Sports

5 Rule Changes To Make Sports More Enjoyable

May 5, 2015 / 11:28 AM CDT / CBS Texas

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Sports are intended to be fun; however, there are rules within the game that diminish the enjoyment for players and fans alike.

Here are five creative rule changes that will make sports more watchable -- and playable -- for everyone.

1. The Auto-Intentional Walk

There are some who believe the intentional walk should be done away with entirely. Let's be realistic -- that's not possible.

How would you ever judge the intent of a pitcher who walks a hitter on four straight pitches just outside of the strike zone?

Instead, let's rid baseball of the awkward and unnatural routine of the catcher standing up to receive four chest-high pitches as the hitter stands by helplessly.

If the pitcher chooses to intentionally walk a hitter, he must simply signal to the plate umpire. Then, it's done. The hitter takes first, and we get 30 seconds of our lives back.

2. NBA Timeouts

The last 60 seconds of an NBA game can last upwards of 15 minutes -- seriously.

Each team is allowed up to two timeouts in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. Add in the repeated fouling and subsequent free throws, and suddenly, what should be an exciting culmination of a 48 minute game is anything but.

To speed up the final moments, all timeouts in the final two minutes should be 20 second timeouts -- period.

Does it take much longer to draw up a play or advance the play? It shouldn't.

3. Interference In The NHL

Hockey players are encouraged to fight, hit and become high-speed torpedos on a pond of frozen water. But Heaven forbid they impede each other on the way to the puck.

Interference is ridiculous, particularly when called with minimal contact. The explanation of the rule is lengthy -- and its application is even more difficult to judge.

Interfere, push, shove -- just keep your opponent from getting to the puck. Don't sell me on hockey being a tough man's sports...it's interfering with my enjoyment.

4. Let Shaq Decide

It's not fun to watch a 7-footer who can't shoot free throws shoot free throws. That's not the flashy, star-driven image the NBA wants.

What if every foul away from the ball comes with OPTIONAL free throws? That's right, a team (or player) can decline to take the free throws and instead just resume possession. But the fouling party still gets booked with a foul.

I don't like hiding a hole in someone's game -- and that's exactly what this does for poor free throw shooters. But every other rule in the perimeter-oriented NBA has made it difficult to be a big man. Let's give them a break for once.

5. Indisputable Visual Evidence

Indisputable evidence -- two words that carry so much weight, yet mean so little.

Can you really ever prove something irrefutably?

irrefutable: impossible to deny or disprove

Impossible? The NFL's standard for overturning a call is too high. Even our justice system uses the standard of "beyond reasonable doubt."

Without a perfect video angle and unobstructed view, it makes it impossible to ever overturn a call. The NFL needs to lessen the burden -- or at least be reasonable.