Rule Changes....What Would You Do?

[Jim Becker]

NOOOOOOOOO! The best part of equestrian is a woman in boots, breech and a show coat!!!! Well the dudes can wear t-shirts, cargo pants and Jordons for all I care though...

Updating doesn't mean eschewing these things...but there's no need to be boring, either. USEF/USDF ran a design contest a year or so ago and got some awesome ideas for modern dressage attire, for example, that looked great while being more in tune with the actual athleticism involved in the equestrian sports. (And for folks not familiar, the rider does NOT just sit there...it's hard work teaming with 1200 lbs of thinking horse flesh!)

[Myk Rian]

and a disinterested party should build all the cars identically.

They do that for IROC racing.

[Van Huskey]

Updating doesn't mean eschewing these things...

I was just being glib, but I do find the kit very attractive on a woman.

[Van Huskey]

They do that for IROC racing.

IROC died in 2008 though the last year of racing was in 2007 but it was really should have been named the AROC (American Race of Champions) since the majority of the races were on ovals and there as never a non-US winner and was dominated by NASCAR drivers.

ROC is the current "version" of this sort of series and is a stadium format with multiple types of cars and has been contested around the world, 2017 was in Miami. This is only a two day event with a champion and Nations Cup crowned. It has been dominated by WRC and F1 drivers and Germany has had the best luck as a team winning the nations cup 6 times in a row with Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. The US has never had an individual winner but they did win the nations cup back in the early 2000s with Jimmy Johnson, Colin Edwards and I think Jeff Gordon.

2017 was won by jack of all trades Juan Pablo Montoya and Vettel won the Nations Cup competing for Germany by himself.



As for rule changes I think I would change baseball, I game I used to love to watch but can't stomach it now. No time outs for the batter, once you step into the box it is on, if the ump feels the batter has been thrown at, intentionally or not, he MAY call time for the batter to compose himself. Pitch clock just like a basketball shot clock, from the time the ball passes over the plate the catcher/pitcher has 30 seconds to get the ball back across the plate, if he doesn't he gets a ball added to the count. Wild pitches and pass balls do NOT stop the clock, in the case of a foul ball the clock starts when the ump hands the ball to the catcher. If the NBA can run 94' set up and run a play in 24s pitchers and catchers can toss a ball back and forth in 30. If the pitcher throws to an infielder in an attempt to throw out a runner instead of pitching the clock resets when the throw crosses the plane of the base pad.

[Malcolm McLeod]

I'm not sure it would be considered a "rule change" but something to improve football.

Go back to leather helmets and minuscule cloth and leather pads.

The current massive armor that the players wear has created a game played by tanks. Injuries would probably go down as no idiot would spear with the top of his head in a leather helmet (not more than once anyway). They'd be more careful with blocking and tackling if not protected by massive shoulder pads, thigh pads, helmets with airbags in them and every other appendage and area of the body protected by Kevlar armor. It would go back to a game of movement rather than "bash and smash".

It's then called rugby.

[Jerome Stanek]

Make nascar with a kidney track so the drivers don't have to paint a white dot on their shoes to know which way to turn

[Mike Circo]

It's then called rugby.

Actually, I've blundered on a rugby game or two on some sports station that's buried in the depths of my over sized cable package.
I don't know all the rules, but it indeed seems like a great spectator sport. Guys in mud, throwing themselves all over the field. Constant action. Every player seems involved. Yeah... I think I could get into rugby.

[Brian Elfert]

They do that for IROC racing.

IROC shut down a decade ago. Some liked the fact everything was equal across the board. Others hated it because crew chiefs couldn't put their own spin on things.

[Pat Barry]

I would eliminate any rule changes made after 1961 for baseball, and after 1971 for football. Golf should never have its rules tampered with, in fact, they need to make the players play by the rules in tournaments where many special rule exemptions are routinely made. Basketball should eliminate the three point filed goal entirely and hockey should have auto ejection for any spearing, butt ending, cross-checking to the neck or above, drawing of blood for any reason, and fighting.

My god, they are changing the rules of golf

[Lee DeRaud]

I don't care for the designated hitter in MLB.

I'm vaguely neutral on the subject of whether the DH is good or bad, but having different rules for the two leagues is (and always was) simply insane. It's like having different 3-point lines for the Eastern/Western Conferences in the NBA or having the goal posts at the goal line for the AFC and the back of the endzone for the NFC.

[Greg Peterson]

Football - eliminate the facemask. Counter intuitive at first glance, but it would reduce head trauma.

Basketball - call traveling when it ocurs, not when it's committed by a bench or role player.

Baseball - if a batter wants a time out, the manager must come out and meet the batter.

Any rule th hat speeds up the play of ghe game.

[Myk Rian]

A rule in baseball that every batter must hit a foul ball to keep the crowd happy.

[Chris Walls]

My dad , who was NOT a sports fan , always said they should allow the base runner to keep the bat. That football should have 4 , 15 min quarters , no substitutions , and the clock stayed running for each quarter.

Chris

[Eric Keller]

I would get rid of the designated hitter. So many pitchers make a living off of throwing balls at hitters. At least make the guy stand at the plate afterwards.