Dumbest rules in sports?

[CJHawkeyes]

Game rule, league rule, competition rule, or any rule related to competitive sports. For example, MLB All-Star Game determines homefield advantage in World Series.

[GopherGuy]

Good topic - and good start with the MLB home field advantage rule. Here are a few - some of which are no longer in effect, but were terrible rules at the time:

QB in the grasp
Last year's new kick timing rules
Designated Hitters
Lack of rules requiring automatic ejections/suspensions for fighting in hockey
Shootouts to decide games
CF's overtime
NFL's overtime
Basketball's foul-happy rules

My basketball listing is rather generic, but in my mind, basketball is such a fundamentally flawed game that I wouldn't try to go after specific rules - any game in which so many critical points are scored by some guy taking free throws and the only possible comeback strategy is to foul the other team on purpose and hope they miss has some serious problems.

[ZOOMBAG]

Last years college football clock rules were asinine. Good riddance.

I don't like either levels' overtime. College's is too easy to score, the NFL should at least give each team a minimum of one possession. I think I take college's general system but give each team the ball at the 40 or 50 so they have to at least get a first down to have a crack at a field goal.

[Blue Hen]

The intentional base on balls. It should be for two bases.....then again the pitchers would simply disguise them as real 'walks'. Tough to enforce

[Lincoln Tower]

Remember, before the All-Star game decided home field, it just rotated every year. That's even worse. At least this way, there is a baseball game that decides it.

But dumbest rule has to no DH in the National League. The NL is the only baseball league in America that still outlaws the DH. There is nothing "pure" about a .070 hitter flailing away at three fastballs.

[EvilVodka]

My basketball listing is rather generic, but in my mind, basketball is such a fundamentally flawed game that I wouldn't try to go after specific rules - any game in which so many critical points are scored by some guy taking free throws and the only possible comeback strategy is to foul the other team on purpose and hope they miss has some serious problems.

hehe nice....great point too