I can see where the OP is coming from, given that pretty much every sport has had rule changes like this. Baseball's changed the rules of the playing field, and

I can see where the OP is coming from, given that pretty much every sport has had rule changes like this. Baseball's changed the rules of the playing field, and rules of player behavior over time -- they've lowered the pitchers mound fairly steadily over the years as the average pitcher gets better, they set up rules for switch pitchers due to the first one hitting the bigs, etc. Soccer, they've changed offsides rules several time due to things like the offsides trap. Basketball, they added the three point shot, the shot clock, and changed the size of the key to get the game moving and keep it from turning into a slam dunk contest. Cricket has probably changed the least over the years, but even there, the types of matches that are played most often are a lot different than the kinds played nowadays.