When it comes to competitive sports, the rulebook is quite elaborate and packed with regulations that govern every facet of the game. When you think about it from the rule makers' perspective, things do start making sense–the governing bodies have to come up with laws that can regulate any and every possible scenario

Pexels/Pixabay | When it comes to competitive sports, the rulebook is quite elaborate

When it comes to most popular sports, the players and fans are both intricately familiar with most of the regulations present in the rule book. However, even if you’re a die-hard sports fan, we bet you’re not aware of some of the more outlandish and crazy sports rules out there. Worry not, we’ve made a list.

You Could Air Dribble in Basketball

The MMA fans among us might be familiar with mixed martial arts stars such as Khabib Nurmagomedov playing the Russian version of basketball wherein the players are allowed to run with the ball. But did you know that at one point in time, you could air dribble in basketball? Instead of the traditional way of dribbling the ball by bouncing it on the ground, in the olden days of the sport, players used to air dribble the ball, juggling it between their hands in the air.

Pexels/Wallace Chuck | At one point in time, you could air dribble in basketball

Getting Hurt After A Home Run in Softball

If you’ve hit a home run and injured yourself while rounding the bases, you’re on your own. This happened to a female softball player who tore her ACL while rounding the bases. Although the rule book stipulated that she could not employ the help of her fellow teammates, it was actually the opposing side that helped her touch all the bases. Now that’s what sportsmanship is all about.

Pexels/David Morris | In Canadian football, even if you miss a field goal, you can still earn one point

Missing A Field Goal in Canadian Football

It’s no secret that Canadians are very nice and that theme also continues in Canadian sports such as football. In Canadian football, even if you miss a field goal, you can still earn one point if the ball lands beyond the end zone.

Distractions in Tennis

The sport of tennis is quite strict about distractions. This is why the crowd at Wimbledon stays exceptionally poised even when their favorite player has just hit an unbelievable shot. This is because, in tennis, a point can be negated if one of the players claims to have been distracted by something, and this includes their opponent’s hat accidentally falling off!