Time for all major sports to consider some rule changes

The last month has been a tough one across the globe as we deal with the myriad problems that the novel coronavirus throws our way.

It's been a particularly challenging time in sports departments across the country as we attempt to provide readers with interesting and relevant content while no games are being played at any level.

I'd like to offer a sincere thank you to everyone who has stuck with the Daily Herald as well as new subscribers who are hopefully pleasantly surprised by what we're giving you on a day-to-day basis.

One of our new features has been to unveil "chatter questions" on the front page. They're meant to give you insight into our past and/or how we feel about a wide variety of subjects across the sports landscape.

Sometimes answers pop into my brain immediately, but the query about what one rule change I'd make in any sport perplexed me for quite some time.

I ended up choosing to eliminate the out-of-bounds rule in golf; opting instead for golfers to be able to drop where the ball flew out of play (with a one-stroke penalty), rather than having to tee off again.

But there's so much more that needs a bit of fixing.

My list is below - and I would encourage you add your thoughts via email, Facebook or Twitter when you're done reading.

Football

• The NFL must get rid of the ridiculous way roughing-the-passer is called. Remember that these guys are playing football and not paddy-cake. A defensive player should not be penalized 15 yards for falling on the quarterback. It's ruining the game.

• Bring back the 5-yard face mask penalty. Yes, it requires officials to make judgment calls, but they do that with nearly every other penalty as well. A hand grazing across the face mask should be an infraction, but 15 yards is excessive.

• The NFL should go back to the 15-minute overtime. Ten minutes is too short with each team being guaranteed the ball unless the first team scores a touchdown.

• A division winner should not host a playoff game if their record is worse than the wild-card team.

• If a high school or college game is tied after 2 OTs, it should remain a tie.

• High school overtimes should start from the 25-yard line. Teams with dominant rushing attacks have too much advantage starting from the 10. Starting at the 25 levels the playing field.

Basketball

The NBA should allow defenders to hand check again. Taking this out of the game has turned the league into a boring, monotonous parade of players driving the lane, defenders collapsing and balls being kicked out to the perimeter.

The Rockets averaged a ridiculous 44 three-point attempts per game this season. The Pacers brought up the rear by averaging "only" 27.5.

Twenty years ago, the Celtics LED THE LEAGUE with 19.9 three-pointers per game.

Yes, some of this has to do with advanced metrics and the fact that players have become incredibly good at long-range shots.

But allowing defenders to defend again would bring back a skill that's been missing for years and make the game much more exciting to watch.

Hockey

• Extend overtime to 10 minutes and kill the shootout. I would do a hybrid overtime where it begins 4-on-4, then transitions to 3-on-3 at the first whistle after the six-minute mark. If the game's still tied, it ends that way.

• Playoff seeding should return to a traditional 1 through 8 format. There will still be first-round upsets, but this increases the odds that the best teams will square off in the second round and conference finals.

Baseball

Kill the designated hitter. The in-game strategies that go along with batting the pitcher is something every manager should have to deal with. This, of course, includes the manager whose team is in the field, as he must decide whether or not to intentionally walk the No. 8 hitter in certain situations.

This is the way baseball was meant to be played. So make all 30 teams play it that way.