rules have the following characteristics:
- rules limit player action.
- they are narrow and specific.
- they are expressed in a set of instructions.
- rules are explicit and unambiguous.
- rules are shared by all players.
- there must be a common understanding and interpretation of the game.
- rules are fixed.
- they may not change while a game is in session.
- they may change if it agreed upon by a highly regulated organization with players' best interests in mind.
- rules are binding.
- if players did not feel as though the rules are binding, then the game would spoil.
- rules are repeatable.
- they can be repeated round to round, game to game.
- they are also portable between players and to other places.
rules constitute the structural system that allows choice-making.