Sometimes we must bend the rules to know where they break

Back when I was more sprightly and less grumpy, one of the girls in our high school had her opponents up in arms at a track and field meeting after using a unique tactic to win a race.

Locked in a sprint for the line, instead of simply running through like everyone else, my friend flung out her arm just before the finish. And it caused all sorts of confusion.

Our befuddled teachers had no idea what to do, and not being qualified athletics officials, they had to make a decision on the spot with the info they had on hand.

Unable to find a sufficient reason to deny her the win – she did, after all, reach the finish first – they decided the result would stand.

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The teachers, however, didn’t stay befuddled for long. I imagine one of them – at our school or another – had a look at the rules to check if they were correct, in case it happened again.

Later in the year, at another track meeting, she did it again. And this time she was denied victory.

As it turned out, though nobody in our school knew this when she first attempted her arm-flinging strategy, an athlete’s result is recorded when their torso reaches the finish line. Unfortunately for her, no amount of arm flinging helps when the officials know the rules.

And while this was a clear misunderstanding by the teachers, we do need athletes to bend the rules and test them to ensure they are firm and fair, and properly understood.

To be honest, I don’t watch much motor racing, and though I did keep an eye on the Formula One season decider last week, I don’t really have an opinion on whether Max Verstappen deserved the title or Lewis Hamilton was robbed.

But it seems Verstappen took advantage of rules that could be bent, and while officials have been criticised for allegedly making some poor decisions, Mercedes got nowhere with their appeals.

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After all the hullabaloo, last week’s controversial finish has pushed the FIA to reassess the rule book and ensure the existing regulations are firm and fair.

Never will I support someone who breaks the rules, and cheating should be stamped out as soon as it is spotted.

But shaking things up by bending the rules can have its benefits, not just for the individuals who find unique ways to win, but for the very foundations of sport itself.

Only by twisting the rules can we know where they break, in order to strengthen them and ensure fairness for all.