunting. 

[vuduchile 1,941]

19 hours ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

A rule should be made outlawing the shift in baseball. Killing the sport. 

I still don’t understand this perspective . The shift has been around since Ted Williams. He hit through it, over it and around it, but never away from it.   

[Hardcore troubadour 12,670]

1 minute ago, vuduchile said:

I still don’t understand this perspective . The shift has been around since Ted Williams. He hit through it, over it and around it, but never away from it.   

Not like this. It’s been taken to an extreme. And using possibly the greatest hitter of all time as your example isn’t really proving your point. 

[vuduchile 1,941]

6 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Not like this. It’s been taken to an extreme. And using possibly the greatest hitter of all time as your example isn’t really proving your point. 

It started against Williams but it’s been used against others over the years. 
 

Defensive players move all the time for a variety of reasons without shifting.  Restricting their movements to one side of the diamond goes against the spirit of the game IMO. 

The shift isn’t impossible to beat. It’s also might not be as big a problem as some think. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fivethirtyeight.com/features/dont-worry-mlb-hitters-are-killing-the-shift-on-their-own/amp/

When factoring in all batted ball types — not just grounders and low liners — the MLB batting average on balls in play has remained stagnant. In 2010 — a relatively shift-free season — league-wide batting average on balls in play for all defensive configurations was .297. Last season? .296. The figure has held relatively steady even while scoring and slugging have increased, despite the growing use of shifts. Maybe shifts aren’t such a problem after all.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24265798/mlb-myth-buster-shift-curbing-runs-creating-them

In fact, the data suggest that the shift doesn't do what it's supposed to do. It's designed to stop grounders, but it's supposed to help the defense prevent runs. And, in four fantastic articles (1, 2, 3, 4) at Baseball Prospectus this spring, Carleton found good evidence that it's not doing this.

[nospk 230]

The shift is a gamble by the manager. Extreme way to cheat/shade to attempt to take away the hitters strength but is also risky. It allows you to pitch the hitter differently  than if you played a straight “zone” defense. Even with a straight up d you are able to adjust in/out and shade to one side according to the hitters strengths as well. This is all about strategy which to me is a good mental part of knowing and watching, the inside part of the game 

[Hardcore troubadour 12,670]

12 minutes ago, vuduchile said:

It started against Williams but it’s been used against others over the years. 
 

Defensive players move all the time for a variety of reasons without shifting.  Restricting their movements to one side of the diamond goes against the spirit of the game IMO. 

The shift isn’t impossible to beat. It’s also might not be as big a problem as some think. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fivethirtyeight.com/features/dont-worry-mlb-hitters-are-killing-the-shift-on-their-own/amp/

When factoring in all batted ball types — not just grounders and low liners — the MLB batting average on balls in play has remained stagnant. In 2010 — a relatively shift-free season — league-wide batting average on balls in play for all defensive configurations was .297. Last season? .296. The figure has held relatively steady even while scoring and slugging have increased, despite the growing use of shifts. Maybe shifts aren’t such a problem after all.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24265798/mlb-myth-buster-shift-curbing-runs-creating-them

In fact, the data suggest that the shift doesn't do what it's supposed to do. It's designed to stop grounders, but it's supposed to help the defense prevent runs. And, in four fantastic articles (1, 2, 3, 4) at Baseball Prospectus this spring, Carleton found good evidence that it's not doing this.

It’s stopping defense. Disagree? It’s turned everyone into a long ball hitter. Of course there will be runs scored as a result. It’s not all or nothing. It’s the way the runs are scored, which to me watching a guy strikeout, walk or hit a dinger is less exciting than runners on base. I like defense, especially infield defense. But the stat nerds tell me different. Same people that talk about exit velocity. 

[Drizzay 646]

Put the mound back up to pre '69 levels.

[t.j 35]

The whole instant replay system in the NFL

[Mike Isles 583]

22 hours ago, GobbleDog said:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/best-pawn-promotion-rule

Scroll down 10+ posts. Shows a diagram of such a situation.

Nerd fight !!!!

I spiraled down that thread and it became a GC thread. 

[Rusty Syringes 478]

Not giving batters the choice of not going up to the plate. If they don't feel like it, why damage them emotionally by making them go? Maybe they're scared or had a bad day.

[cmh6476 757]

If the bills had fumbled out of the end zone, the rule would be changed next year

[Engorgeous George 1,197]

On 1/18/2021 at 6:13 PM, edjr said:

like what happened to Cleveland this weekend. Ancient rule that needs to be changed. Should not lose possession because you get a bad bounce. If there is a pass interference in the endzone, they don't give you a TD, they give it to you on the one. They can do the same with fumble out of end zone (untouched)

if you land in a divot or something similar, you'd know how silly it is. Also having to play with mud on your balls is stoopid

They need to improve the design of ballwashers.  Who would use such a thing?  Maybe instead they could have the beer cart girls have a tub of warm soapy water and a nice soft towel.

[thegeneral 1,419]

The illegal lineman down field a few yards is always one of the lamest calls in a game. Some amazing scramble and throw taken away because the Center stumbled 5 yards down field. 

[kilroy69 995]

there should never ever be a tie in any professional sporting event. It should be win or lose.  

[Thornton Melon 544]

2 hours ago, cmh6476 said:

If the bills had fumbled out of the end zone, the rule would be changed next year

Nah...the NFL loves Taylor Swift, so the rule will be changed next year (as it should)

[Engorgeous George 1,197]

28 minutes ago, Thornton Melon said:

Nah...the NFL loves Taylor Swift, so the rule will be changed next year (as it should)

I love the rule as it is.  It offers an exciting change of momentum.  It provides a consequence to reckless play by the offense.  It is one of the few remaining rules favoring the defense.  

[Reality 2,710]

18 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

I love the rule as it is.  It offers an exciting change of momentum.  It provides a consequence to reckless play by the offense.  It is one of the few remaining rules favoring the defense.  

Yup, spot on.

[Thornton Melon 544]

20 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

I love the rule as it is.  It offers an exciting change of momentum.  It provides a consequence to reckless play by the offense.  It is one of the few remaining rules favoring the defense.  

A football field is 160 ft wide and 360 ft long, including the end zones. Teams should be as reckless as they want within that boundary, and if you don't recover an opponent's fumble within that boundary, you don't deserve the football.

[Engorgeous George 1,197]

2 hours ago, Thornton Melon said:

A football field is 160 ft wide and 360 ft long, including the end zones. Teams should be as reckless as they want within that boundary, and if you don't recover an opponent's fumble within that boundary, you don't deserve the football.

Or you could view it as if you don't retain possession you lose possession.  Having seen this discussed many times I know your position is the much more common position.  I accept I am in the minority on this matter.  I do hate to be on the opposite side of any matter from the man who perfected the Triple Lindy.  Do not go gentle into this good night!

[Hardcore troubadour 12,670]

2 hours ago, Engorgeous George said:

I love the rule as it is.  It offers an exciting change of momentum.  It provides a consequence to reckless play by the offense.  It is one of the few remaining rules favoring the defense.  

Not a bad point. 

[Engorgeous George 1,197]

1 minute ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Not a bad point. 

The end of any good quest should be frought with potential danger as well as great reward.

[Thornton Melon 544]

3 hours ago, Engorgeous George said:

Or you could view it as if you don't retain possession you lose possession.  Having seen this discussed many times I know your position is the much more common position.  I accept I am in the minority on this matter.  I do hate to be on the opposite side of any matter from the man who perfected the Triple Lindy.  Do not go gentle into this good night!

Why, thank you 

As far as few rules favoring the defense, I agree. One I hate is the neutral zone infraction. I like the old days when the O-Line had to stay still until the ball was snapped, no matter what the defense did. The onus should be on the offense to stay put until the ball is snapped. If they went back to the old rule, that would have much more of an impact on offense-defense equity than the touchback rule does.

[GobbleDog 818]

Continuing to run in the NFL, after the player falls down.  The whole nature of the game is to be upright. Once you're, down you're down.  What difference does it make if he's touched ?  Not even tackled... touched. 

"He wasn't touched!!! Run!!! Oh wait, the opponent's pinky finger just barely grazed him... ok he was ***officially down***.   Does the opponent's shoe-lace count? What about long hair?  

SO STUPID. Down is down. College has it right.

[frank 2,149]

9 hours ago, Engorgeous George said:

They need to improve the design of ballwashers.  Who would use such a thing?  Maybe instead they could have the beer cart girls have a tub of warm soapy water and a nice soft towel.

 

[cmh6476 757]

4 hours ago, Thornton Melon said:

Why, thank you 

As far as few rules favoring the defense, I agree. One I hate is the neutral zone infraction. I like the old days when the O-Line had to stay still until the ball was snapped, no matter what the defense did. The onus should be on the offense to stay put until the ball is snapped. If they went back to the old rule, that would have much more of an impact on offense-defense equity than the touchback rule does.

And Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith and Dan Salameaua used to wreck people.