Top 10 Weirdest Sports Team Rules
Who know the rulebook could get so…. specific? For this list, we're looking at odd rules from professional sports that have been applied to specific players, teams, leagues and organizations. Please note, these rules needn't be rigidly upheld today to be included, but they do need to be rules from modern leagues rather than oddities from sports history. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Weirdest Rules You Didn't Know Teams Forced On Their Players.
Top 10 Weirdest Rules You Didn't Know Teams Forced on Their Players
Who know the rulebook could get so…. specific? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Weirdest Rules You Didn’t Know Teams Forced On Their Players. For this list, we’re looking at odd rules from professional sports that have been applied to specific players, teams, leagues and organizations. Please note, these rules needn’t be rigidly upheld today to be included, but they do need to be rules from modern leagues rather than oddities from sports history.
#10: No Left-Handed Polo Players
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The world has always been a rather unforgiving place for left-handed people. In fact, children who wrote with their left hand used to be forced to use their right. Back in the Middle Ages, it was sometimes linked with devil-worship or witchcraft. Thankfully, society has changed, but professional polo remains one of the few milieus in which a left-handed player remains unwelcome. The United States Polo Association Rule Book explicitly forbids players from wielding their mallet in the left hand (excepting some who had been grandfathered in before the rule took effect). In all fairness, it’s a safety concern; the presence of left-handed mallets would drastically increase the risk of head-on collisions.
#9: Weight Fines
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Body shaming is a big part of the cultural conversation these days - there’s a major push for greater acceptance and celebration of different body types. In professional sports however, fitness, body type and weight remain inarguably crucial aspects of the game - any game. In the case of the NFL, the league as a whole takes an interest in the weight of its athletes, doling out fines by the pound to those who tip the scales. In 2017, the figure was $630 per pound. Considering players can be fined twice per week, and could reasonably be quite a few pounds overweight, that adds up quickly.
#8: MLS Teams Fly Commercial
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For millions upon millions of young soccer players around the world, making it to the professional level of play is the dream. While that usually conjures up mental images of wealth, luxury and fame, the North American Major League Soccer (or MLS) is a notably more modest organization. Sure, the highest paid players are making millions in salary, but the average is closer to mid six figures. However much or little a player is making, when it comes time to fly, everyone is forced to get the same treatment… by flying economy. Chartered flights have started being allowed when the situation calls for it, but the standard operating procedure is for teams to fly coach.
#7: You MUST Wear White
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It’s no secret that tennis is typically practiced by those in more wealthy demographics, and as such is generally seen as a rather posh sport. Nowhere is this more true than at Wimbledon, the world’s oldest and most celebrated tennis tournament, held annually in London since 1877. Players competing in this world class event must adhere to an all-white dress code when selecting their outfit. Cream and off-white are a no-go, and pops of color must be very minimalist. Considering Wimbledon has a grass court, you’d think they’d go with a more forgiving color, but such is the nature of a dress code dating back to Victorian times.
#6: Guidelines for Social Media Use… & Haircuts
AC Milan is a soccer club that requires little introduction. Founded in 1899, Associazione Calcio Milan is one of the most accomplished and celebrated teams in the league. Ask a group of enthusiastic young soccer players who they’d like to play for when they grow up, and AC Milan is sure to come up more than once. Hopefuls should know, however, that playing for the illustrious team involves playing by the club’s strict rules. Act out… and you’ll see your freedom limited. Notorious bad boy Mario Balotelli has his social media accounts monitored by the team for inappropriate or incendiary content. Known for his eccentric dos, the player is also forbidden from sporting “extravagant haircuts.”
#5: No Pick-Up Games
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Before becoming professional athletes, the stars we look up to played for the love of the game, just like the rest of us. Sadly, for many athletes, the ability to play wherever and whenever they want is no longer an option after going pro. In the NBA in particular, many teams include a clause in their contracts explicitly forbidding their players from playing pick-up. Apparently the risk of injury is simply too great, and comes with far too high of a price tag for the teams. Of course, if you’re a big enough star, you can get out of it, like Michael Jordan did with his special “Love-of-the-Game” clause.
#4: Grooming Rules
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You’d think that wearing the team uniform would be enough, but apparently not for Miami Marlins, who became something of a talking point in baseball circles when they instituted a strict no facial hair policy in 2016. This was apparently a hard and fast rule that resulted in more than one disgruntled player. The team has a rather complicated history with grooming, including a similar policy in 2006 and various ever-changing attempts at governing facial hair since then. 2017 saw the team relax the rules from 2016, only to reach a firm middle ground in 2018. The management now allows facial hair but under the condition that it be “well-groomed.”
#3: The Team Logo Is Off- Limits
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Each professional sports team has its own set of superstitions, rituals or signs of respect. In the case of the New York Rangers during the reign of John Tortorella, there was a strict policy about not skating or walking on the team logo in the dressing room. As head coach from 2009 to 2013, Tortorella got a bit of a reputation for being strict and harsh; he lived up to it when he informed the players and staff that they couldn’t step foot on the logo. This was a decree he made within 24 hours of getting the job; now that’s laying down the law.
#2: No Aesthetic Expressions of Individuality
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For a team to function properly as a unit, they need to be dressed in a distinct matching uniform to help them quickly distinguish teammate from opponent. But a little flair never hurt anyone, right? Apparently the NFL disagrees. The National Football League has come under fire on multiple occasions for its habit of strictly enforcing policies that limit what players can wear on the field. DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans got $6,000 for wearing Yeezy cleats was similarly fined despite his purple cleats being part of a campaign to raise awareness about domestic abuse. Others still have been fined for colored cleats, decals or eye black supporting the fight against cancer.
#1: The Fart Tax
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Passing gas might be a natural bodily function, but the Denver Broncos seemingly don’t think that it should have any place in team meetings. The Denver Broncos allegedly fine players who fart during their assemblies, and if you ask 2015’s biggest contributor to the “fart tax,” Von Miller, it really adds up. The linebacker apparently changed his diet to prepare for the season, but it made him gassy and wound up costing him over $15,000. After this news broke, it was later clarified that the players fine each other; it’s not management. The Broncos aren’t the only ones – players on an unspecified hockey team apparently are fined $500 every time they forget to flush the toilet.
