Constraints, the World Cup, and lack of thought

The World Cup is being contested and I am an American that likes soccer. I'm perfectly fine with people having different tastes in favorite sports. I mean, my favorite sports of tennis and soccer aren't exactly in line with the tastes of most of my fellow Americans. However, I do get annoyed when people deride sports such as soccer without thinking through their arguments.

I've been seeing this criticism leveled against soccer during this World Cup: "It isn't natural to not use your hands."

This kind of argument shows a lack of understanding of constraints and how constraints are necessary to have a unique sport with consistent rules. If different sports didn't have their own unique constraints to create rules of play, we would basically have a form of Calvinball where everyone does whatever they think is "natural" and it is different every time.

It doesn't matter if a sport has a constraint that works against a perceived "natural" instinct because the challenge created by the constraint is uniform and foundational to the uniqueness to the sport. The challenge is part of the appeal of the sport because it requires a unique skill set. Soccer has no hands allowed for field players and offside, basketball has dribbling and goaltending rules. baseball has tag ups, Football has forward passing constraints, etc... We could make a long list of constraints that create the distinctive rules of each of the sports out there. Without the constraints, we have no sport.

A criticism like "It isn't natural to not use your hands," doesn't mean much unless you are going to define what exactly is natural and disqualify all sports that don't meet this criteria. If you do this, you might find that no sport is completely "natural." All sports use "natural" motions, but different sports place different "unnatural" constraints upon how those natural motions can be used including completely excluding certain natural motions. For example, biting is a "natural" motion to the human body, but it is excluded as a way to weaken opponents in sports.

I find the lack of thought behind arguments like "It isn't natural..." troubling because they are really criticizing the concept of constraints and rules. They are saying we can't constrain behavior or define proper conduct. They are denying the governance of laws, rules, and regulations. They are rejecting the foundational nature of institutions. Even if they don't realize it, they are promoting a society described by the phrase "everyone did as he saw fit."** If this sounds good to you, I hope you are never unwillingly on the receiving end of someone doing as they see fit. You might find you have rejected the only recourse you have to protect yourself or anyone else from the whims of the individually-defined "natural."

**Judges 21:25b