Minor things that annoy you-sports edition

[Big John]

And a count-down clock must be used as well (college soccer is like that too, which sucks).  Crazy.

When my nephew played HS soccer 20 years ago in Wisconsin, the clocks counted up.

[NWI_Irish96]

That people have problems with TIE American football games. The game is dangerous enough as it is and to extend the games so one team MIGHT win is stupid. Of course, you need a winner in the playoffs but 60 minutes is enough time to determine a winner. Most of the OT rules, college and pro, are arbitrary and often conflict with the regular game rules. If they're tied, they're tied. If the coaches don't like it, play to win. Especially when you have a choice between going for 1 or 2 after a last second TD.

I still like the idea of "the team that was most recently ahead wins" .

I prefer the idea of "the team that has the most points wins" and if you don't score enough points in the time allotted, you don't deserve the win. But I'm old school.

Also, not that anyone asked, I would require the whole ball to pass through the plane to score a touchdown.

My soccer idea could apply to football. If you end regulation time with the most points, you get 3 points for a win and the other team gets zero. If the game ends tied at a score other than zero, the team that was last ahead gets 2 points for the tie and the other team gets 1 point. That puts some serious strategy into the game if you are down by 7 and score a touchdown. Kick the PAT for 1 point, or go for two to try and get 3 points?

Games tied at zero give both teams 1 point.

[Big John]

In college football, why is the "C" for the center judge in a different font than the letters for the other officials?

[Alps]

Minor things that annoy you-sports edition

People who don't accept overtime

[NWI_Irish96]

Minor things that annoy you-sports edition

People who don't accept overtime

Overtime is fine in other sports, but in football it starts to become a health/safety issue.

[Alps]

Minor things that annoy you-sports edition

People who don't accept overtime

Overtime is fine in other sports, but in football it starts to become a health/safety issue.

go watch a sport without contact then

[NWI_Irish96]

Minor things that annoy you-sports edition

People who don't accept overtime

Overtime is fine in other sports, but in football it starts to become a health/safety issue.

go watch a sport without contact then

That's exactly what people will start to do when the league's best players are missing the playoffs because of injuries sustained during regular season overtime.

[kphoger]

Overtime is fine in other sports, but in football it starts to become a health/safety issue.

Football is a health/safety issue.

[webny99]

Something that's starting to bother me more is how spread out the NFL's bye weeks are. I'd like to see them consolidated to four weeks with eight teams on bye per week. With an 18-week season, that would ideally be weeks 8-11 (late October-mid November).

In addition to having having a consistent number of bye teams per week, affecting less of the season, and being easier to keep track of, this would also make it more fair, as it would cap the number of consecutive games without a bye at 10 (not including playoffs). Right now it feels like the season is barely getting started - no need to rush some teams into the byes this early and then play 12 or 13 games in a row, while others extend into December before they get a bye when they have a lot more information about their season and may be getting ready for a playoff push by that time.

[jeffandnicole]

Minor things that annoy you-sports edition

People who don't accept overtime

Overtime is fine in other sports, but in football it starts to become a health/safety issue.

go watch a sport without contact then

That's exactly what people will start to do when the league's best players are missing the playoffs because of injuries sustained during regular season overtime.

So if the best player get injured in the 3rd quarter the fans will still tune in to the playoffs?

[ilpt4u]

Overtime is fine in other sports, but in football it starts to become a health/safety issue.

Football is a health/safety issue.

Look up the average life expectancy of an NFL Athlete vs the general US populace. NFL Football literally takes years off your life

The players are compensated well, but there is a cost

[US 89]

Something that's starting to bother me more is how spread out the NFL's bye weeks are. I'd like to see them consolidated to four weeks with eight teams on bye per week. With an 18-week season, that would ideally be weeks 8-11 (late October-mid November).

In addition to having having a consistent number of bye teams per week, affecting less of the season, and being easier to keep track of, this would also make it more fair, as it would cap the number of consecutive games without a bye at 10 (not including playoffs). Right now it feels like the season is barely getting started - no need to rush some teams into the byes this early and then play 12 or 13 games in a row, while others extend into December before they get a bye when they have a lot more information about their season and may be getting ready for a playoff push by that time.

It would also make fantasy leagues far more annoying to manage, since it's far more likely you have lots of players on byes in the same week.

[thspfc]

If I was in charge I would give every team the same bye week. Just take a week off in the middle of the season, kinda like the all-star break in other sports but without the all-star festivities.

[Max Rockatansky]

Overtime is fine in other sports, but in football it starts to become a health/safety issue.

Football is a health/safety issue.

Look up the average life expectancy of an NFL Athlete vs the general US populace. NFL Football literally takes years off your life

The players are compensated well, but there is a cost

I always thought it was interesting to look at that shortened life expectancy versus potential earned income.  Speaking for myself I would much rather have a shorter life and have the same potential earnings of a professional athlete.  From what I've observed from the people around me it seems as though there is a massive decline in quality of life anyways past the age of 60 for most.

[webny99]

Something that's starting to bother me more is how spread out the NFL's bye weeks are. I'd like to see them consolidated to four weeks with eight teams on bye per week. With an 18-week season, that would ideally be weeks 8-11 (late October-mid November).

In addition to having having a consistent number of bye teams per week, affecting less of the season, and being easier to keep track of, this would also make it more fair, as it would cap the number of consecutive games without a bye at 10 (not including playoffs). Right now it feels like the season is barely getting started - no need to rush some teams into the byes this early and then play 12 or 13 games in a row, while others extend into December before they get a bye when they have a lot more information about their season and may be getting ready for a playoff push by that time.

It would also make fantasy leagues far more annoying to manage, since it's far more likely you have lots of players on byes in the same week.

I'm not into fantasy, so to me it's just that. But even if it's more annoying for those four weeks, it also doesn't last nearly as long, which is a big positive. It's crazy that byes started almost two months ago and we've still got three more weeks to go before all teams have had their bye (causing uneven records for that whole timeframe too).

If I was in charge I would give every team the same bye week. Just take a week off in the middle of the season, kinda like the all-star break in other sports but without the all-star festivities.

I'd be OK with that too, but I don't think the league would ever go for it. Spreading them across four weeks would still leave 12 games per week, which is noticeable but it would still feel like a normal week.

[Halian]

Regular-season overtime. Yes, even in base- and basketball.

Blatant unpenalized timewasting by players (and, in college football, officials too).

Oversized playoffs.

Regular-season interleague play.

The DH.

Divisions where they needn't exist.

Inconsistent officiating.

Power-tripping officials.

Stupid rules.

Stupid tiebreaking criteria.

[hbelkins]

Regular-season overtime. Yes, even in base- and basketball.

I would take the opposite position and say regular-season ties in any sport.

[Alps]

Regular-season overtime. Yes, even in base- and basketball.

I would take the opposite position and say regular-season ties in any sport.

we agree on something

[Max Rockatansky]

Regular-season overtime. Yes, even in base- and basketball.

I would take the opposite position and say regular-season ties in any sport.

we agree on something

The regular season NHL tie was still better than giving 1 point for overtime or shootout loss.

[Halian]

Regular-season overtime. Yes, even in base- and basketball.

I would take the opposite position and say regular-season ties in any sport.

we agree on something

The regular season NHL tie was still better than giving 1 point for overtime or shootout loss.

Strong agree.

[ilpt4u]

The regular season NHL tie was still better than giving 1 point for overtime or shootout loss.

I'd add the NCAA CFB Tie was a much more legitimate outcome than the current OT rules (which also applies to NHL Hockey).

When OT rules are created to name a Winner and Loser just so there is always a Winner and a Loser, without regard to the integrity of the game just played to a Draw, the "Tie"  result is just better.

And in the case of American Football, (almost) all Regulation Ties have plenty of opportunities for each competing team to play for a Win/Loss instead of a Tie, thanks mainly to the FGvsTD and 1pt After TD vs 2pt After TD tries

[skluth]

If I was in charge I would give every team the same bye week. Just take a week off in the middle of the season, kinda like the all-star break in other sports but without the all-star festivities.

Are you insane? Do you honestly think the NFL owners are going to give up all that ad revenue? Not that I think your idea is bad. But the common break is important for the all-star festivities. Maybe they could have a skills competition like the home run derby so they can televise something that Sunday. Anything would beat the NFL All Star Game.

Something that's starting to bother me more is how spread out the NFL's bye weeks are. I'd like to see them consolidated to four weeks with eight teams on bye per week. With an 18-week season, that would ideally be weeks 8-11 (late October-mid November).

Personally, I like this idea a lot. My team, the Packers, have their bye week next week which is way too late. Not that it matters this year considering their record.

I'm also annoyed by the too-early NFL trade deadline. The trade deadline should be the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Game 163, which is thankfully eliminated with the introduction of a new playoff format.

I never got why MLB needed an extra regular-season game just to determine who would go to the postseason, because the NFL doesn't play an 18th game (or before 2021, it didn't play a 17th), and the NBA and NHL don't play an 83rd game. I find that pointless and stupid, but at least it's had its memorable moments, like the 1978 AL East tiebreaker between the Yankees and Red Sox that began the legend of Bucky Dent.

You are probably the only outside observer in existence who did not like Game 163. What wasn't to like? A tiebreaker being decided on the field rather than from a list was unique.

[GaryV]

I never got why MLB needed an extra regular-season game just to determine who would go to the postseason,

Maybe you'd prefer a World Cup type tiebreaker? Run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed) and then runs scored?

I think the reason MLB can have an extra game is because the physical demands of the game allow it. Baseball is the only sport that has double headers, as far as I know. They can have an extra game without killing the players.

I don't say this to denigrate the athletes in baseball. I couldn't do anything like what they do. Just that their recovery time is shorter than other games.

[1995hoo]

The National League used to use a best-of-three tiebreaker. It happened four times, the most famous probably being in 1951 between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. They changed to a single game in 1969 as part of splitting into two divisions.

The tiebreakers I think are a bit dumb are some of the things soccer uses. There's no reason why head-to-head record shouldn't be the first tiebreaker used.