Sports Rules And Regulations

FINA, the international governing body of swimming, is attempting to put the genie back in the bottle. The genie would be the high-tech swimsuits, starting with the well-known Speedo LZR Racer, that dominated the run-up to the Beijing Olympics last year, and the next generation of controversial successors.

The young quarterback rolled out and found himself, quite suddenly, alone. No linemen blocking, no receiver breaking open, only tacklers bearing down. At that point, UCLA freshman Richard Brehaut realized he had turned right when the play was supposed to go left. It was only practice, but coaches pulled him off the field, yelling. "I screwed up," he said. "They got on me real good."

If the World Series at all resembles the first two rounds of the baseball playoffs, an umpire will make a bad call, a call so bad that instant replay will reveal the error for all of America to see, in living color, in high definition, and within seconds. The manager will charge onto the field to argue. The umpire will defend his call. The game will go on. The error will not be corrected. With a limited replay system and supporting facilities already in use, Commissioner Bud Selig could authorize a broader use of instant replay by the time the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies play Game 1 of the World Series tonight at Yankee Stadium.

Go ahead and ask Dean Lombardi if fighting has a place in the NHL. Then settle in for a passionate defense of conduct that's applauded in rinks around North America but forbidden in other major professional sports leagues here and in Europe. "If you want to throw a fastball at somebody's head, you can get away with it and not be held accountable," the Kings' general manager said. "If you want to crackback block and break somebody's leg, you can get away with it.