Questions tagged [rules]
Questions about the rules of sports, including regulations for particular competitions or formats. Questions must also be tagged for the specific sport or competition.
65
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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Outdoor Volleyball: Is overhand contact with fingers on a serve legal?
Which USAV Outdoor Volleyball Rules regulate the action of receiving a serve overhand with fingers? This is a contentious topic where I play.
I found a rule that allows double contact even when ...
6
votes
1
answer
398
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Why is the Edinburgh Half Marathon world record eligible?
In order for times set in a road race to be eligible for a world record, the course needs to satisfy some rules, two of which are:
The start and finish points of a course, measured
along a ...
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6
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2
answers
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Illegal Stick Rule In NHL
The illegal stick rule has cobwebs on it. When was the last time a team was penalized for it, due to its blade being curved too much? Who were the teams? Back in the day some teams had a great eye for ...
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what happened if the player do not touch home plate?
The batter hits a home run and rounds the bases without touching home plate.
His teammates surround and touch him and he takes his helmet off and is halfway to the dugout when the fans and his couch ...
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4
votes
0
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Was there ever a rule requiring diagonal serve in table tennis singles games?
When I was a kid (born in the mid-70s, in Sweden) and we played (for fun), we required that the serve was diagonal in a table tennis singles game. I've spoken to people all over Europe that applied ...
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4
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Does a football referee have a duty to prevent a team from using more substitutions than they're allowed to?
AS Roma lost a game against Spezia in the 2020-21 Coppa Italia because they exceeded the number of substitutions they were allowed to do, mistakenly thinking they could go for a sixth one in extra ...
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4
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0
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457
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Is this bat with shiny substance consistent with pine tar legal?
According to the MLB Rules, 3.02(c):
The bat handle, for not more than 18 inches from its end, may be
covered or treated with any material or substance to improve the grip.
Any such material or ...
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0
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MLB tiebreaker: 1977
What were the tie-breaker procedures back in the 1970's in case 3 American League teams were tied for their division lead at season's end?
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Why have the vertically passed air gates been abolished?
In the past (up until the new 2014 season), a Red Bull Air Race track consisted of 3 different kinds of gates, requiring different fly through procedures:
Pylon pairs to be flown through horizontally....
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4
votes
1
answer
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What differences are there between the XFL rules of today and the rules of XFL past?
As the title states - I know XFL was a league in the past, with rule differences between them and the NFL. I see the list of XFL/NFL rule differences of the current XFL league exist here, but I'm ...
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2
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Can the referee in a football match request a video review?
In pro soccer, can the referee request VAR to analyse an incident even though there is no warning from VAR to the referee?
3
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What determines who sits to the umpire's left or right?
When players arrive on court, they'll put down their bags and towels on seats to the umpire's left and right. Is there a rule that determines who sits where, or is it simply that the first player ...
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Which segmentations are there for sports?
As far as I know, people playing different sports can be separated by age, sex, and sometimes weight. Are there any other segmentations/categories in any sport?
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Is Japan's Rising Sun flag banned by FIFA?
In this article, for instance, we see the text:
the South Korean ministry noted that Fifa has already set the precedent of banning the rising sun flag at international football matches.
I've ...
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Does Nippon Badminton Association forbid players from swapping shirts?
After yesterday’s game between Kentō Momota and Luís Enrique Peñalver at the World Championships in Basel, Peñalver indicated that he wanted to swap shirts with Momota. Momota’s reaction was a bit of ...
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Are tennis rackets checked by officials before matches?
Following this question I started looking for evidence that rackets in tennis were checked by officials, at least on the ATP tour, but couldn't find some. I was able to find the regulations for racket ...
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Cue ball behind head string in pocket billiards
Is it in print that the complete cue ball must be behind the headstring? Some people think it's only the bottom of the ball that must be behind.
3
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0
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Do the official USAV rules for mixed volleyball require all rotations to be same gender?
I am playing in a mixed league, and they state that if a team has more than 6 people, they can use a rotation substitution, but that
A player must substitute for the same gender (i.e. men sub for ...
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0
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Can code violations be overturned?
When Serena Williams was awarded her third code violation during the recently concluded US Open Finals against Naomi Osaka, US Open Referee Brian Earley and WTA Supervisor Donna Kelso were also called ...
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0
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257
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Is there any reason why you get 4 points for a win and 2 for a draw in AFL
Is there some way you can get 1 point or 3 points for a match?
If not, it appears to be easier to do the standard 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 for a loss. Is there some historical reason ...
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3
votes
1
answer
160
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Boarding, NHL vs USA Hockey
in the USA Hockey casebook, I came across an interesting little nugget.
"Player A1 pushes teammate A2 into an opponent who is thrown against the boards violently enough to warrant a boarding penalty. ...
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2
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0
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50
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What are the eightball rules when white ball and the eightball get stuck in the corner?
What happens when opponent still has balls left, and the eightball was my last ball?
The balls are stuck, meaning that when my opponent hits the white ball the eightball will fall into the pocket, ...
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2
votes
1
answer
77
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Can defenders hold each other in the air at a free kick?
I have noticed players standing in a line to block free kicks in the World Cup, with some teams choosing to have a player lay along the ground to block lower shots.
Are there any rules preventing ...
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2
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0
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6 players on the court during free throw
A team had six players on the court during the first of two free throws. The extra player was removed before the second free throw attempt.
Is this a technical violation or was the time during the ...
2
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0
answers
111
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During a basketball game, what rules prevent players from acting in distracting/heckling ways to throw off opponents?
During a freethrow, distracting the shooter is clearly disallowed according to the rules. But during the game, what is preventing players from trying to distract each other? For example, by screaming ...
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Is it allowed for the quarterback (or someone else) to punt the ball if he can't find another play?
If the quarterback (or someone else) on fourth down gets in trouble and hasn't passed the line of scrimmage, can he change the intended play and instead punt the ball away?
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How are judges chosen in MMA/UFC fights?
Judges in MMA sometimes make questionable decisions over bouts. So I was wondering, what exactly makes a person qualify to be a judge on professional MMA fights? What criteria is set for someone to be ...
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Can a player re-spot a color ball even if the referee intends to do so?
I was just watching a UK Championship game and came across a rare incident. Mark Williams potted the yellow after the last red. The referee should have re-spotted the yellow, but he forgot. Then ...
user13631
2
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0
answers
198
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Are there any specific rules regarding rematch in basketball?
The FIBA Official Rules 2014 gives instructions on how to file protests. However, I could not find any specific rules regarding ordering a rematch due to protests. Can anyone please clarify?
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What are the qualifications needed for dressage judges?
At the international highest level of dressage (Grand Prix), what are the qualifications a judge has to have in order to qualify as a judge?
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Can a let become a stroke after a 360° turn?
It is well known that if a player turns 360 degrees to hit the ball at the back wall then they may call a let for safety reasons, or play on and risk a stroke against them if they hit the opponent.
...
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1
answer
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If a batted ball strikes a runner on the offensive team and is caught before hitting the ground by the defense, is this an out?
If a batted ball strikes a runner on the offensive team (assume that the ball already went by an infielder, nullifying any interference) and is caught before hitting the ground by the defense, is this ...
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2
answers
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Is there a [possible] scenario in which the first run counts but the next one does not?
While brushing up on "third out, run counts" rules and "fourth outs" the following came to my mind:
With 1 out could a scenario arise where one runner comes in, run counts, and second runner comes in,...
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vote
0
answers
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What happens if the leading baserunner misses a base?
What is the correct ruling in the following situation?
Runners on first (R1) and second (R2)
Batter gets a hit and is out before reaching first (fewer than three outs)
R1 and R2 advance; R1 touches ...
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1
vote
1
answer
391
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Steps allowed while dribbling without putting the ball down?
Looking for clarification, in basketball how many steps are allowed while dribbling without putting the ball down? So in other words drag dribbles, floats, push cross, etc. According to the rules you ...
1
vote
0
answers
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What is the fairest point system for league table for a group friends playing a 1v1 game amongst each other every once in a while?
For context, me and my colleagues want to set up a point system for a 1v1 table tennis league table in our office which would get updated every time people play each other. We want to award points for ...
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0
answers
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In the NBA, do you get a free throw if you are fouled by the buzzer?
What happens if an NBA player gets fouled right when the shot clock ends, and he gets the and 1. Would he be able to shoot the free throw?
Do the referees base this on game point, or just don't do it?
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vote
0
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What happens to FGA when you score on the wrong basket?
I know that when you score on the wrong basket, the nearest player gets the points (in NBA) - so that's "Field Goal Made". But, what about "Field Goal Attempts"? If the nearest ...
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0
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How does a body check affect the ruling on Delay of Game penalty call?
In the NHL (and other leagues and levels I'm sure), a 2 minute minor penalty is assessed when a defender in his own zone clears the puck over the high boards.
This penalty is waived if the clearing ...
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1
answer
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Rule for stopping / starting the clock when running out of bounds with the football in NFL & NCAA
What are the rules and are they the same in NCAA and NFL when it comes to stopping and starting the game clock when a player runs out of bounds with the football.
What I have found out is that ...
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0
answers
594
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How many horses are allowed to run a single race?
What is the maximum number of horses permitted to run a race in the United Kingdom?
Is it different in the USA, or Australia?
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vote
0
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NRL (Australia) Rugby - Touching Ball Near Try Line
I have just started watching League and Union Rugby and have been trying to familiarize myself with the rules.
While watching this evening's NRL match between the Storm and Cowboys, a cowboys player ...
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0
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Is protest considered as Unsportsmanlike Conduct in tennis?
ITF Senior Regulation define Unsportsmanlike Conduct as:
Any misconduct by a player that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the Sport, but does not fall within the prohibition of any specific on‐...
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0
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Basketball Rule: Reach in with contact but get ball first
I've never really played in official basketball leagues with refs, only pickup games really. I come from a very heavy soccer background where if I get ball first then the players body its a legal ...
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0
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Does Naseem Hamed violate the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in this video?
Rule four of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules:
If either man fall through weakness or otherwise, he must get up unassisted, ten seconds be allowed to do so, the other man meanwhile to return to his ...
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How many genders are recognized in IQA Quddtich?
The 2020-2021 rulebook (which is apparently the current one) of the International Quidditch Association (IQA) provides a "gender maximum rule":
1.2.3. Gender maximum rule
A. A team may not ...
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1
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In tennis how to call a service ball close to the intersection of the service lines
What happens in tennis when a ball hits the 'service line' but you are unsure if it also touched the 'central service line' to call it in?
For example in the drawing the player serving must throw the ...
0
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0
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115
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Is dribbling off your body and then continuing to dribble legal in basketball?
In basketball, it is illegal to touch the ball with both hands between dribbles. However, when a player is dribbling and a dribble bounces off their waist or knee and bounces on the floor, is it ...
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change of refereeing method in basketball
I would like to know if a new regulation has been introduced in the NBA regarding player protests, in the last two seasons the referees have changed the method of reacting to protests, now just a ...
0
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1
answer
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Why is "kicked ball" a violation in basketball?
This may be opinion-based, but can anybody explain why "kicked ball", i.e. striking the ball with any part of the leg, is a violation in basketball? I've always thought it seemed like a fair ...
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