Comments on: 8 Obscure Rules From the World of Sports

By: Benny

Benny — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 05:44:34 +0000

I only needed to read as far as “It’s tough to watch a football game”.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:46:18 +0000

Some NHL rules

- If the same team has 2 face-off violations during the same face-off, it’s a delay-of-game penalty.

- If the league finds out that a player’s team paid his fine rather than the player himself, the team is fined $100,000.

- If any unusual delay happens within 5 minutes of the end of the 1st or 2nd period, (ie. broken plexiglass), the Ref can order intermission immediately, then have the rest of the period played at the start of the next period, with the team playing from the same ends of the ice. Then when that time runs out, the teams switch ends and play resumes right away.

- If the puck stops on top of the boards and was never touched by another player, it’s live and playable.

- You have three seconds to play a puck that’s come to a stop on the netting. After that, the play’s whistled dead.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 28 May 2011 17:50:58 +0000

Most obscure baseball rule ever: If for some reason, one team has to forfeit (so many injuries in one game that the team can no longer put nine men on the field, for example), the final score of the game is always the same 9-0, in favor of the opposing team. This applies regardless of how many or few runs had actually been scored to that point.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 05:31:48 +0000

There is nothing quirky or obscure about the infield fly rule. It is familar to most if not all fnas of baseball. It also makes perfect sense. It prevents the fieldind team from dropping a routine pop up and converting it into a cheap double play.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:04:37 +0000

I agree with all of you who believe the Infield Fly Rule should be included here.

CJ–I’m going to have to beg to differ with you, there. That was Doug Flutie’s last game if memory serves me. Last play, actually–to end his fantastic career by pulling off something that hadn’t been done in 64 years…wasn’t meaningless to all of us :-D

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:14:42 +0000

never throw the ball at the umpire, lol it’ll cost the other team runners will be awarded one base

By: Eric

Eric — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 15:05:45 +0000

Greg, I didn’t see the play, but I think Pat’s explanation is right if a touch incomplete. The normal goaltend rule is that the shot counts, and then the other team gets the ball out of bounds as on any made shot. The UK coach must have assumed if they goaltended on the free throw that the refs would count the shot, giving Georgia a three point lead, and then give UK the ball out of bounds as on any made free throw. UK would then have a chance to set up a play to tie the game. Unlikely, but more probable than rebounding a missed free throw and hitting a full court shot in 1.2 seconds.

You also can’t stand under the basket during a free throw like the kid from Teen Wolf, but that’s another issue.

By: Rein

Rein — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 21:50:19 +0000

One minor point of note on the fair catch free kick is that no such rule exists in the NCAA… only the NFL and high school

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 04:21:55 +0000

Pat, I’m not sure your explanation is correct either – I’m not familiar with the specific game or Gillespie, but why would he think his team would get to take the ball out of bounds after his player had goaltended a free throw? If that was actually the case, we’d never see a free throw get near the rim…

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:50:07 +0000

The blocked free throw play is explained completely incorrectly here. With 1.2 seconds to go, Georgia was shooting a free throw with a 2-point lead. They were going to miss on purpose, thus making it difficult for UK to control the ball and score. So UK Coach Gillespie had his player goaltend the free throw, thinking that UK would get to take the ball out of bounds. He did not realize that the rule not only gives the point to Georgia but also calls for a technical foul which results in 2 additional free throws and possession to Georgia. This was a misunderstanding of the rule more than an example of a quirky rule.