Have you noticed???

As I enjoy a beautiful Sunday morning flipping between Olympic women's hoops and the gold metal ping pong women's doubles match, I ask myself a question...

Have you ever noticed that in every sport besides basketball and American football, the line is actually IN, even in GYMNASTICS!?! (yes, there is a line on a ping pong table for some reason...but if it hits it, it's still good...miss it, and miss the table, then out...go figure)

I wonder...was the line ever in for basketball and football in the beginning? I'm curious if someone got mad one day and just suddenly changed the rules so it would benefit them and said "no - that line is out, not in!" You know, kind of like the schoolyard game of basketball where all of a sudden it is 'make it, take it' for their point, but it wasn't for yours.

I guess the rules can change daily...depending on how they benefit.