For questions generally relating to the application of the rules of a sport and the making of judgement calls within the scope of the game by officials, referees or umpires. Questions should usually also be tagged with the specific sport in question.
4
votes
1answer
89 views
What is the minimum over-rate?
We can see many times, the captains and the players of the bowling team were suspended for slow over-rates.
How the over-rate for a fielding team is calculated?
Is it vary between different forms ...
1
vote
2answers
593 views
What is the procedure to become a Cricket Umpire?
In cricket how do someone become an umpire at international level? Is there some procedure for this? How are they selected and what is the criteria for this?
4
votes
3answers
172 views
Wide ball stumping off last ball
Last ball, last wicket, 1 run required for the batting side to win the match. Bowler bowls a wide ball and the batsman gets stumped as well.
Which team will win considering the given situation?
6
votes
1answer
144 views
Free kick inside penalty box
What is the rule for awarding indirect free kicks inside a penalty box rather than a penalty kick ?
2
votes
1answer
57 views
How do doubles squash rules vary from singles rules?
When playing doubles squash, what are the rules that vary from the singles rules?
For Example:
Do players in the team have to hit the ball alternately, or can either player hit the ball?
Does a ...
4
votes
1answer
67 views
Are these overthrows 4 or 6?
Consider the third scenario asked in this question, where it has been established that the throw by the first fielder is overthrows.
Two fielders are running behind the ball. The first slides, ...
5
votes
1answer
42 views
Is it a boundary or overthrows?
Consider a scenario where a fielder is chasing a ball that is running away to the boundary. He puts in a dive, gets a hand to the ball but it runs over the boundary ropes. The umpire signals a ...
5
votes
3answers
110 views
Is the runner on first forced to run?
Looking for some clarification on this situation that came up today:
There is one out and a runner on first base (R1). The batter hits a fly ball in the infield. The first baseman (1st) makes an ...
2
votes
1answer
47 views
How does one become an adequate fencing official?
I have officiated dry and electric foil fencing matches. Electric matches are less difficult to officiate due to the assistance of a scoring machine...but scoring machines are not foolproof.
Issues ...
2
votes
1answer
333 views
What is the maximum number of overs allowed to bowl in a single day of a test match?
Minimum number of overs allowed per day in a test cricket match is 90.
What is the maximum number of overs allowed to bowl?
If 2 0r 3 more overs required to win the match means, who will decide ...
10
votes
2answers
579 views
Does the batsman get runs on No ball when the team requires only 1 run to win?
Suppose, A batsman is on strike with 98 runs. The scores are level so the batting team requires only 1 run to win. Now suppose in the next ball, the bowler bowls a No ball and the batsman hits FOUR or ...
8
votes
1answer
267 views
When is the new ball due for all forms of cricket?
Is there a standard time fixed in Test, ODI and T20 formats of Cricket, when a fielding side captain can ask for a new ball?
If the captain of the fielding side doesn't ask for a new ball, will he be ...
4
votes
1answer
225 views
Is it necessary to appeal for lbw in cricket?
Why is it necessary to appeal for an LBW dismissal when sometimes it is clear that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps?
It is the duty of an umpire to give the decision as OUT when the ball ...
2
votes
1answer
120 views
Who is the Third Umpire?
For an international cricket match, there should be a TV umpire, a Match referee, and a Reserve umpire along with two umpires on the field,
Who is the third umpire of the above?
What are the ...
11
votes
2answers
289 views
Why is the referee treated so different in soccer and rugby
Recently, in Dutch amateur football, a linesmen died after being attacked by players. This terrible news was directly the reason for the Dutch football association, KNVB, to apply some rules with ...
4
votes
1answer
82 views
Why was Hasheem Thabeet reinstated after being ejected?
In the November 28 2012 game between the OKC Thunder and the Houston Rockets, Thunder forward Hasheem Thabeet was ejected from the game. Shortly thereafter he was reinstated and returned to the court ...
2
votes
2answers
224 views
Umpire Decision Review System in cricket
A team has only one review remaining in the Decision Review System (DRS), and a batsman was given out Leg Before Wicket (LBW) and both batsmen were certain that the decision was in error and called ...
4
votes
4answers
542 views
Yellow card and red card in cricket
Yellow and red cards are given in some team sports like rugby,football etc.
Is there a practice of issuing these cards in cricket?
I heard that Billy Bowden gave yellow card for shane warne, and ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
Was Zinedine Zidane ever caught offside?
Many sources claim that Zinedine Zidane was never caught offside in his professional career.
Is this true? Because, I found two links that says: "Zidane was offside."
http://youtu.be/2Zxi6k0oyFw
...
6
votes
2answers
325 views
Why wasn't Schwartz's challenge during the Thanksgiving Lions/Texans reviewed?
During the Nov 22, 2012 Detroit Lions/Houston Texans game, Lions head coach Jim Schwartz challenged a scoring play where the runner appeared to be down by contact. Since scoring plays are ...
6
votes
1answer
455 views
Maximum number of red cards
Whats the maximum number of red cards that a referee can give in a football match? Is there a limit to the number?
And does it vary from league to league and tournament to tournament?
4
votes
1answer
54 views
Which criteria does the ref look for when judging whether or not the pitch is suitable for a game?
I have recently seen a number of matches where prior to the start of the game heavy rain made the pitch pretty hard to play on. Interestingly some of these matches were postponed (e.g. recent ...
3
votes
3answers
121 views
Has a protest during a game ever worked?
I've constantly heard a protest being called by the manager of team (baseball, football, etc) who felt that there was an unfair ruling. Yet, after each of these games, the protest never goes through. ...
5
votes
2answers
140 views
Football player backing into another to receive a high kick
Is it a foul in football if the ball is kicked up in the air towards two opposing players, and the one in front is backing into the one behind in readiness for the ball arriving?
If the player behind ...
4
votes
1answer
269 views
Cross-checking vs. Pushing in Ice Hockey
Last night, I was in an discussion with the referee in my adult league game. He called me once for a "cross-check" during a situation where I pushed a player out of position using my stick. I never ...
4
votes
2answers
130 views
Has there been any notable impact to the NFL using replacement officials?
This summer the NFL has opened the preseason in a labor dispute with officials, and are instead using college officials from no BCS conferences are replacements until the dispute is involved.
What ...
5
votes
3answers
675 views
Why was offside introduced, and are there reasons for keeping it?
The offside rule in football ( How is offside determined in Soccer?) is the source of a large amount of goal-related controvesy, and is argued by some to diminish the entertainment value of the game.
...
4
votes
2answers
857 views
Why do the 5th and 6th officials need magic wands, and what do they do?
The 5th and 6th officials (if that's what they're called) that run the goal line in Euro 2012 can be seen holding "wands" in their hands;
Does anyone know what they are?
7
votes
4answers
308 views
Was Jelavić's goal offside?
Nikica Jelavić was clearly in an offside position when he received the ball and scored, in Croatia's 3-1 win over Ireland, for Euro 2012. Having received the ball through one of Ireland's defenders ...
10
votes
1answer
214 views
Can the second-to-last defender cause an offside by leaving the field of play?
I had a little conversation one of my football friends and we had this interesting situation come up during the conversation.
As I understand the offside rule, the offending player should not be ...
4
votes
1answer
126 views
Technology in Baseball
Since the early 2000's digital cameras have been installed by MLB in stadiums to enhance broadcasting/media as well as to review the performance of home plate umpires during baseball games.
According ...
13
votes
2answers
436 views
Why do umpires indicate whether a caught fly ball is fair or foul?
If a batter pops up or flies out down a base line, and the fielder catching the ball is within a couple feet of the foul line, the umpire will always signal the out, and then "fair" or "foul" ...
10
votes
1answer
683 views
What makes a formation illegal?
Sometimes the referee will flag a team for having an "illegal formation". What are the restrictions on how a team is allowed to line up?
12
votes
1answer
215 views
How are individual turnovers determined on errant passes?
When determining turnovers for a given player, how exactly are they determined? Wikipedia defines turnovers as
In basketball, a turnover occurs when a player from one team gives possession to a ...
17
votes
1answer
687 views
Are referees biased toward the home team?
Inspired by this question but hopefully different enough to warrant a different question.
I often hear fans complaining that the "home team always gets the calls", which means that more fouls are ...
11
votes
2answers
282 views
As a defensive lineman, can I intentionally encroach to stop the clock?
If a defense is facing a tough situation with no timeouts left, it is difficult to stop the clock. Your options are very limited - you hope the offense passes and you can bat it down, or you hope you ...
24
votes
6answers
1k views
How is offside determined in Soccer?
The offside rule on the pitch is often unclear and called suddenly. How do I know if a player is offside?
