Unwritten rules basically have to do with playing the game with good sportsmanship.
1. Don’t bunt to break up a no-hitter or a perfect game. (Baseball)
About 10 years ago San Diego Padres catcher Ben Davis successfully bunted for a single to break up a no-hitter by Curt Schilling. A while back Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria tried the same thing during Dallas Braden’s perfect game and thankfully was unsuccessful.
2. Don’t run up the score if you’re leading by a lot. (All sports)
The most notorious team that I’ve ever seen do this was the New England Patriots. Win a game with humility.
3. Don’t onside kick while leading. (Football)
The only time I ever remember seeing this was when I attended my first UCA Bears football game and Coach Clint Conque had the Bears onside kick at the end of a game with a huge lead. One of the Bears starting players actually got injured on the play. I always thought it kind of served Conque right for doing such an unsportsmanlike thing.
4. Don’t shoot at your own basket to get a record.
Ricky Davis did this many years ago against the Utah Jazz to record a rebound for a triple-double. (Basketball)
5. Don’t intentionally foul at the end of the game to keep another team from shooting a three to tie or win. (Basketball)
Some coaches do it and other coaches refuse to do it. I admire those coaches that refuse to do it. I’ve said multiple times I’d rather get beat than foul in that situation.
6. Don’t celebrate when losing. (All sports)
Nothing looks dumber than when a linebacker celebrates a sack down by 14 or a NBA player celebrates a dunk down by 20 or when a pitcher celebrates a strikeout down five. If I were a coach I’d fine and sit any player celebrating while losing.
7. Don’t celebrate an empty net goal (Hockey)
8. Don’t give an athlete a record they don’t deserve. (All sports)
The only time I’ve ever seen this was when Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre laid down to give Giants defensive end Michael Strahan the NFL’s single-season sack record. Make the guy earn the record.
9. Don’t shoot the ball as time expires when leading (Basketball)
Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic notoriously did this two years ago in the NBA playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs.
10. Don’t shoot 3-pointers when you’re up 10+ with less than a minute to play (Basketball)
Kobe Bryant (twice; made one) and Derek Fisher both shot 3-pointers against the Celtics during game one of the 2010 NBA Finals with an insurmountable lead with under a minute to play.
11. Don’t foul on defense when losing by more than 10+ with less than a minute remaining. (Basketball)
Too many NBA and college basketball teams do this and it’s always for naught. All it does is prolong your loss.
12. Don’t run a play when you can run the clock out. (Football)
13. Don’t show up a pitcher by admiring a home run. (Baseball)
I swear if you do you’ll get a fastball in the back.
14. Don’t show up a batter by celebrating a strikeout. (Baseball)
Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano and a few others are notoriously bad about this.
15. Don’t steal a base when you’re up by 5+ runs late in a game (Baseball)
Rickey Henderson did this about 10 years ago against the Milwaukee Brewers and Brewers manager Davey Lopes wanted his head for it.
16. Don’t yell at infielders on the basepaths while their trying to make a play. (Baseball)
Alex Rodriguez juvenilely did this a season or two ago while running out a pop out against the Toronto Blue Jays.
17. If you’re a lapped car, don’t race a lead lap car hard late in a race (Auto Racing)
18. Don’t try to plant seeds with referees, umpires or officials to try to get favorable calls. (All sports)
Lakers coach Phil Jackson did this on three different occasions in the 2010 NBA playoffs alone.
19. Don’t lean into a pitch intentionally to get a hit by pitch. (Baseball)
20. Don’t swing at the first pitch following back to back home runs (baseball)
Four Unwritten Rules I Don't Mind Seeing Broken:
1. Icing the kicker (Football)
To me kicking a game-winning field goal is one of the most mental things in all of sports. Might as well try to get in the kicker's head.
2. Mocking a pitcher/batter who previously mocked (Baseball)
Aubrey Huff mocked Joba Chamberlain two years ago when he hit a home run off of him, because Chamberlain previously did it to him; just a little bit of his own medicine.
3. Never steal another team’s signs (Baseball)
If you can do it, do it.
4. “attacking” while an opponent has a mechanical problem (Cycling)
This came into play during this year's Tour de France when Alberto Contador went on the offensive when his nearest competitor had a mechanical issue with his bike.
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