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15 Biggest Unwritten Rules In Sports

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15 Biggest Unwritten Rules In Sports

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USA TODAY Sports - Jayne Kamin-Oncea

Not every rule or code that athletes live and play by can be found in the rule books. Break one of these unwritten rules in sports, and the punishment might even be worse than breaking an enforced rule. Here are the 15 biggest unwritten rules in sports.

15. Don’t Step In Putting Line

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15. Don’t Step In Putting Line

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Stepping in the putting line of the opponent is golf’s biggest no-no. The thought process is that stepping on the delicate surface of the green could cause an imperfection in the grass, causing the ball to take an unexpected and unintended route towards the cup.

14. No Stealing Bases In Blowout

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14. No Stealing Bases In Blowout

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Stealing a base in baseball is viewed as a sign of disrespect to the opposition. No running up the score. Got it?

13. Don’t Walk Across The Mound

Dallas Braden
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13. Don’t Walk Across The Mound

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Also known as the “Dallas Braden Rule.” During a 2010 A’s-Yankees game and with Alex Rodriguez on first base, a ball was hit just foul, resulting in A-Rod needing to retreat to first base. As opposed to running around the mound, A-Rod took a direct path to first and jogged right onto and over the mound. The next pitch induced a double play to end the inning, and Braden returned to the dugout screaming at A-Rod to “stay off my mound!”

12. Taking A Knee

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12. Taking A Knee

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Here is one unwritten rule that actually makes sense for the teams involved. As football’s way of not showing up the opponent, it is essentially mandatory for a team that has the game in hand to take a knee and run out the clock. This way, not only do you show your opponent respect, but you take out the risk of fumbling the ball away.

11. Don't Rush The Kneel-Down

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11. Don't Rush The Kneel-Down

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Not only are you getting beat and on the verge of a loss, you are expected to lie down and give up. Rushing the quarterback and knocking back the offensive line when they are lined up in the victory formation is a big no-no.

10. Slow Down After A Crash

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10. Slow Down After A Crash

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To the casual cycling fan, the thought process behind this rule can be a little difficult to understand at first. When Lance Armstrong crashed during the 2003 Tour De France from one of his bike handles catching on a spectator’s bag, his biggest competition, Jan Ullrich, slowed down his pace to wait for Armstrong to get up from the pavement and continue racing. It's bad taste to take advantage of someone’s bad luck.

9. Don't Touch The Hockey Trophies!

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9. Don't Touch The Hockey Trophies!

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Hockey’s best-known tacit rule might be my favorite of the list. The NHL players are so hardcore about winning the Stanley Cup that they want nothing to do with any trophy until they have the one they covet. This mean’s no player may touch the Cup itself until they’ve earned it, and no touching the conference championship trophy because that is not the one they are after.

8. Don’t Bunt To Break Up No-Hitter or Perfect Game

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8. Don’t Bunt To Break Up No-Hitter or Perfect Game

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Maybe the dumbest of baseball’s endless list of unwritten rules, no player may bunt to break up a no-hitter or perfect game. The idea is that if a pitcher is going to have his special performance ruined, he should be truly bested by an opponent’s real swing of the bat and not what is considered a cheap hit like a bunt.

7. Throwing Back A Visiting Team’s Home Run Ball

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7. Throwing Back A Visiting Team’s Home Run Ball

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My apologies baseball, but this tradition needs to go. What’s the most exciting thing that can happen for a fan attending a baseball game? That’s right, catching a home run ball. Now what you are supposed to do if a player on the opposing team hit that ball? Throw the ball back on to the field and lose your souvenir. Come on … seriously?

6. Kicking Ball Out For Injured Players

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6. Kicking Ball Out For Injured Players

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When a soccer team believes an opposing player is down on the pitch with an actual injury for once, it’s the expectation to kick the ball out of bounds and stop the game so the team’s medical staff can check on the player. Even better, once play resumes, the team with the injured player has the duty of kicking the ball out to return possession to the team that initially lost possession.

5. Don’t Swing At A 3-0 Fastball With Big Lead

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5. Don’t Swing At A 3-0 Fastball With Big Lead

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Three-ball and zero-strike counts are a time for pitchers to groove a fastball down the middle of the strike zone, and a great opportunity for batters to capitalize on an easy pitch to hit. With the lead and late in the game, however, that bat better not leave your shoulder.

4. Don't Mention No-Hitters or Perfect Games

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4. Don't Mention No-Hitters or Perfect Games

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While a pitcher is in the midst of a no-hitter or perfect game, nobody, and I mean nobody, may even utter a whisper of what is in the process of happening. This includes his teammates, the team’s announcers and even fans. Yes that’s right, a fan sitting at home must not tell his family or friends about the feat because somehow that is going to ruin it for the pitcher. Makes sense, right?

3. Let The Clock Run Out

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3. Let The Clock Run Out

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It’s against every sport’s rulebook to run the score up on the opponent when the game is already decided. If there is less time remaining on the game clock than the shot clock, the winning team is expected to dribble out the clock and not shoot before time expires.

2. No Speaking During National Anthem

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2. No Speaking During National Anthem

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Speaking during the singing of “The Star Spangled Banner” is highly frowned upon. It’s all about respecting the country and those who have sacrificed their lives so the sporting event can take place. It’s also a way for the athletes and fans to come together and realize that ultimately, everyone is on the same team.

1. Respectful Fighting

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1. Respectful Fighting

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It's a bit of an oxymoron, but fighting in hockey must be done in a respectful way. When one fighter goes down to the ice and is in a vulnerable position to be pummeled with a punch, his counterpart is expected to lay off and leave his opponent’s face intact.

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