What is the worst rule in sports?

selmaborntidefan

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The stupidest rule in all of sports (that I've seen) is in basketball, where a guy going towards a basket plows into a guy between him and the basket, gets the basket, AND A FOUL is called on the guy who already gets hit, allowing a free throw. Yes, and I know "was he set" blah blah blah, but it's beyond stupid. And how it gets called in the higher echelons of basketball has ZERO to do with the actual rule and everything to do with "which one of these guys is the bigger superstar."

"Makes the shot AND draws the foul" my behind. Learn to shoot something besides dunks and layups.
 

selmaborntidefan

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VAR in soccer. I hate it. Idk if it really counts as a rule but I stand by it.
I like it, but it might be because I lived through Liverpool fans whining in 1978 that they got hosed in the League Cup against Nottingham Forest because Terry McDermott's goal was disallowed because he was ruled "offsides." Liverpool lost the replay game three days later, and we never heard the end of it.

I can live with it, even though I'm not a huge fan of it.
 
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selmaborntidefan

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I'll add another one that bothers me: I'm "fine" with CFB DPI being 15 yards rather than spot of the foul - but not in the end zone, I'm not. Of course, if it were me, DPI would be classified just like we do with the different levels of facemasking.

1) Incidental Contact Foul - in a case where two guys are dueling for the ball and the ref determines it's DPI, spot foul if less than 15 or 15 yards if more.

2) Flagrant Spot Foul - this would be one of those instances where a receiver clearly has the defender beat by a yard or two but has to pull up to catch a ball in flight and the defender's ONLY hope to prevent a touchdown is to cream the receiver and turn the 40-yard flag into a 15-yard foul. And in the end zone? Needs to be put at the one-yard line.

I agree the spot foul is excessively harsh for what is sometimes a "judgment call." But a defense should NOT benefit in a one-score game with a quarterback who can cover 70 yards in the air by just creaming the receiver who beat you to leave you back upfield, either.

And if it's flagrant OPI (to prevent a pick), it's an interception.
 
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JDCrimson

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Not really a rule, but the only part worth watching is the last 10 laps of a NASCAR race, then to decide the race on a 3 lap finale. I don't watch it more...
 
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JDCrimson

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Fair catch inside the 25yd line on kickoffs...

Sticking with college football...the newest rules of the clock runs on first downs, and out of bound plays for the sake of shortening the games that was never intended for that purpose, but instead to make us suffer through the repeated stupid TV commercials and self-serving network promotions.
 

Coach25

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Sep 1, 2014
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Targeting - not because the rule isn't needed, but because it is impossible to fairly administer.
I agree too many times targeting should be called and it’s not and too many times shouldn’t be targeting and is called because helmet slides up or something and makes minimal contact.
 

Coach25

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I have a few…

1) Pass interference should be a spot foul!!!!

2) Targeting because of gray area.

3) Fumble in to endzone is turnover and touchback.

4) Can’t advance a muffed punt.

5) Penalties half the distance to the goal… then full distance for other team 🤔. Example if it’s a 10 yard penalty and you’re in the 9 instead of half the distance, put the ball at the 1. Would help defense and offense have better chances when other team is backed up.
 
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Coach25

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The stupidest rule in all of sports (that I've seen) is in basketball, where a guy going towards a basket plows into a guy between him and the basket, gets the basket, AND A FOUL is called on the guy who already gets hit, allowing a free throw. Yes, and I know "was he set" blah blah blah, but it's beyond stupid. And how it gets called in the higher echelons of basketball has ZERO to do with the actual rule and everything to do with "which one of these guys is the bigger superstar."

"Makes the shot AND draws the foul" my behind. Learn to shoot something besides dunks and layups.
Lol tell me how you really feel😂. Naw I agree and with basketball traveling and carrying non calls makes me think back that I could have been a pretty good player in high school if I could just run 3 or 4 steps to the basket with a “Eurostep” 😝
 

Coach25

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Sep 1, 2014
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Sticking with college football...the newest rules of the clock runs on first downs, and out of bound plays for the sake of shortening the games that was never intended for that purpose, but instead to make us suffer through the repeated stupid TV commercials and self-serving network promotions.
This is where I wish that ncaa football would be more like nascar and have commercials on 1/2 the screen of the tv while offense and defense are switching after a punt or turnover or whatever but where you can see the commercial and game at same time and then go back to game when they get out there. Would really speed up the game and you could have long commercials during halftime, end of quarters, and when coaches call a timeout only. I can only dream though 😂
 
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Coach25

1st Team
Sep 1, 2014
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The modern application of roughing the passer..The complete over reaction to protect the QB in CFB & the NFL.
Yes and the late slide of a qb. Where he see the player coming in to hit and slides to draw the penalty knowing they will throw it to protect his poor little qb butt.
 
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Coach25

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I’d like to just do away with replay all together because they miss it most of the time even after a review.
I would also be ok with if it goes to replay then they don’t worry about what was called on the field, they call it what they think is the most likely outcome because they usually have so many better views and can slow it down frame by frame… saying that yea still just do away with it and live either some missed calls. 😂
 

3yards&dust

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Jan 19, 2024
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I nominate the rule in football where a fumble through the end zone results in a touchback and possession for the non-fumbling team on their own 20.

We’ve been the beneficiary of the rule (Tennessee Rocky Stop) and the victim (the barn in 2010, and the BC game in Boston in 83. And an LSU game early in Saban’s tenure in Tuscaloosa).

Regardless: If a player fumbles, and the loose ball crosses the goal line, then subsequently goes out of bounds through the sideline or back of the end zone, still unpossessed by either team, it should be the fumbling team’s ball at the point of the fumble.

The current rule is just too punitive. So sez me.
I agree. Way too harsh. Perhaps give the ball to the team that fumbled on the twenty. A team should not benefit from a fumble they didn't recover, imo.
 
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teamplayer

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Targeting - not because the rule isn't needed, but because it is impossible to fairly administer.
I don't think it is needed at all. We already have personal fouls and unnecessary roughness. Targeting was created so it would appear that they were doing something about brain injuries, but all it really does is give the offense another big advantage. It is horrible.
 
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Coach25

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...but they should benefit from fumbling the ball? Don't fumble the ball.
I wouldn’t say they benefit if they move the ball back to the 20 yard line. If it happened on 1st down it would then be like 2nd and goal from the 20 instead of the 1. That’s worse than a 15 yard penalty like offensive pass interference, personal fouls, etc.
 
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