Be Careful When Streamlining Rule Books

[Reginald Rutledge]

When the Shootout rulebook was created, it had more than 90 pages. Some things were obvious to a person who had football intellect but for others, it was not so obvious. Some years later, I got a paralegal degree where I had to train under some pretty good law professors. They told me never leave anything to interpretation because it became the judgment moreso of the individual, not the law.

Having written many engineering documents and tech journals over the years, it was always common practice as an engineer to make things "idiot-proof". That way, anyone could take your test plan and run the test cases because you would have simplified it.

I know some of us look at rules as useless readings but it does have meaning. When I wrote the rulebook, I felt that every page was important because it gave explanation to most interpretations. I saw a game this weekend where there was a question on linemen being checked in as a receiver. In the original rulebook, it clearly is stated that "On every play, the offensive coach must make aware to the official and opposing coach that said lineman is an eligible receiver".

The question was argued that this was not stated in the rulebook. In our quest to streamline things, we may do ourselves a bit of unjust in that a relevant argument can be taken for such a case. If the rule would have been made clear in the rulebook, then that coach has no case. However, because it is not found in the rulebook, he can and should argue the validity of the rule.

So essentially, instead of streamlining a rulebook that leaves out much for interpretation, add to a rulebook even if it has 100 pages. This represents the laws that you are playing by and abide by as a league. I am all for taking out "fat" but I did not write the rules just to be writing but I tried to foresee scenarios and cases like the one mentioned above to stay "ahead of the game".

If it were my call, we still would be playing with a rulebook of right at 100 pages and would probably add more pages as it is warranted. If I ever decide to have a tournament or league, I definitely will go back to the original rulebook and try to sync it with the streamlined version. I don't like to leave anything to chance or better yet, interpretation.

Reginald Rutledge