Rules Changes I'd Make

After a day of running around between 2 soccer games (Ariadne's game was on a turf field on a hot day; field temp had to be over 100), Evan's baseball game (a blow out loss in the heat), Ariadne's dance recital (she was great and the choreography was cool), I'm sitting in the basement cooling off and getting ready for our school's picnic.

While watching Croatia play Austria in EURO 2008, I'm reminded of a handful of rule changes that I think would improve some of our major sports.   Here are my random recommendations:

• In baseball, one one pitching change - or maybe two - a game with NO pitching changes during an inning (unless a player is injured, of course).  Baseball stops every three innings; why stop the game between those 3 outs?  It would speed up the game, force pitchers to re-learn how to pitch themselves out of a jam/deal with adversity, and save pitching staffs' arms.  Adopting this change could solve the perennial problem of teams never having enough pitching.  A team could have 4 or 5 starters, 3 or 4 relievers who could go 2 or 3 innings, and perhaps one speciality one-inning closer if you had enough starting pitching. And now that the steroid era is over this change could result in more offense.  But the best aspect is it would force pitchers to be players, not delicate flowers who expect others to clean up their mess.
• Also, it almost goes without saying but get rid of the DH.  Both of these rule changes would strike a blow against overspecialization in baseball and sports.
• In football, eliminate punting.  This might be the best rule change that is never discussed. Does anyone care about watching a punt?  I would still allow punting, but no punting formations.  If teams wanted to quick kick they could do so with their quarterback, running back, etc.
• This one is impossible, but as they do in Arena football, make all players go both ways.  As it is in baseball, there are not enough skilled players in the NFL.  And unlike baseball, football, hockey, every single other sport in fact, there is no foreign pipeline of talent to fill in the talent gaps that result from expansion and expanded schedules.  By making players go both ways, you half the number of players you need for a roster.
• Basketball is in relatively good shape, ruleswise.  The one change I'd make is to adopt the international trapezoid lane, which is wider than the NBA lane.  Doing so would open thing up down low.  I'd also state that you can not take a charge in the painted area.  If I had my druthers, I'd never call a charge; I would always call a foul on the defense - or simply not make a call - and favor the offense.  But widening the and lane and also banning charges in the lane would dramatically open things up and make basketball what it is supposed to be - a fluid, moving and graceful game. 
• For soccer/football, I'd either make the field bigger or have fewer players, or maybe a wider goal, anything to ensure more shot and more scoring.   Some soccer games have too few shots, let alone goals, so making the field smaller while dropping a player would help generate scoring chances.
• A wider goal could help, too.  But in my opinion the goal isn't the problem, it's a lack of shots.   One other change would be to emulate hockey, and eliminate off-sides.  That too would facilitate more shots.  And bottom line, soccer needs more shots.
• One last change I would make to all sports: eliminate the national anthem before games.  Cheap nationalism when it's prior to a league game, jingoism when it's during a competition like EURO 2008.  If folks are determined to sing a song prior to game time, how about "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (of course, you ARE at a ball game) or rapping "Basketball" by Kurtis Blow?
• Finally, regarding golf - which as some of you know, in my opinion, is not a real sport. Actually, I'll leave it at that.