Players So Good They FORCED Rule Changes

Tune in for some athletes so good, they forced the rules to change!

Legal Stuff.

[onlyalisaawilliams]

The Biles rule is absolutely insane. I agree lessor athletes shouldn’t even think of trying those extreme moves, but to score her less than isn’t fair sportsmanship. Score her abilities, and if she win’s everything sobeit, once she retires others can win top spot . This everybody get’s a trophy is for nursery school.

[ksamsel]

While not a rule, Shaq actually is responsible for how backboards and rims are currently constructed. Instead of the rim being affixed to the backboard itself, it's actually attached to another piece of framing BEHIND the backboard (with the backboard basically acting as a divider).

That way, the rim being hung on would put the pressure point on more metal, rather than the glass/backboard.

The structural frame of the entire basket was also strengthened to prevent hydraulic failures too.

[viscache]

You missed Nadia Komanichi. She scored so many perfect 10’s that they lowered the scoring for many of the moves. After that Olympics a perfect 10 actually became almost impossible. Scores were given a difficulty curve rating which made it all but impossible for the best athletes to get the highest scores…think the Biles ruling in the 70’s.

[camillea]

Fun fact about Surya: She had a background in gymnastics. She got out of it since she preferred figure skating.

[misterx]

A backflip on figure skates is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen.

[virginiaviola]

Surya Bonaly..still as incredible as watching that backflip at the Olympics for the first time.

[davidmather]

The back flip on ice is impressive and landing on 1 foot is even more impressive

[patton]

Ricky Williams: Drafted straight out of college.
Every other NFL player: Drafted straight out of college.

[eugenekanguatjivi]

Biles clearly stands out. Imagine being penalized in order to level the playing field...Just wow...

[gerrynowak]

How about world record javelin thrower Jan Železný, he launched it so far that it became dangerous to be on the track. So they had to make a rules change that the javelins themselves became significantly heavier so no one could throw them as far.

[akitadakid]

Simone- The point is that those two things doesn’t have anything to do with each other. She should be able to score the most points she can for her career. As an athlete she can be at the top of her game or cement her standing as the greatest ever until years later when someone else comes to challenge that. But it messes up her (real value) if the great things she does is nerf for “others safety”. At the Olympic level they should know their capabilities and how not to hurt themselves. It also should not be Simone’s responsibility to dial it down so they won’t “think” they can do what she can. It’s crazy that the bosses went and did it anyways. You shouldn’t value someone less to make everyone else feel better. That would be incredibly disrespectful to any athlete

[ballinonabudget]

The fact that there was ever a debate about pulling hair in football is crazy enough . But the fact that they allow it is craaaazyyy!

[TheSchmitt]

“Ricky was so talented, he was drafted into the NFL straight out of college.” Wow, that is rare!

[whisperecho]

Minor correction, it was the international gymnastics association (FIG) that devalued Biles' moves, not USAG. USAG actually rated her dismount a tenth higher the first time she competed it at a US meet (when it wasn't in the official rulebook, in which case USAG assigns a value based on how they expect the move would be valued at the international level), but then when she submitted it at the international level, the FIG assigned it a lower-than-expected value, and that's the rating that goes into the official code.

[tomfisher]

In the vein of the Stanky rule, Sean Avery also led to a rule limiting what a player in front of the net can do in the NHL. I think it was Brad Marchand that led to licking your opponent being specifically mentioned as unsportsmanlike conduct. Also, the success of the Edmonton Oilers, led by Wayne Gretzky, that led to the change in rules that power plays from minor penalties would end after a goal was scored.

[IamMonvi]

A small part of me feels like those rules against Simone Biles may have contributed to the mounting pressure, and her ultimately pulling out of some of the olympic competitions last year

[marcialandakanebeaulieu]

Miss Biles has no equal: hands down the most talented. It is outrageous to penalize her for her skill. The hockey slasher is certainly the worst. Can't call that 'playing the game' under any circumstances. It is a vicious, criminal attack.

[metalheadisme]

You forgot the trapezoid they created for Marty Brodeur in the NHL. He was too effective at handling pucks dumped into the offensive zone, allowing his team to press defensively.

[MrSalvarion]

Has to be Biles. Having her moves score less basically just means that another winner will always be questioned of weather or not they were best.

[fulalbatross]

It's downright criminal to not include Ingemar Stenmark in a list like this. The FIS changed the very scoring system for the Alpine Ski World Cup with the pronounced intent of stopping Ingemar from winning it again. No nit-picking of some technical trickery, or downplaying some special advantage - just straight up redesigning the system to make him not win any more.