🚦 In This Issue (quick hits)

This week’s issue brings us some truly un-ruley moments — from the ugly side of autograph hunting to heated words on the US Open courts, plus some eyebrow-raising football antics both in high school and the NFL.

Here’s what we’ve got for you:

• 🎾 US Open Autograph Scandal — A grown man snatches a boy’s hat, and tennis star Kamil Majchrzak wants justice.

• 🎾 Taylor Townsend vs. Ostapenko — A heated exchange sparks support across the tennis world.

• 🏈 Trash Talk Backfires — High School Team Taunts Opponent on ESPN… Then Gets Destroyed.

• 🏈 The Brady Rules Rewritten — The NFL tweaks its policies just for Tommy.

Let’s dive in.

✍️ U.S. Open Autograph Scandal

Sportsmanship has its rules — and one of the most unspoken is this: don’t steal from kids. Yet that’s exactly what happened at the US Open when tennis pro Kamil Majchrzak tried to give a young fan his hat, only to have it snatched by a grown man who stuffed it in a bag.

Majchrzak later posted on Instagram, asking for help finding the boy to make things right.

Sadly, this isn’t new. We’ve seen it before:

• At MLB ballparks, adults have leapt over children to grab foul balls.

• NFL players have had kids shoved aside in autograph scrums.

• In 2017, a man was widely shamed after ripping a ball from a kid at a Cubs game.

The takeaway? These selfish moments stick — and they overshadow the genuine joy athletes try to give young fans. It’s not a written rule in any handbook, but it should be: kids get first dibs.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🎾 Taylor Townsend Receives Support

The US Open wasn’t just about stolen souvenirs — it was also about words that cut deep. After her match, Taylor Townsend was berated by opponent Jelena Ostapenko, who accused her of having “no class” and “no education.”

Townsend, however, handled the moment with grace:

The tennis world rallied behind her. Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff voiced support, while others noted Ostapenko’s history of poor sportsmanship. Townsend, ranked No. 1 in doubles, said she was proud of standing tall and showing young athletes that it’s okay to defend yourself without stooping low.

🏈 Trash Talk Backfires in High School Football

On ESPN’s national stage, Grant Union High School tried to intimidate rival Folsom with pregame taunts — even drawing a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct before the opening whistle.

The bravado didn’t last. Folsom demolished Grant, 51-13.

District officials later called the display “a teachable moment,” while Grant’s coach promised better conduct moving forward. The rule they broke? Unsportsmanlike conduct before kickoff — a penalty that set the tone for a long night.

Lesson learned: Talk is cheap if you can’t back it up on the field.

🎥 The Brady Rules Rewritten

When you’re Tom Brady, the rules bend.

Last year, the NFL created specific “Brady Rules” to avoid conflicts of interest with his dual role as part-owner of the Raiders and lead broadcaster for Fox. Originally, he was barred from production meetings and team facilities.

Now? The league has loosened the restrictions. Brady can attend weekly production meetings, though he’s still banned from practices and certain team areas.

The question remains: is this about maintaining fairness — or about making things easier for the GOAT?

That’s a wrap for this week’s edition of The Un-Ruley Sportsman — where bad behavior, bad rules, and bizarre sports moments get the spotlight they deserve.

Until next week: remember, rules matter — but so does respect.

👋 Stay un-ruley,

The Un-Ruley Sportsman Team

🚦 In This Issue (quick hits)

Hey, rule renegades! Welcome back to your weekly fix of sports mayhem… met with a dash of order.

Here’s what’s on the docket this week:

• FEATURE: Deion Sanders imposes classroom code for Colorado football

• New Trick: Pickleball emojis land in iMessage—thanks to Ruley

• Presidential Play: Trump sets 2026 World Cup draw date and venue

• Un-Ruley Rulebook: How the World Cup draw actually works (and why!)

• Volleyball Update: NFHS kills the “multiple contact” mess in the high school rulebook

Let’s break it down.

🏈 Coach Prime Cracks the Whip … In Class?

Deion Sanders isn’t just about highlight plays—he’s imposing strict rules even inside lecture halls. A video from a team meeting shows him laying down the law:

• “No slides. No hoodies with headphones. No lounging in the back.”

• And online? If you’re in an online class looking like a mess or pacing around, Sanders says: “There’s going to be a problem.”

It’s classic “student-athlete” accountability from Coach Prime. And it’s working. This year saw four Buffs drafted (Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, Jimmy Horn Jr., LaJohntay Wester)—plus more signing NFL undrafted deals. Discipline for the win, on and off the field.

Hester believes the new setup gives returners a real chance to shine again: "It gives guys the opportunity to get their hands on the ball."

Coming from a man with 19 return touchdowns, we’re inclined to believe him.

🗞️ Sports Headlines in the News

Some NFL fans are getting into regular-season form, likely with the help of some beverages. At a New Orleans Saints preseason game, there was a clash between a Saints fan and a Jaguars fan, which turned the doorway of the Caesar’s Superdome into an MMA ring. Punches were thrown. Clothes fell off. Bodies toppled. Just a friendly reminder to watch your consumption in meaningless preseason affairs and stay focused on the prize at hand — the NFL Playoffs. It’s a long season, fellas.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOK 🔍

Trump to Kick Off the 2026 World Cup… Literally

In a headline fit for the Oval Office, President Trump announced that the 2026 men’s World Cup draw will happen at Washington’s Kennedy Center on December 5, alongside FIFA president Infantino, V.P. J.D. Vance, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Bonus: he joked about keeping the trophy afterward.

How Does the World Cup Draw Actually Work? 

A quick playbook for a procedure that’s anything but random:

• Teams are grouped into pots by FIFA ranking—one team is randomly pulled from each to form 12 groups. Hosts (USA, Canada, Mexico) are pre-assigned. 

• No two teams from the same confederation can share a group (max two from Europe). 

• Once grouped, the top two teams and the eight best third-place teams advance to the Round of 32. 

• Additional rules manage confederation conflict, geography, and travel load behind the scenes via computer logic to avoid impossibilities. 

This isn’t chaos—it’s algorithmic precision masked as drama.

🥒➕📲 Pickleball Meets iMessage

Embrace your inner dinker. The Ruley app just added pickleball emojis to iMessage, bringing trash talk to your fingertips:

• 🎾 Trash-talk kitchen violations

• 🏆 Celebrate game-winning drops

• 😂 Or just flood the chat with 14 🥒 emojis

Mac users rejoice—Androids, you’re still watching from the sidelines. Download the Ruley e‑referee app and unlock the fun.

🏐 Volleyball Rule Fix Saves Coach Sanity

The NFHS just axed one of high school volleyball’s most hated calls:

• Multiple contact on a second touch is now legal if a teammate makes the next contact.

• Uniform rules have also been simplified, lineups streamlined, and libero substitution penalties clarified.

These changes are designed to cut disputes and keep the game flowing—finally giving officials and coaches a break.

From Coach Prime’s no-hassle rulebook to emojis in dinks, presidential World Cup setups, and streamlined volleyball: this week, rules aren’t just guidelines—they’re the main event.

Stay un-ruley—but maybe read the rulebook, too.

— The Un-Ruley Sportsman

🚦 In This Issue (quick hits)

Welcome back to another week of The Un-Ruley Sportsman, where we serve up the strangest, sharpest, and most surprising sports stories from the past few days.

This week, we’ve got:

• 🎾 A tennis umpire and a crying baby showdown in Cincinnati

• ⚾️ MLB’s trickiest judgment call broken down

• 🥒 In prison, there are no pickleball noise complaints

• 🍔 Free burgers for an entire city thanks to the Brewers

Let’s get into it!

🎾 Crying Baby Drama at the Cincinnati Open

Emma Raducanu was locked in a tense third set against top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka when a crying baby in the crowd threw her off mid-serve.

Raducanu paused and asked the chair umpire to address it, noting, “It’s been, like, 10 minutes.”

The umpire, skeptical, shot back: “It’s a child. Do you want me to send the child out of the stadium?”

The crowd answered for her with a chorus of yeses, prompting Raducanu to smile and gesture their way. While the umpire ultimately told them play would continue for now, Raducanu won the point on the restart—before Sabalenka closed out the match 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 to advance.

The fate of the baby? Unknown. The moment? Unforgettable.

🗞️ No Noise Complaints Here: Pickleball Thrives Behind Bars

Prison Yard Pickleball: Where the “Un-Ruley”… Isn’t

If you were betting on the most un-ruley scene in sports, a prison yard might be your pick — rival crews, simmering tensions, and enough trash talk to make even a hockey ref blush. But at California’s Central California Women’s Facility, the surprise is that pickleball has flipped that script entirely.

Instead of brawls, you get backhands. Instead of grudges, you get doubles partners. Inmates trade the chaos of yard politics for the clatter of paddles, finding a rare pocket of community in a place built to divide. “It’s an outlet for us to find ourselves… to lead by example… with no judgment,” says one player.

The program comes courtesy of 78-year-old Roger BelAir, who’s brought pickleball to 60 correctional institutions across 18 states. He’s seen it cool gang rivalries, cut disciplinary problems, and even lure wardens into weekend matches. The only rule everyone agrees on? If you get in trouble, you don’t get to play — and no one wants to lose their court time.

In a world obsessed with calling pickleball disruptive, this might be the one place where that’s exactly what it needs to be. Perhaps the rest of us should take note.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOK 🔍

👀 Ohtani’s Check Swing Frustrates Blue Jays

Shohei Ohtani’s recent at-bat against the Blue Jays produced one of baseball’s most frustrating mysteries: the check swing call.

The umpire ruled no swing despite Toronto’s protests, sparking debate over what actually constitutes one.

It’s even more perplexing because back in June, Ohtani appeared visibly frustrated as he served a pitch to Manny Machado of the Padres, which produced a no swing ruling by the ump, but it sure did look a lot like Ohtani’s swing against the Jays.

📝 The Rule, Broken Down

According to MLB, a check swing is not formally defined in the rulebook—it’s a judgment call. The deciding factor is usually whether the batter “offers at” the pitch, often determined by the bat head crossing the front of home plate. The first-base or third-base umpire (depending on the batter’s stance) can be consulted, but the final word rests with the home plate umpire.

In other words, there’s no hard-and-fast standard, which means arguments like this one aren’t going away anytime soon.

🍔 Free Burgers in Milwaukee, Courtesy of the Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers’ 12-game win streak didn’t just thrill fans—it fed them. The hot streak triggered local chain George Webb’s decades-old promotion promising free burgers whenever the Brewers hit 12 straight wins.

This is only the third time it’s happened—in 1987, 2018, and now. If you’re reading this in Southeast Wisconsin, mark your calendar. The giveaway happens Aug. 20 from 2–6 p.m. with vouchers available starting Aug. 16.

Pitcher Brandon Woodruff summed up the vibe: “I wanted to win the burgers for everybody in the stands.” Mission accomplished.

That’s it for this week’s trip through the wilder corners of the sports world. Whether you’re debating check swings, streaming every UFC fight, or lining up for a free burger, remember—sports is never just about the score.

🚦 In This Issue

If you think preseason football is just about rusty playbooks and rookie mistakes, think again. This week, we’re diving into a rulebook shake-up across multiple sports — the NFL has loaded up on new changes that could completely alter games this fall, Premier League referees are armed with fresh authority, and cricket fans are fuming after a downpour met a regulation wall. Plus, we’ll break down the strange case of smelling salts in the NFL, the growing tension over paying college athletes, and how one Test match ended in frustration.

Here’s what we’ve got on tap:

• 📜 The NFL’s biggest rule changes for 2025 — and why they matter

• 🧂 Why smelling salts are suddenly a hot topic in football

• ⚽ What’s new in Premier League rules for 2025-26

• 🏈 Trump’s push to reshape college athlete compensation

• 🏏 Cricket’s “6.42 pm rule” left fans furious

Let’s get into it!

🏈 A Look At The NEW NFL Rules For 2025

The NFL isn’t just tweaking the edges this year — it’s rolling out a slate of changes that could dramatically shift strategy and game flow. Here’s the breakdown:

• Touchbacks to the 35-yard line — Moving from the 30 to the 35 means return teams need only 20-25 yards to be in field-goal range. Early preseason results show more kick returns, fewer automatic touchbacks.

• Onside kicks anytime (if trailing) — Previously a 4th-quarter-only move, now a trailing team can try an onside kick whenever they want.

• Electronic first down measurement — Sony Hawk-Eye tech replaces the chain gang as the primary measuring tool, with chains still available as a backup.

• Expanded replay assist — Booth review can now overturn calls for hitting a defenseless player, face masks, horse-collar tackles, tripping, and roughing/running into the kicker — but only if the penalty was called on the field.

• Regular season OT overhaul — Both teams now guaranteed a possession (like the postseason), but periods remain 10 minutes long.

• Bow-and-arrow celebration is back — No penalty unless aimed at an opponent. Still no tolerance for gun/knife miming.

Can You Smell It? NFL Clarifies Stance on Smelling Salts

They’re not banned… but they’re no longer team-issued. The NFL’s new policy on smelling salts — and similar stimulants like ammonia capsules or inhalers — stops clubs from supplying them during games. Players can still use them, but they have to bring their own.

The NFL cites FDA warnings and NIH studies that these substances could mask concussion symptoms, letting players stay on the field when they shouldn’t. The NFLPA, caught off guard by the announcement, stressed that this isn’t a player ban — just a shift in who provides the goods.

The real question: Will self-supplied smelling salts become the next “hidden flask” of the NFL sidelines?

George Kittle, who claims he uses smelling salts “on every drive,” crashed an NFL Network show to announce he “considered retirement because of the ban.” Looks like we’ll get to keep watching Kittle produce on the field, with the aid of his salts.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

What’s New in Premier League Rules

IFAB has introduced several tweaks for the 2025-26 season — some cosmetic, others potentially game-altering:

• 8-second goalkeeper rule — Visible countdowns, indirect free kicks, and even corner kicks if keepers stall.

• Captain-only communication — Optional rule allowing only the skipper to speak with the ref.

• Dropped ball refinements — Now situationally given to a single player from the right team, not a contested drop.

• VAR explanations to the crowd — Making the process more transparent for fans in stadiums.

• Penalty double-touch rule tightened — Accidental double-touch goals lead to a retake.

• Assistant referee repositioning — Offside-focused positioning during penalties.

• Ball in/out clarifications — Minor accidental touches by off-field individuals get only an indirect free kick.

The goal? Faster games, clearer calls, and — in theory — fewer blowups on the pitch.

Trump Wades into College Athlete Pay Debate

President Trump’s latest executive order on college sports is stirring the pot in an already chaotic NIL landscape. While not legally binding, it calls for:

• A ban on third-party “pay-for-play” arrangements

• Funding earmarks for women’s and Olympic sports

• Clarification of athletes’ employment status

• Federal reviews of antitrust laws impacting the NCAA

With Arch Manning’s NIL value topping $6.5 million and the recent House settlement opening the door for direct university payments, the college sports money game is evolving rapidly. Critics fear Trump’s approach — and similar legislation like the SCORE Act — could consolidate power with the NCAA and wealthy schools, potentially cutting smaller programs.

Whether this leads to stability or a new breakaway era for big-money schools remains to be seen.

Cricket’s “6.42 pm Rule” Ends Thriller in Farce

England needed just 35 runs. India needed three wickets. The Oval was buzzing… until a short rain shower and a little-known regulation killed the momentum.

Under Test cricket’s rules, play had to resume by 6.42 pm — the scheduled close of play. Even with clear skies and floodlights available, the ground staff said they couldn’t ready the pitch in time.

Fans who had paid up to £160 went home deflated, former England star Stuart Broad called it a “lazy decision,” and the sport once again faced criticism for stubborn adherence to outdated rules.

For a format already under threat from shorter, flashier versions, this was not the kind of headline Test cricket needed.

📸 Photo of the Week: From NFL RB to Photog

This week, former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch made an appearance at a Seattle Seahawks preseason game — this time, as a credentialed photographer.

Remember back in the day when he was “just here so I don’t get fined." Now, he is following in the footsteps of other former pros who have become photographers, like Ken Griffey Jr.

We look forward to seeing what amazing shots Marshawn snaps.

From the NFL’s boldest kickoff tweaks in decades to cricket calling “stumps” on drama before sunset, the sports world reminded us again this week: the rulebook isn’t just a guideline — it’s a game-changer.

Until next time, keep your celebrations legal, your goalkeeper on the clock, and your smelling salts in your own bag.

— The Un-Ruley Sportsman

🚦 In This Issue (quick hits)

It's the Un-Ruley Sportsman — your whistle-stop tour through the quirks, chaos, and questionable calls in the world of sports. Here’s what we’ve got this week:

• Devin Hester on the NFL's latest kickoff shake-up

• LA flag football prepares for mass confusion

• MLB game in a NASCAR track? Yes, and it may break records.

• NIL deal reversal opens the door for collectives again

• Real Madrid denied World Cup grace period

• Georgia high school opens a $62M football palace

Let’s break the huddle.

🏈 Devin Hester on the New Kickoff Rules: "I’d Thrive in This Era"

Devin Hester, arguably the greatest return man in NFL history, recently weighed in on the league’s evolving kickoff landscape—and surprisingly, he’s a fan. Despite previous rule changes that neutered the return game (some nicknamed them the "Hester Rules"), the Hall of Famer is bullish on the NFL’s new formation-style kickoff, implemented in 2024 to boost return opportunities and reduce injuries.

“I would love to play in this type of era,” Hester said.

Hester believes the new setup gives returners a real chance to shine again: "It gives guys the opportunity to get their hands on the ball."

Coming from a man with 19 return touchdowns, we’re inclined to believe him.

🗞️ Sports Headlines in the News

Flag Football’s New Rules Confuse LA Coaches: “Crazy Stuff Is Going to Happen”
Flag football is booming in Los Angeles, but with growth comes growing pains. As the City Section preps for a new season, coaches are scrambling to decode major rule changes: screen blocking is in, punting is now a thing, and the margin for penalty calls is razor-thin. “Crazy stuff is going to happen,” warned Nelson Bae, the section’s rule interpreter. Officials expect early-season chaos as players adjust to new blocking techniques (no contact!) and as refs learn to separate infractions from incidental contact.

NFL Debuts New Line Measurement Tool
NFL games will look slightly different this season, and fans got their first glimpse at the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday. The NFL announced in April that it will begin using Sony's Hawk-Eye technology as the primary way to measure the line to gain, rather than the chain system that has been in place for decades. Much like its usage in baseball and tennis, the technology uses six 8K cameras to judge the ball's position on the field. Check it out in action during this week’s preseason game.

NIL Ruling Reopens the Door for Collectives
The College Sports Commission has reversed course. After initially issuing guidance that would have limited name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals from collectives, new guidance now allows those deals, so long as athletes promote actual goods or services. The about-face came after attorneys in the House v. NCAA settlement threatened to return to court, arguing that the original rules unfairly restricted athlete compensation.

Bottom line: NIL collectives are back in the game, treated like any other business. The NIL arms race is alive and well.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOK 🔍

World Cup Rest? Not So Fast!

Real Madrid won the Club World Cup this summer, but the Spanish Competition Committee just denied their request to delay their La Liga opener.

Why? The committee said the tournament was a known event and that Real’s 23-man squad is deep enough to handle the transition.

Key Rule:

• Article 10.1 of Spain’s collective player agreement requires a 21-day rest period — which, per the ruling, Real Madrid meets by the August 19 season opener.

Sometimes, glory comes with no grace period.

🏟️ Buford High Builds a $62M Football Cathedral

They say, everything’s bigger in Texas, especially when it comes to football.

Now, Georgia has entered the conversation.

Buford High School has officially opened a new $62 million football stadium featuring 10,000 seats, 15 luxury suites, a massive 3,500-square-foot video board, and a two-story field house.

The school, a recruiting hotbed, will debut the stadium on August 14 against Milton. It’s arguably the most jaw-dropping high school facility in the country.

Friday Night Lights? Try Friday Night Luxe.

📸 Photo of the Week: MLB Game Inside NASCAR Track

On Saturday night, history will be broken in Bristol.

That’s because the MLB partnered with NASCAR to host a game featuring the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds inside the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway. So far, 85,000 tickets have been sold, representing baseball fans in every single state and from nine countries. At the very least, the MLB should break a regular-season attendance record that goes back to 1954 when 84,587 fans attended a game in Cleveland Stadium.

Catch you next week, sports misfits.

Until then — stay weird, watch the rulebook, and never trust a quiet whistle.

—The Un-Ruley Sportsman

🚦 In This Issue

Baseball took a page from Savannah and delivered a curveball to the Midsummer Classic featuring robot umps, mic’d-up legends, and a swing-off finish. But that wasn’t the only un-ruley moment in sports this week. We’ve got an influencer golfer denied entry, cryptic tennis feuds, a rowboat record broken in the Arctic, and more.

• ⚾ Robot umpires debut in the MLB All-Star Game

• 🎙️ Clayton Kershaw mic’d up for a farewell moment

• 💣 Schwarber wins it all in the first-ever All-Star swing-off

• 🎾 Kyrgios throws an asterisk at Sinner’s Wimbledon title

• 🏌️ Grant Horvat’s PGA Tour denial sparks media rights debate

• ❄️ Jimmy Graham rows across the Arctic Ocean (and into history)

• 🤼‍♂️ A boozy brawl at a golf course gets explained

• 👑 Swiatek returns to dominance at Wimbledon

Let’s get into it!

⚾️ The Midsummer Classic Swings For Fences

This year’s MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta played out more like a Savannah Bananas sideshow, and it was all the better for it. From robot umpires to mic’d-up legends to a Home Run Derby-style ending, the league bet big on engagement. And it worked.

💥 The First-Ever Swing-Off Decides the Game

A 6-6 tie meant one thing: Swing-off time. In baseball’s version of a shootout, each team picked three hitters. Kyle Schwarber stepped up and went 3-for-3, blasting towering shots to seal the win for the National League. The bat? Flawless. “No ball marks when you flush it,” Schwarber said.

The new tiebreaker format was installed in 2022, but this was the first time since the Midsummer Classic had finished even after nine innings. Under this format, the game wound up with no winning or losing pitcher. The NL was officially credited with a 7-6 victory.

"It will be interesting to see where that goes," AL manager Aaron Boone said after the game. "There's probably a world where you could see that in the future, where maybe it's in some regular season mix. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if people start talking about it like that."

🤖 Robot Umpires Call the Shots

MLB debuted its Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) at the All-Star Game, reversing four ball/strike calls with the help of 5G-powered Hawk-Eye tech. Each team had two challenges, and fans (and players) were into it. Only one appeal failed. Even Clayton Kershaw gave it his seal of approval: “I’m OK with it. I think it works.”

🎙️ Kershaw Mic’d Up, Goes Out in Style

Eleven-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw was mic’d up mid-inning in what may be his final All-Star appearance. “This is so weird talking to you guys,” he said live on-air while pitching.

🗞️ Sports Headlines in the News

🎾 Kyrgios Throws an Asterisk at Sinner’s Wimbledon Win
Nick Kyrgios tweeted a single * after Jannik Sinner’s Wimbledon title. Subtle? Not quite. Sinner served a doping ban earlier this year and had dated Kyrgios’ ex-girlfriend. Add history and spice to the win.

👟 Iga Swiatek’s Grass-Court Breakthrough
Critics said Swiatek couldn’t dominate on grass. They were wrong. With improved serving and poise, she silenced doubters and lifted her first Wimbledon trophy.

💸 Wimbledon Final: Most Expensive Sports Ticket Ever?
Some resale sites saw tickets crack £20,000 ($25k USD) for the men’s singles final between Sinner and Alcaraz — Wimbledon’s highest prices ever. And, some say, the most expensive sporting ticket ever.

🏌️ Golfer Admits He Deserved That Pond Toss by NHLer
Trevor Ogilvie owned up to being the guy thrown into a pond by ex-NHLer Nick Tarnasky. “Played 36 holes, drank too much, mouth ran faster than my brain.”

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🏓 ⛳️ 🐎 MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS THIS WEEK

🏎 Auto Racing
AutoTrader EchoPark 400
July 20 | Dover Motor Speedway

🚴🏻 Cycling 
112th Tour de France
July 5 - July 27 | France

🎾 Tennis
INTENNSE — Tampa vs. Jacksonville
July 19 | The INTENNSE Arena, Decatur, GA

🥊 Ultimate Fighting
UFC 318: Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3
July 19 | Smoothie King Center

⛳ Golf
The Open Championship
July 17-20 | Dunluce Course

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOK 🔍

🚫 ACCESS: NOT GRANT-ED

YouTube golf star Grant Horvat thought he was on the verge of making content history. Instead, he ran headfirst into one of the PGA Tour’s most ironclad—and quietly controversial—rules: a total ban on filming during tournament play unless you’re a TV partner.

Here’s what happened: Horvat earned a sponsor’s exemption to play in the PGA Tour’s Barracuda Championship, a golden opportunity for a content creator who’s built a massive audience through on-course vlogs and personality-driven golf videos. But there was a catch. As Horvat explained in a video update to fans, the Tour made it clear he wouldn’t be allowed to film a single shot during play.

The reason? The PGA Tour’s media rights policy restricts all in-round video capture to its broadcast partners (NBC, CBS, Golf Channel, etc.) and the Tour itself. According to the Tour, letting an outside creator film—even one playing in the field—undermines the value of the exclusive media deals that bring in an estimated $750 million a year.

📝 The Rule, Broken Down:

• Only official PGA Tour media partners can film during competitive play.

• Players, creators, or media companies outside that circle are strictly prohibited.

• The Tour does allow filming in practice rounds, behind-the-scenes, and non-tournament settings, but the moment competition starts, cameras off.

Horvat took the high road and declined the invite rather than accept the deal without cameras. He said in his update:

This scenario opens up a larger debate. Yes, rules are rules. Perhaps Horvat’s involvement could have boosted TV ratings, ticket sales, and youth engagement.

📚 Implication Check:

• The PGA Tour is protecting its financial base, but at the cost of innovation and new fan pathways.

• With YouTube creators like Horvat pulling millions of views, is it time to rethink how “media” is defined?

• Could there be a hybrid model, where limited creator access is granted under guidelines? Or does every breach risk weakening the whole wall?

One thing’s clear: this rule wasn’t just enforced—it was enforced loudly. And in doing so, it reignited a conversation about who owns the right to tell the story of professional sports… and who gets left out when the cameras are off.

❄️ Jimmy Graham Rows Into the Record Books

Former NFL star Jimmy Graham completed the 584-mile Arctic Challenge in just over 10 days, smashing the record. The team of four, including Graham, Andrew Tropp, Hannah Huppi, and John Huppi, broke the previous record for a team of four of 15 days, 5 hours, and 32 minutes, set by Ocean Revival in 2023.

The team set several firsts by completing this voyage: being the first mixed-gender team of four to row across the Arctic Ocean, as well as being the first all-American team to row across a polar ocean. Graham is the first black person to row a polar ocean, while Hannah Huppi is the first American woman to row a polar ocean.

🤔 Take Our Poll: Can Average Fan Handle MLB Heat

📸: Jeff Darlington, ESPN

During the All-Star Game festivities, former big leaguer Ben Verlander asked the pros a simple question: Your average fan has 100 ABs against a big league pitcher. How many hits do they get?

So, what do you think? Take our poll!

🚦 In This Issue (quick hits)

B-A-N-G!!

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Un-Ruley Sportsman. We’re revisiting hockey’s golden rule: don’t chirp a professional enforcer — especially not on the fairway. From Tarnasky’s viral brawl to Wimbledon tension, mid-game MLB trades, and the rise of robo umps, here’s what’s happening:

• 🥊 Nick Tarnasky settles a golf course dispute the old-fashioned way

• 🎾 Sabalenka asks, "Where’s my sorry?" in a Wimbledon semifinal meltdown

• 🔄 MLB teams complete a trade... while playing each other

• 🤖 Robo Umps debut at the All-Star Game in Atlanta

• 🍓 Wimbledon strawberries get the white-glove treatment

Let’s get into it!

🥊 Nick Tarnasky Brings Hockey Fight Energy to the Golf Course

🖼️: Nick Tarnasky, Oil on canvas, via: Ryan Evans

Nick Tarnasky, former NHL enforcer, reminded everyone this week that once a fighter, always a fighter. A video of the 6’2", 230-pound bruiser brawling on an Alberta golf course with an inebriated heckler has racked up tens of millions of views — and it’s easy to see why.

After waiting 15 minutes behind two drunk players, Tarnasky’s group asked to play through. The response? A taunt-filled meltdown from a bearded man who screamed, “Cry about it!” and then challenged Tarnasky to a fight.

Bad idea.

What followed was part hockey scrap, part action movie:

• The heckler got pushed into a pond.

• Then took multiple punches to the face, each punctuated with a “Bang!”

• Then, the guy got tossed through the air like a duffel bag.

The hockey world took Tarnasky’s side, praising his restraint and his signature sound effects. In a world of golf claps and polite putts, this was a head-on collision with Ruley-level chaos. Slow play and booze don’t mix.

🎥 You can watch the showdown on the greens here. The video has already garnered 4.9 million views.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🎾 Wimbledon: Sabalenka’s Sorry Showdown

Tennis players aren’t required to apologize when a shot clips the net cord and dribbles over, but it’s customary. So when Amanda Anisimova didn’t say “sorry” to Aryna Sabalenka after a lucky break during their Wimbledon semifinal, sparks flew.

“Why didn’t you say sorry?” Sabalenka asked during a changeover.

The moment rattled Sabalenka, though she later claimed it helped her refocus. Still, she lost the match, and the questions about her sportsmanship resurfaced. After all, this is the same Sabalenka who downplayed Coco Gauff’s French Open win with, “She didn’t win. I just made too many mistakes.”

To her credit, Sabalenka later apologized for that. As for this Wimbledon moment? We’ll let the TikTok algorithm decide.

🏓 ⛳️ 🐎 MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS THIS WEEK

⚾️ Baseball
2025 MLB Draft
July 13-14 | Atlanta, GA

MLB All-Star Week
July 12-15 | Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

🏎 Auto Racing
Toyota / Save Mart 350
July 13 | Sonoma Raceway

🚴🏻 Cycling 
112th Tour de France
July 5 - July 27 | France

🎾 Tennis
Wimbledon — The Championships 2025
June 30 - July 13 | London

⛳ Golf
Genesis Scottish Open
July 10-13 | The Renaissance Club

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOK 🔍

🔄 MLB: Dodgers and Brewers Complete Trade During Game

The Dodgers and Brewers were in the midst of a game when they completed a trade with each other.

Minor leaguer Steward Berroa was dealt to Milwaukee for cash while the two teams were still playing. Though Berroa was with Triple-A Oklahoma City at the time, fans joked he’d just walk from one dugout to the other. And, what a scene that would be.

The Brewers swept the defending champs in the 3-game series. The mid-game trade was the cherry on top.

🔬 Ruley Explores the Rulebook

So, how does a trade during a game actually work?

• Trades can legally happen during games.

• If the traded player is active, he’s pulled immediately.

• No player can appear for both teams in a non-suspended game.

• Famous example: Joel Youngblood played for the Mets and Expos on the same day in 1982.

🤖 MLB All-Star Game Gets Robo Umps

You’ve tapped your helmet, challenged the strike zone, and now the robots are here.

For the first time at a major MLB event, the “Automated Balls and Strikes” (ABS) system — aka Roboumps — will be used at the All-Star Game this weekend in Atlanta. Pitchers, catchers, or batters can challenge ball/strike calls using two per team. If correct, the challenge is retained.

Fans will see the pitch trajectory on screen, with Hawk-Eye tracking determining the call.

According to MLB polling:

• 72% of fans like the system

• 69% want to see it long-term

• 2026 may be the year it’s adopted league-wide

🍓 Feel-Good Feature: Strawberries and Jam

📸: Jeff Darlington, ESPN

There are a few sporting staples that stand out for their ability to create exceptional and memorable experiences. The Masters is one. The other is Wimbledon.

Did you know that they offer fresh-picked strawberries each morning, delivered by 9 am? If any go uneaten, they’re turned into jam by night.

That’s it. That’s the tweet. That’s sports with manners.

🚦 In This Issue (quick hits)

This week in The Un-Ruley Sportsman, we're dinking through barns, navigating new Concacaf card rules, and wading into a legal battle over paddle noise. Here's what's popping:

• 👀 Amish barn pickleball? It’s real and riveting.

• ⚽️ Concacaf tweaks red/yellow card carryovers for 2026 World Cup hosts.

• 🏊🏼‍♂️ Penn to erase Lia Thomas’ Records

• 😡 A Boise couple sues over relentless pickleball noise.

• ⛔️ Oakville debates which sports are street-worthy.

• 🎾 Wimbledon bathroom rules (yes, really).

• ⛳️ And a father-son round of golf featuring Jim Nantz’s legendary greeting.

Let’s get into it!

👀 Amish Pickleball Is A Thing

A new viral video reveals what might be the most wholesome sports footage of the year: two Amish couples facing off in a barn pickleball match somewhere in Pennsylvania. Dressed in traditional attire and paddling with precision, it’s the latest sign that pickleball is exploding, even in communities known for tech-free living.

Pickleball among the Amish? Unlikely. The game’s spreading through Amish country like fresh shoofly pie. No electricity? No problem. Judging from the rallies and footwork, they’re ready for the pro circuit.

🎥 Watch it here or check out the X post that kicked it off.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🟥 CONCACAF Rule Change: Yellow & Red Card Suspensions Shift

Good news for U.S., Mexico, and Canada stars in the Concacaf Gold Cup: you won’t miss a World Cup match for picking up a card.

📍 New Rule: Yellow or red card suspensions in this Gold Cup can be served during September friendlies, not the 2026 World Cup.

⚖️ Why: Because as World Cup hosts, these nations don’t play in qualifiers. Article 69.3 of FIFA's disciplinary code permits friendlies to count toward fulfilling a suspension.

🇨🇦 Canada’s Jacob Shaffelburg, for example, will sit out their Sept. 5 friendly vs. Romania, not the Cup opener.

🏓 ⛳️ 🐎 MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS THIS WEEK

⚽️ Soccer
Concacaf Gold Cup Final, USA vs. Mexico
July 6 | NRG Stadium, Houston

🏎 Auto Racing
Chicago Street Race - Grant Park 165
July 6 | Downtown Chicago

British GP
July 6 | Silverstone Circuit 

🎾 Tennis
Wimbledon — The Championships 2025
June 30 - July 13 | London

⛳ Golf
John Deere Classic
July 3-6 | TPC Deere Run

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOK 🔍

🚽 Wimbledon’s Bathroom Break Rule

Wimbledon is steeped in tradition, and that extends all the way to... toilet breaks.

Players can request to leave the court for a bathroom break, but the rules are strict:

• Limited Breaks: Just one toilet break per match.

• Set Timing Only: It must occur during a set break, never mid-set.

• Three Minutes Max: That’s all the time allotted, unless...

• Clothing Change? You get an extra two minutes (bringing the max to five).

• Nearest Bathroom Only: No wandering—use the closest available facility.

• Supervised Relief: A line judge may accompany you to ensure no funny business.

Tennis Now reports that the rule is designed to curb gamesmanship, with some players accused in years past of using the break to ice opponents or reset momentum. Wimbledon is just making sure nature doesn’t mess with the match.

🏀 Oakville Considers Banning Street Sports (Except Two)

In a move that feels like a Netflix reboot of Footloose, Oakville city council may ban on-street sports, except for basketball and ball hockey.

🟢 Allowed: Basketball, Ball Hockey
🔴 Banned: Soccer, Badminton, Cricket, Rollerblading, Pickleball... pretty much everything else

🕓 Time Restrictions:

• May–Oct: No play from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m.

• Nov–April: No play from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m.

🏘️ Only local residential streets (non-bus routes) apply. And yes, gear must be removed when not in use.

👨‍💼 Ward 5 Councillor Jeff Knoll summed it up: “Get off the backs of kids.”

🏊‍♀️ Back to the Rulebook: Penn Reverses Course on Transgender Athlete Policy

After years of public debate, legal pressure, and a Title IX investigation, the University of Pennsylvania has made a dramatic reversal: it will no longer allow biological males to compete in women’s sports.

The July 1 announcement followed a resolution agreement with the U.S. Department of Education. As part of the agreement, Penn will:

• Prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women’s athletic programs,

• Strip Lia Thomas’ records from the school’s record books,

• Restore the rightful titles and standings to biological female swimmers,

• And issue personal apology letters to the athletes impacted during Thomas’ time on the team.

Thomas, a biological male who competed on the Penn men’s swim team for three seasons, made headlines in 2022 after winning the NCAA women’s 500-yard freestyle title, becoming the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship.

The Department of Education concluded Penn violated Title IX, the landmark 1972 civil rights law that guarantees equal opportunities for women in federally funded education programs, including athletics. The resolution ensures that Penn complies with Executive Order 14168, which reinforces biological definitions in competitive sports.

The message is clear: rules matter, especially when they safeguard fairness. A man winning female trophies is un-ruley. Lia Thomas’ victories never should have stood. Upholding competitive fairness means protecting the integrity of women’s sports.

This ruling restores balance to the field, the pool, and the record books.

🔇 Pickleball Lawsuit: Boise Couple Sues Over Noise

Another chapter in the great American pickleball war: a Boise couple is suing the city, citing years of unbearable noise from nearby courts.

Key complaints:

• “Relentless and chaotic auditory assault”

• Alleged harassment by players

• Auditory hallucinations of pickleball sounds wake them at night

The couple, one of whom is a wheelchair user and works from home, say the noise ruins both indoor and outdoor life. They’ve begged the city for years to act. Now they want courts closed permanently.

Meanwhile, players reportedly climb fences to keep the dink alive.

🌞 Good News: “Hello, Friends” Goes Next Gen

Joe Buck and his son teed off with Jim Nantz and his son for a generational golf outing. This past Wednesday, the foursome featuring Blake Buck (Joe’s son) and “Jame-O” (Nantz’s son Jameson) teed off at El Dorado Golf and Beach Club in Cabo.

But the best part? When the legendary announcer Nantz nails the classic “Hello, friends” intro. We could listen to this forever.

📹 Watch it and feel the joy of being a sports dad who also happens to have one of the best famous voices in the land.

🚦 In This Issue (quick hits)

• 🎾 Jordan Rules, Caitlin Fouls: Rough play then vs. now.

• ⚾ Coastal Carolina’s coaches ejected: what “prolonged arguing” really costs.

• 🏀 Achilles alert: NBA will use AI to study seven ruptures in one season.

• 🏒 84-game NHL season? Owners want rivalries; players fear wear and tear.

• ⚾ Fan banned for life after cruel heckle about Ketel Marte’s late mother.

• ⛳ Golf keeps booming: 15 M new U.S. players in a decade.

• 🎥 QR-code stunt: Coastal Carolina hijacks CWS TV coverage.

• ⌚ Just two (!!) days left to win a $299 GPS Golf Watch — just refer 3 friends!

Let’s get into it!

2 DAYS LEFT TO WIN THIS GOLF WATCH

Whether hunting for aces or that rare albatross, this watch will help you grab the best club for the attempt.

You can still win a Blue Tees Golf PlayMaker+ GPS Watch ($299 value). Just:

✅ Refer 3 friends to The Un-Ruley Sportsman

✅ Use your unique link at the bottom of this email

✅ Sit back and wait for that sweet AMOLED glow

⏰ Deadline: June 30

⭐ From the Jordan Rules to “Caitlin Rules”?

Then: In the late eighties, the Detroit Pistons slowed — and battered — Michael Jordan with a scheme dubbed the Jordan Rules: trapping, shoving, and knocking him off balance until the Bulls finally solved it years later.

Now: WNBA rookie superstar Caitlin Clark absorbs similar punishment. In Tuesday’s Fever-Sun melee, Clark was poked in the eye, shoved, and ultimately decked—one scene in a growing montage of “Welcome to the league” hits that fans replay online.

Why it matters: The NBA was “financially tenuous” before Jordan exploded; the WNBA’s ratings and franchise values are spiking, and Clark is central. Like MJ, she’s bulking up, feeding on slights, and dragging a struggling team toward relevancy.

📣 Lesson: History shows stars need bumps as much as buckets—but leagues still need whistles that keep the game watchable.

⚾ Coastal Coaches Ejected at CWS

In one of the most controversial moments of this year’s College World Series, Coastal Carolina’s head coach Kevin Schnall and assistant Matt Schilling were ejected in the first inning of a must-win game against LSU, a moment that, many argue, changed the outcome of the series.

It started with a dispute over balls and strikes. Schnall claims he made a three-finger gesture from the dugout to signal what he thought were three missed calls by plate umpire Angel Campos. Moments later, he says another umpire charged in, tripped, and wrongly accused Schnall of bumping Campos. That call triggered a two-game suspension for Schilling and a three-game suspension for Schnall, under the NCAA’s “prolonged arguing” rules.

Coastal Carolina called the ejections “hasty” and “depriving our student-athletes of the leadership they have relied on,” adding that the NCAA needs to rethink how it trains and evaluates umpires during championship games.

Without their skipper, Coastal Carolina fell 5–3 to LSU, who claimed their eighth national title. But for many fans, the biggest story wasn’t the score — it was the ejection heard ’round the stadium, and the questions it raised about how games are decided not just by talent, but by the interpretation of the rules.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

Take A Swing With Our New App: Ruley, Tennis Edition

Last week, you were the first to hear about our new Ruley tennis edition, now live on the app stores. Be sure to download and share with your friends.

Look for it on the App Store or Google Play.

🏓 ⛳️ 🐎 MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS THIS WEEK

🏎 Auto Racing
Challenge Round I — Quaker State 400
June 28 | EchoPark Speedway

MSC Cruises Austrian Grand Prix
June 29 | Red Bull Ring

🏀 Basketball
Round 2: NBA Draft
June 26 | New York

🎾 Tennis
Wimbledon — The Championships 2025
June 30 - July 13 | London

⛳ Golf
The Rocket Classic
June 26—29 | Detroit Golf Club

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE ACHILLES QUESTION 🔍

🦵 The Achilles Question: NBA Turns to A.I. After Injury Surge

Seven Achilles ruptures this NBA season; zero last year.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver isn’t waiting for another player to go down. Following seven Achilles ruptures this past season, including those of stars such as Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard, the league has convened a panel of experts to investigate.

Silver says it’s not necessarily about the number of games. Achilles injuries tend to happen before the All-Star break. Instead, attention is turning toward offseason habits. Today’s players often train harder in the summer than they do during the season.

One promising tool in the investigation: artificial intelligence. Silver said the NBA is using A.I. to ingest every minute of gameplay footage for affected players, hoping to uncover patterns that human analysts might miss. Whether that leads to new training rules, schedule adjustments, or something more radical, one thing’s clear: the league is finally treating Achilles injuries as a systemic issue, not just bad luck.

🏒 The NHL Floats an 84-Game Season… Again

The NHL and NHLPA are back at the bargaining table, and one proposal has players doing a double-take: an 84-game regular season.

The idea has been floating around for years, but it’s gaining traction now as teams push for more division matchups—those high-stakes rivalry games that boost both TV ratings and gate revenue. Currently, some teams don’t play enough of those matchups, and owners want that fixed.

Under the proposal, the league would reduce the preseason to accommodate the two additional regular-season games. However, some players are raising concerns over the added “wear and tear.” The league last ran an 84-game slate from 1992 to 1994, mostly for neutral-site games. This time, it would be about maximizing revenue and playoff relevance.

The current CBA expires in September 2026, so there’s still time for back-and-forth. But with league revenues climbing, there’s little doubt owners will try to make more room on the calendar for big-ticket matchups.

⚾ Lifetime Ban: MLB Fan Crosses the Line in Chicago

Major League Baseball handed down a rare punishment this week: a lifetime ban.

The incident occurred Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, where a 22-year-old fan reportedly shouted a vile comment about Ketel Marte’s late mother while the Diamondbacks second baseman was at the plate. Marte was visibly shaken. His mother died in a car crash in 2017, and the remark brought him to tears.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and other team staff heard the comment and demanded the fan’s ejection. According to reports, the fan was immediately removed and has since expressed remorse, but MLB isn’t budging. The league confirmed the fan is banned indefinitely from all MLB parks.

📣 The takeaway: MLB is drawing a hard line. Passion is part of the game. But some things cross into unacceptable territory, and league will not tolerate it.

⛳ By the Numbers: Golf’s Decade of Growth

Pickle and Padle are getting a lot of attention, but let’s not forget America’s largest, fastest-growing sport: Golf.

The growth numbers are insane. We grabbed these from a recent LinkedIn post by Profluence founder, Andrew Petcash:

• +15 M U.S. players since 2015 → 45 M total.

• 106 M golfers worldwide.

• $2,500 average annual spend per player.

• 22.4 M Americans say they’re very interested in taking up the game.

👏 Good Stuff: QR Code in the Dugout

Someone at Coastal Carolina deserves a raise for this clever idea.

During the broadcast of the CWS championship between Coastal Carolina and Louisville, ESPN cameras cut to a QR code taped inside their dugout; fans scanned, and—boom—summer camp sign-ups lit up.

Summer athletic camps are a good revenue generator for college campuses during the summer lull, but for programs like Coastal Carolina, they’re a crucial way for teams and coaches to meet up-and-coming players and showcase their facilities.

📣 The takeaway: Never waste a national broadcast… even if you get ejected later.

👉 Have an opinion? Submit it here

In This Issue:

⛳ Sam Burns’ U.S. Open collapse started with a controversial call
🎾 Check out our new app, Ruley Tennis Edition
📚 Ruley explains the muddy logic of golf’s “temporary water” rule
🦅 A rare albatross at the U.S. Open — just the fourth in history
🏀 What even is a technical foul in the WNBA
🥏 Disc golf wants your feedback… and your opinion on jump putts
⌚ Still time to win a $299 GPS Golf Watch — just refer 3 friends!

Let’s get into it!

TRACK YOUR ACE, EAGLE, AND ALBATROSS: WIN THIS GOLF WATCH

Whether hunting for aces or that rare albatross, this watch will help you grab the best club for the attempt.

You can still win a Blue Tees Golf PlayMaker+ GPS Watch ($299 value). Just:

✅ Refer 3 friends to The Un-Ruley Sportsman

✅ Use your unique link at the bottom of this email

✅ Sit back and wait for that sweet AMOLED glow

⏰ Deadline: June 30

⛳️ SWING OF THE WEEK NETS A RARE ALBATROSS

Golf’s version of a mic drop happened at the U.S. Open, and it was Patrick Reed with the swing of the week.

• On Oakmont’s 622-yard par-5 4th hole, Reed hit his second shot — a 286-yard three-wood from the fairway — and it rolled straight into the hole.

• 🎯 That’s an albatross (2 under on a par-5), one of the rarest scores in golf.

• 🤯 It’s only the fourth albatross ever recorded in U.S. Open history.

• 🗣️ Reed didn’t even see it go in. He realized what had happened thanks to the crowd’s roar.

📣 Moral of the story: Sometimes you don’t need eyes on the ball. Just a perfect swing and a lot of luck.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

Take A Swing With Our New App: Ruley, Tennis Edition

The

The Ruley tennis edition is now live on the app stores and includes the rules for Intennse, the new pro tennis team league format. Look for it on the App Store or Google Play.

🏓 ⛳️ 🐎 MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS THIS WEEK

🏎 Auto Racing
The Great American Getaway 400
June 22 | Pocono Raceway

⚾️ Baseball 
Men’s College World Series: Championship Series
Coastal Carolina vs. LSU
June 21-23 | Omaha, Nebraska

🏀 Basketball
NBA Finals, Game 7: Thunder vs. Pacers
June 22 | Oklahoma City, OK  

⛳ Golf
Travelers Championship
June 19—22 | TPC River Highlands

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOKS 🔍

Sam Burns Gets Burned by a Brutal Call

It’s one of those moments that leaves fans yelling at the TV and players muttering at the rulebook.

During the second round of the U.S. Open, Sam Burns hit what he thought was a clean approach on Oakmont’s par-4 12th hole. But the ball landed in what looked like soggy rough. Burns believed he should get relief due to temporary water under his ball, but the rules official disagreed.

Burns ended up double-bogeying the hole. He finished one shot outside the cut line. And just like that, his major was over.

📣 What’s the lesson? Even on golf’s biggest stages, knowing the rulebook (and who interprets it) can change your weekend.

So, let’s explore that rule and how it is written.

⛳️ Temporary Water (aka The Rule That Got Sam Burns)

Rule 16.1 of the USGA Rulebook defines temporary water as “an accumulation of water on the surface of the ground that is not in a penalty area, and can be seen before or after you take a stance.”

✅ Key Detail: You must be able to see the water without pressing down unnaturally with your feet.

🚫 If water isn’t visibly present, even if it feels soggy, no relief.

📚 Source: USGA Rule 16.1

📣 Why it matters: In golf, relief isn’t about how it feels. It’s about what you can prove. Just ask Sam Burns.

🎾 Sabalenka Sends a Post-Match Apology to Gauff

After losing to Coco Gauff in the French Open final, Aryna Sabalenka made headlines — not for her play, but for her post-match comments. She chalked up the loss to her “own mistakes,” implying Gauff’s performance wasn’t the deciding factor.

Now? Sabalenka’s walking it back.

Speaking to Eurosport Germany, the world No. 1 admitted the comments were “unprofessional” and confirmed she’s personally apologized to Gauff.

📣 Moral of the story: Owning your errors — on the court and at the mic — matters.

🥊 CAITLIN CLARK: POKED IN EYE, SHOVED TO GROUND IN SKIRMISH WITH SUN

🏀 WNBA: What Even Is a Tech?

ICYMI: A recent game between the Fever and Sky got spicy. The WNBA handed out a flurry of technical fouls:

• Caitlin Clark, Marina Mabrey, and Tina Charles were all T’d up.

• Jacy Sheldon picked up a flagrant 1 foul.

• No ejections were made — just some heat and whistles.

So… what is a tech? In WNBA terms, it’s a non-contact violation of conduct — excessive arguing, taunting, delay of game, etc. Basically, cross a line with your mouth or energy, and the ref will let you know.

📣 Moral of the story: Know the difference between physical and verbal violations — both can cost you points.

🥏 DISC GOLF WANTS YOUR INPUT

The Professional Disc Golf Association is considering a slate of rule changes for 2026, and they’re opening the floor to players for feedback (through June 20).

🚨 Some proposed updates:

• No more “self-voting” on rules enforcement (801.02)

• More time + clarity for shots from the fairway (802.03)

• Redefined provisional throw procedures (809.02)

• New putting definition: inside 20 meters = no jump putts

• Yes — they’re even updating restroom standards for tournament events

📣 Why it matters: The sport is growing fast. But even in disc golf, the rules are evolving just as quickly.

👉 Have an opinion? Submit it here

In This Issue:

• 🏀 Coach’s challenges are coming to college hoops; what fans should know

• 🐎 The obscure polo rule that’s banned lefties for good reason

• ⚾ The Pesky Pole strikes again: a 308-foot walk-off at Fenway

• 📰 Rules in headlines: Rory’s driver drama

• 📸 Four college baseball crowds made history this week

• ⌚ Another opportunity to snag your very own $299 GPS Golf Watch. Simply refer 3 friends for your chance to win!

Let’s get into it!

U.S. OPEN TEES OFF: WIN THIS GOLF WATCH

The U.S. Open stops by Oakmont this week, and what a perfect time to explore all the course has to offer than with your very own Blue Tees Golf PlayMaker+ GPS Golf Watch, valued at $299.

This watch has it all: 42,000+ preloaded courses, it offers GPS distances, shot tracking, scorekeeping, weather, and more—all on a vivid AMOLED touchscreen that keeps you focused on your game.

So, how can this be yours? Simple!

Get 3 friends to join this Un-Ruley Sportsman newsletter!

Hit the Click to Share button at the bottom of this email.

*Contest ends June 30th

👀 NCAA APPROVES HOOPS RULE CHANGES

NCAA to Allow Coach’s Challenges

Next March, don’t be surprised when a timeout turns into a coach holding up one finger for a review.

Yep — challenges are coming to college hoops, and they might determine the outcome of a few games.

The NCAA just approved coach-initiated challenges starting with the 2025–26 season. And while this isn’t quite NBA-style open season on reviews, it gives college coaches a powerful new card to play.

Here’s what’s changing (via The Athletic):

• Men’s Basketball:

  Coaches can challenge out-of-bounds, goaltending/basket interference, and restricted-area fouls—but only if they burn a timeout.

  ✅ Win the challenge = keep the timeout and earn another chance.

  ❌ Lose = timeout gone.

• Women’s Basketball:

  Coaches can challenge backcourt violations, possession fouls, and more — but losing a challenge results in a technical foul for an “excessive timeout” (so tread carefully).

Other key updates:

• Ref-initiated reviews are still limited to the last 2 minutes + overtime.

• Foul calls on continuous-motion shots now mirror NBA rules — players will get to finish plays after contact.

📣 Bottom line: Coaches now have one more way to impact big moments. Expect drama.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🏓 ⛳️ 🐎 MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS THIS WEEK

🏎 Auto Racing
Canadian Grand Prix
June 15 | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

NASCAR Cup Mexico City
June 15 | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

⚾️ Baseball 
Men’s College World Series
June 13 - 22/23 | Omaha, Nebraska

🥒 Pickleball 
Orange County Open
June 16 - 22 | San Clemente, CA

🤼‍♂️ Pro Fighting
UFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley
June 14 | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

⛳ Golf
U.S. Open
June 12—15 | Oakmont Country Club

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOKS 🔍

🐎 The Polo Rule That Keeps Things Safer (and Right-Handed)

Buried deep in the United States Polo Association’s 300+ page rulebook is this gem:

👉 Rule 28e: Polo players must play with the mallet in their right hand. Period.

Why? Imagine two riders approaching a ball from opposite directions — one swinging left-handed, the other right. The result? Full-speed jousting. Bad news for horses and humans alike.

For safety, the sport mandated right-hand play decades ago. Today, even natural lefties must learn to play right-handed — one of the few sports where handedness isn’t a choice.

📣 Moral of the story: Safety first. Cool mallets second.

Coco Wins French Open

Coco Gauff won the 2025 French Open, becoming the youngest American woman to win the tournament since Serena Williams in 2002. She defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Many fans on social media commented about the rather loud style of play Aryna brought to the court, which some suggested violated an obscure tennis rule we talked about last week — ITF Rules of Tennis, Rule 23 — “Player Hindrance.” You can read more about that one here.

📰 Un-Ruley Sports In the News

A look at the un-ruley, unsportsmanlike headlines shaped by the rules of the game.

🏎️ NASCAR goes global (again): The Cup Series just raced in Mexico City — its first points-paying international race since 1958. But NASCAR’s been taking the show on the road for decades: from Canada in 1952, to Japan in the late ’90s, to a full Euro Series today. Yep, stock cars love a passport. 👉 See the history

⛳ Rory McIlroy is still salty about his driver: After drama around testing at the PGA, he’s switching to a new TaylorMade for this week’s U.S. Open. 👉 Read more

🏛️ Congress tackles college sports: A new bill would set national NIL guidelines and athlete compensation rules. Will it bring clarity… or more chaos? 👉 Read more

⚾ PESKY POLE STRIKES AGAIN

Last week, Boston fans witnessed a historic Fenway walk-off, and the Pesky Pole was the star.

On June 4th, Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela blasted a walk-off homer that measured just 308 feet, making it the shortest walk-off home run in the Statcast era (which began in 2015).

Other Pesky Pole fun facts:

• Shortest HR at Fenway since 2015: 302 feet (Lorenzo Cain, 2017)

• Fenway’s RF wall near the Pesky Pole is only 302-310 feet away from home plate. It’s the easiest place in MLB to sneak out a “short” homer.

📣 Moral of the story: Sometimes it’s better to be lucky and aim right than swing for the Monster.

⛳️ GOOD STUFF ⛳️

📸 RECORD-BREAKING COLLEGE BASEBALL ATTENDANCE

College baseball fans poured through the turnstiles to support their favorite teams this past week during Super Regionals. Several stadiums reported record-breaking attendance. College baseball is in a very exciting place as fans and teams now set their sights on a championship in Omaha.

• 🐅 Auburn – 7,891 fans (Plainsman Park record)

• 🔵 Duke – 2,686 fans (program record)

• 🐗 Arkansas – 10,205 fans (Super Regional standout)

• 🟠 Oregon State – 4,118 fans (Goss Stadium record)

📣 Moral of the story: College sports is more than March Madness. Support for other collegiate sports remains high.

In This Issue:

• 🤬 A viral fight everyone thinks is Pickleball… but isn’t

• ⏳ Tommy Fleetwood and the rule that lets you stare at your ball (kinda forever)

• 📰 Sports headlines that broke the rules — and maybe our brains

• 🧀 Lydia Ko + Wisconsin Cheese = the heartwarming content you didn’t know you needed

• ⌚ More opportunities to win your very own $299 GPS Golf Watch. Simply refer 3 friends for your chance to win!

Let’s get into it!

WIN THIS NEW RELEASE BLUE TEES golf watch

You have time to win this brand-new, just released Blue Tees Golf PlayMaker+ GPS Golf Watch, valued at $299.

This watch has it all: 42,000+ preloaded courses, it offers GPS distances, shot tracking, scorekeeping, weather, and more—all on a vivid AMOLED touchscreen that keeps you focused on your game.

How to win? Simple.

Get 3 friends to join this Un-Ruley Sportsman newsletter!

Hit the Click to Share button at the bottom of this email.

Send your unique code to a bunch of friends that love sports and how it can sometimes be a bit Un-Ruley. 😜

Boom. 💥💥 Then you’ll be entered into a draw to win the watch. It’s that easy!

*Contest ends June 30th

🤬 PADEL BEATDOWN GOES VIRAL

🤷🏼‍♀️ A VIRAL FIGHT … THAT WASN’T EVEN PICKELEBALL

If it feels like Pickleball has become the official sport of parking lot tantrums, you’re not imagining it.

There are more fights, more paddle-smashing, and more midcourt meltdowns than ever before. Even Bill Simmons jumped on the latest viral pickle-brawl moment last week to talk about the latest “wild video” going viral online.

Except… there’s just one problem.

🚨 IT WASN’T EVEN PICKLEBALL.

Turns out that viral clip featured an argument on a Padel court, not a pickleball court. Close enough, right?

Wrong.

We suppose it looked like pickleball. There were paddles. There was shouting. There was a dude in socks yelling, “Hit the ball, fat boy!” That’s where the similarities ended.

Equipment aside, padel and pickle are completely different sports played on completely different court configurations. Here’s a quick refresher so you can become an expert: Padel courts are larger and enclosed by glass or mesh walls. Pickleball courts are smaller and open, like badminton or smaller tennis courts.

And honestly, the confusion is kind of perfect. Pickleball has become such a symbol of suburban sport drama that it’s now being blamed for fights that aren’t even its fault.

We’ve officially reached the point where people just assume any paddle-related meltdown is Pickleball.

📣 Moral of the story: If you’re going to throw down over rules, at least get the sport right.

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🏓 ⛳️ 🐎 MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS THIS WEEK

🏎 Auto Racing
Firekeepers Casino 400
June 8 | Michigan International Speedway

🐎 Horse Racing
Belmont Stakes
June 7 | Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York 

🎾 Tennis 
French Open (Roland Garros)
May 25–June 8 | Paris, France

🤼‍♂️ Pro Wrestling
WWE Worlds Collide
June 7 | Kia Forum, Los Angeles

WWE Money In The Bank
June 7 | Intuit Dome, Los Angeles

⛳ Golf
RBC Canadian Open
June 5—8 | TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOKS 🔍

⛳️ The Tommy Fleetwood Stare-Down: Legal?

If you missed it, Tommy Fleetwood recently hit a putt, watched it stop on the lip… and then stood there. And stood there. And then — finally — the ball dropped.

The crowd went nuts. But some folks online were asking: “Is that even allowed?”

We asked Ruley.

✅ According to Rule 13.3a in the USGA Rulebook, a player whose ball is overhanging the hole is allowed “a reasonable time to reach the hole and then wait no more than 10 seconds.”

⏱ That’s it. Ten seconds max. If the ball falls in after that, it still counts — but you’re assessed an extra stroke.

Tommy waited exactly 10 seconds. Legend.

📚 Cited: USGA Rule 13.3a – Ball Overhanging Hole

🧠 Why it matters: Every stroke counts. So does knowing the rulebook better than the guy next to you.

📰 Un-Ruley Sports In the News

A look at the un-ruley, unsportsmanlike headlines shaped by the rules of the game.

⚾ UCLA Softball Ties Game, But Misses Home Plate?
Yep. The runner missed the plate. Yep. The run still counted. Why? Because “that part isn’t reviewable.” Seriously. 🔗 Watch it

🏃‍♂️ Juan Soto: Trapped Ball = Trapped Runner
Chaos on the basepaths cost Juan Soto. It turns out that the “trapped ball” rule is still confusing to everyone. 🔗 Read more

🍌 The Savannah Bananas Brought the Great Hambino Out of Retirement
If you’re unfamiliar, the Hambino is the legendary big-boned slugger from The Sandlot. He got a real at-bat last week. Because the Bananas make their own rules. 🔗 See it to believe it

⛳️ GOOD STUFF ⛳️

Wisconsin: Beer, Brats, Golf … And Cheese Curds

Lydia Ko gets it.

While everyone else at the U.S. Women’s Open in Wisconsin was grinding on the greens, Ko embraced the local culture by snacking on Wisconsin cheese.

And not like a tiny cube of cheddar from a VIP tent. She was pounding cheese from the practice greens.

📣 Moral of the story: Play hard. Snack harder. Lydia Ko for Governor of Wisconsin.

In This Issue:

• 🎾 A tennis rule you didn’t know existed (but have definitely broken)

• 🔇 Pickleball drama, brought to you by… the noise police?

• 🚨 Rules in the News: MLB suspensions, tush push votes, and Olympic dreams

• 🏌️‍♂️ How one rural Nebraska golf course became a viral sensation

• ⌚ WIN a $299 GPS Golf Watch just by referring 3 friends

Let’s get into it!

WIN THIS NEW RELEASE BLUE TEES golf watch

You have time to win this brand-new, just released Blue Tees Golf PlayMaker+ GPS Golf Watch, valued at $299.

This watch has it all: 42,000+ preloaded courses, it offers GPS distances, shot tracking, scorekeeping, weather, and more—all on a vivid AMOLED touchscreen that keeps you focused on your game.

How to win? Simple.

Get 3 friends to join this Un-Ruley Sportsman newsletter!

Hit the Click to Share button at the bottom of this email.

Send your unique code to a bunch of friends that love sports and how it can sometimes be a bit Un-Ruley. 😜

Boom. 💥💥 Then you’ll be entered into a draw to win the watch. It’s that easy!

*Contest ends June 30th

🤬 CAUGHT IN A PICKLE

California City Bans Noisy Pickleball Paddles (Yup, For Real)

🤫 PICKLEBALL HAS QUIET PADDLES NOW?

You knew this day was coming if you’ve been paying attention.

In Laguna Beach, CA—land of ocean breezes and passive-aggressive HOA meetings—pickleball paddles are now regulated by sound. That’s right! Locals near the courts complained so much about the loud pop-pop, the city was forced to pass an ordinance that requires all players use “quiet paddles only.”

No joke. And there will be more now that quiet paddles exist!

It’s part of a growing trend: cities like Denver (Congress Park) have gone so far as to remove courts entirely because of noise. Looks like pickleball isn’t just America’s fastest-growing sport—it might also be its most noisy.

📣 Moral of the story: Let’s all get along. If you’re a pickleball player, be happy you get to play and have courts with pickleball only lines on it. Please, respect your surrounding peeps, and have a bit of etiquette if your go-to court is near homes or somewhere it could disturb others, swap out your paddle for a quiet paddle!

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

🏓 ⛳️ 🐎 MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS THIS WEEK

🏎 Auto Racing
Spanish Grand Prix
June 1 | Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Cracker Barrel 400
June 1 | Nashville Superspeedway

🥒 Pickleball
MLP Pickleball Tournament
May 29–June 1 | Arizona Athletic Grounds

🎾 Tennis 
French Open (Roland Garros)
May 25–June 8 | Paris, France

⛳ Golf
The Memorial Tournament
May 29–June 1 | Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOKS 🔍

🎾 Obscure Tennis Rule: The “Hindrance” You Didn’t Know You Caused

You grunt too loudly during your opponent’s swing? Accidentally drop your racquet mid-point? Shout “OUT!” before the ball hits?

That’s a violation.

According to the ITF Rules of Tennis, any deliberate or unintentional distraction that affects your opponent’s ability to play the point can result in a “hindrance” fault (Rule 23). And yes, your opponent can claim the point if the chair umpire agrees.

There are two types of “hindrance.”

1. Deliberate Hindrance: If a player is hindered by an opponent's deliberate act, the hindered player wins the point.

   Examples could include:

   • Yelling or making noises intended to distract the opponent.

   • Waving arms or rackets to disrupt the opponent's focus.

   • Intentionally throwing a racket or other object.

2. Unintentional Hindrance: If a player is hindered by an unintentional act of the opponent or by something outside of either player's control, the point is replayed.

   Examples could include:

   • A player's hat or clothing item falls onto the court.

   • A ball from an adjacent court rolls onto the playing court.

   • A bee sting or sudden injury. 

📚 Cited: ITF Rules of Tennis, Rule 23 — “Player Hindrance”

🧠 Why it matters: That random grunt you make when you’re trying to go for it on your first serve? Yeah, it could cost you the set.

📰 Un-Ruley Sports In the News

A look at the un-ruley, unsportsmanlike headlines shaped by the rules of the game.

⚾ MLB Suspends Star Pitcher for 80 Games
Cleveland Guardians ace Triston McKenzie was hit with an 80-game ban after testing positive for PEDs. The rule’s clear—and the punishment, even clearer. 🔗 Read more

🇺🇸🏃 NFL Players in the Olympics? Yep, for Flag Football
Starting in 2028, NFL stars can compete for Olympic gold in flag football. Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson is already eyeing the podium. 🔗 Read more

🏈 NFL Votes on “Tush Push” — Eagles Troll Packers Immediately
The league voted to keep the Eagles’ infamous short-yardage “tush push” play. Philly didn’t wait long—posting a video on X and rubbing it in Green Bay’s face. Butt-hurt? Too bad! Not them. 🔗 Read more

Twitter tweet

⛳️ GOOD STUFF ⛳️

 If You Dream It, Design It, and Build It: They Will Come

In the middle of Nowhere, Nebraska (technically, it’s in Homer), sits one of the most sought-after golf destinations in America: Landmand Golf Club. And yes, it’s public.

Built by dreamers at King-Collins Design, Landmand is bold, brutal, and breathtaking—a 7,200-yard cornfield turned golf cathedral. When 2025 tee times were released, they sold out in just 50 minutes.

It’s already inspired a documentary (check out the trailer) on Golf Channel and a pile of press from GOLF.com, WSJ, and Golfweek. Not bad for a public course miles and miles from anything resembling a city.

📺 So, what makes it special?

• Sweeping elevation changes across a former grain farm

• Minimalist design with maximum character

• A fan-fueled origin story that bucks every “traditional” rule of building a golf course

🚩 Moral of the story: If you build it—and it’s really freaking cool—they will come. In droves.

Welcome to the inaugural issue of The Un-Ruley Sportsman—your new go-to source for the quirks, controversies, and captivating tales from the world of paddle sports and beyond.

In This Issue:

• Golf Gone Wild: A golfer’s unconventional take on etiquette sparks debate.

• Ruley’s Ruling: Our mascot dives into the pickleball rulebook to clarify a common misconception.

• Padel’s Origins: Discover how a Mexican innovator created the fastest-growing sport you’ve (maybe) never tried.

Let’s get into it!

WIN THIS PRIZE!

We’re giving away a brand new PlayMaker+ GPS Golf Watch, valued at $299.

With 42,000+ preloaded courses, it offers GPS distances, shot tracking, scorekeeping, weather, and more—all on a vivid AMOLED touchscreen that keeps you focused on your game.

All you have to do is get three friends to join this newsletter!

Hit the Click to Share button at the bottom of this email.

Send your unique code to a friend who loves sports and is sometimes a bit unruly. 😜

Then you’ll be entered into a draw to win the watch. It’s that easy!

Drama On the Green:

How Would You Handle This Real-World Story?

⛳️ Golf Gone Wild: When Etiquette Meets Ego

Imagine you’re off the putting green when a fellow golfer insists it’s your turn—BECAUSE you’re closest to the hole. A heated exchange ensues, and suddenly, golf etiquette becomes the center of controversy.

This real-life scenario ignited a firestorm online, with opinions divided on who was in the right. Was it a breach of etiquette or just a misunderstanding of the rules?

So, how would you handle this situation?

📬 Do You Have A Real Sports Story To Share?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your crazy, hilarious, epic, and wild tales of sports rules and decorum gone wrong with us, and we may highlight them for our newsletter audience. Send your stories here: support@ruley.ai

 🏓 ⛳️ 🎾 EVENTS THIS WEEK 🏓⛳️ 🎾

Pickleball

Punta Gorda PPA Challenger (PPA Tour)
May 23-25
PicklePlex Punta Gorda, Florida

Tennis 

French Open
May 25, 2025 – June 8, 2025
Stade Roland Garros, Paris

Golf 

Charles Schwab Classic
May 22-25
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas 

Volleyball

USA Volleyball Open National Championships
May 23-28
Denver Convention Center, Denver, Colorado  

🔎 RULEY EXPLORES THE RULEBOOKS 🔍

🥒 Obscure Rule: The Pickleball “Carry” That’s Technically Legal

In most sports, players think it’s illegal to “double hit”, “carry” or “scoop” the ball with their racket, paddle or bat. But not in pickleball…as usual the pickleball gods decided to be different.

Here’s the twist: as long as it’s one continuous motion and doesn’t involve double contact, it’s allowed under USA Pickleball rules.

We asked Ruley (our AI powered rules app companion) about a double hit, and Ruley says the rule is found under Rule 11A. According to the rule, it is totally legal for a player to hit the ball twice with their paddle before it goes over the net, as long as the double hit occurs during a continuous, single direction stroke.

If the stroke is not continuous or in a single direction, OR the ball is hit by a second player (think volleyball setting a ball) then it’s a fault and the point is over.

🧠 Why it matters: We’ve seen many points stopped in the middle because people don’t know this rule.

📚 MOMENTS IN SPORTS HISTORY 📚

🎾 So… What the Heck Is Padel and Why Is Everyone Obsessed With It?

Let’s set the record straight: Padel isn’t a typo for paddle tennis, and it’s not some watered-down version of tennis or squash. And if you haven’t played it yet, you probably will soon.

Padel was born in 1969, when a Mexican businessman named Enrique Corcuera wanted a tennis court in his backyard… but didn’t have the space. So, like any entrepreneur, he made it work by adding walls, adjusting the rules, and inventing an entirely new game. That scrappy invention turned into one of the fastest-growing sports on the planet.

Today? Spain has more padel courts than tennis courts. Argentina treats it like religion. And the U.S. is finally waking up.

Why It’s Blowing Up (and Why You’ll Probably Love It):

• 👫 Doubles only. Always social. Always chaos.

• 🚧 Enclosed walls = longer rallies, weirder angles, and way more fun.

• 🏓 No strings. The racquet is solid and perforated. Kind of like a mix between a paddle and a frying pan.

• 📈 25 million players and counting.

• 🧠 Strategy > Strength. This isn’t about blasting aces. It’s chess at full speed.

• 🎯 Low barrier, high ceiling. You’ll pick it up in five minutes… and chase mastery for years.

The best part? You don’t have to be a tennis pro to compete. In fact, some of the best padel players aren’t former tennis players. The walls change everything. It’s more reaction time and positioning than brute athleticism.

So yeah, padel isn’t “on the rise.” It’s already here. And it might just be the most addictive sport you haven’t tried.