The sports staff shared what they think is the worst rule in sports.
Gabe Newman (Sports Editor): Roughing the passer in the NFL
While there should be some level of protection for a quarterback, they’re too protected by the roughing the passer penalty.
If the quarterback hasn’t yet thrown the ball, then roughing the passer shouldn’t be called.
I hate it when a defender makes a play and sacks the quarterback, but because he landed on him with too much of his body weight it’s a 15-yard penalty.
If the tackle is flagrant, then it should be unnecessary roughness. But, throwing a flag for normally tackling someone who has the ball just because of the position they play is pathetic.
Payton Liggins (Assistant Sports Editor): Excessive Celebration in the NFL
A dumb rule in football is the “excessive celebration” penalty.
Scoring a touchdown is one of the hardest, but most exciting, things to do in the game. However, players can get flagged and fined for celebrating too much. I understand the NFL doesn’t want anything promoting sex, violence or anything that delays the game. But, whether it’s a choreographed dance, spiking the ball, or showing personality, the NFL has long restricted how players can express themselves after big plays.
I can say the league has loosened up in recent years, but some celebrations are still penalized if officials deem them “taunting”. The rule feels unnecessary because celebrations add entertainment for fans and allow players to show emotion in a high-intensity sport. By punishing joy and creativity based on a referee’s opinion, the rule not only frustrates players but also drains fun from the game.
Morgan Gillespie (Sports Reporter): Can’t reattempt run if you run off the runway in track and field
There is a rule in Track & Field for the long and triple jump events that explains how you can’t run off the runway even though you never crossed the board to reattempt your run.
During an attempt, you are given one minute to jump. Once an athlete passes the board, that is considered an attempt or a scratch, depending on the foot placement.
While athletes are running down the runway, sometimes you can tell when your steps will be off. In practice, athletes sometimes veer off the runway and try again. Although that happens in practice, officials will count that as an attempt at a meet and will not let you reattempt that jump even though you technically did not cross the board.
I feel that athletes should be allowed to do that instead of wasting jumps. Now, if that were allowed, there would need to be a limit on the number of attempts.
Jacksen Adkins (Sports Reporter): Offensive fouls in basketball
My least favorite rule is the offensive foul in the NBA.
It may sound like I want offensive players to have free reign over the court, but it’s the opposite. The offensive foul largely goes under-called due to its vagueness in enforcement.
Players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson have caught flak for drawing fouls by pump faking to get defenders in the air before intentionally jumping into them. They racked up points like this in last year’s playoffs, ending as the top two players in total playoff points.
Ultimately, these players are trying to win, and if it means using loopholes or poorly articulated rules to your advantage, then fair game.
The burden falls on referees and officials to make clear that the act of baiting for fouls will go unrewarded this season and on. If they don’t, the lack of enforcement on the offensive foul could end up making the NBA harder to watch.
Aaron Coffin (Sports Reporter): Technical fouls
My least favorite rule in sports is the technical foul in basketball, or more specifically, how the rule has developed over time.
In my opinion, a technical foul should be called due to unsportsmanlike behavior.
Don’t get me wrong, if a player starts a fight or escalates a situation there should be a technical foul. If a player celebrates after a play, accidentally creates contact, or laughs about a call, they should not be assessed a technical foul.
Let’s be real, the physicality and defense are nowhere near what it used to be in basketball, and the technical foul is a huge reason why.
Watching old games from different eras can be fun because players weren’t afraid to play defense like they are today. Basketball leagues need to go back to when a player could play hard defense and express themselves without fear of getting a technical foul called on them.
Lanyie Rhodes (Sports Reporter): Three-hand touch rule in Volleyball
In volleyball, the “three-touch” or “three-hit” rule states that each team is allowed a maximum of three successive contacts with the ball to return it to the opponent’s side of the net, not including blocks.
In my opinion, I feel like the games would be a lot more interesting if they maybe raise it to four if the ball tips over the net.
Not only do I not like it because it’s an odd number, but also along with the three-hand touch rule, I don’t like that blocking counts as one of the three touches.
I also don’t like that a player cannot touch the ball twice in a row, but if two players contact the ball simultaneously, it counts as only one contact.
It doesn’t make sense, nor do I agree with it.
Kaylee Unruh (Assistant Design Editor): Intentional Walks
Intentional walks in baseball are upsetting to me.
I’m not a big baseball fan, but I would say that the rule could almost be considered in a way cheating. You don’t see an NFL defense refusing to guard Saquon Barkley when in a matchup with the Eagles, so why should we allow this refusal in baseball?
And yes, I understand the intentional walk can set up a potential double play but seeing as the double play saw one of its lowest totals in the MLB just last season, they may become rarer. And besides, are teams not embarrassed at cowering when faced with powerful opposition?
You could pretend that you’re at least trying, at least. I know it takes more time to throw four awful pitches, but if you’re going to play the game, play the game.
Emerson Reynolds (Opinions Editor): The Trent Tucker Rule
The Trent Tucker rule is my least favorite rule in all of sports. The Trent Tucker rule states that a shot taken with 0.2 seconds or less remaining on the clock will not count, regardless of whether it is made or not.
This is due to an incident in 1990 involving Trent Tucker, where he shot with under one second left on the clock and won the game for the New York Knicks. The Chicago Bulls complained and said it wasn’t possible. After the review, the call of a made basket stood even though the clock had been mismanaged. This did act as the catalyst for the Trent Tucker Rule.
I believe that with the tech that we have nowadays, this is outdated and should just change to all buzzer beaters being reviewed. They already review them, so why is it such a big deal nowadays that a guy who at his peak averaged 11 points hit a fast shot?
If I ever see an awesome shot get turned over by the Trent Tucker rule, I will cry.
Bryce Parker (Design Editor): Fines on gameplay
I understand fines in the four major U.S. sports goes towards charities or helping former players, but players shouldn’t have to be worried about losing money when they’re just playing the game.
NFL players shouldn’t be getting fined thousands of dollars for a normal game penalty like a facemask, late hit, or roughing the passer.
And don’t even get me started on the new hip drop tackle rule, which was only called once in game during the 2024 season but after game fines that weren’t called in the game totaled tens of thousands of dollars. Plus now they made it where more players will be fined for it, and it still likely won’t actually be called in the game.
NHL players shouldn’t be getting fined thousands of dollars for boarding.
I get that these leagues want these penalties out of the game but they will always be a part of the game and you shouldn’t take away player’s money for playing the game.
Then there’s also crazy fines for actions that don’t need to go such as Eagles running back Saquon Barkley getting fined $46,371 for trucking someone this season.
The Sports Staff can be reached at 581-2812 or at dennewsdesk@gmail.com.