Close-up of Bruno the beagle wrapped head to toe in bandages, fist raised defiantly, with Duchess the cat looking on nervously in a brick alley

Moving the Goalpost Fallacy: Bruno's Rat Race

Bruno bites off more than he can chew…

Duchess and Bruno the beagle walk through a graffiti-covered alley with "Rats Rules" on the wall. Bruno fumes and declares "I'm sick of these rats. Next one I see is gonna get it!"
Bruno the beagle spots a massive rat shadow chomping on the alley wall and shouts "AHA!! There you are, little boy!" — unaware of what he's actually dealing with
Duchess and Bruno come face to face with an enormous, menacing purple rat eating a snack. Giant "!?" appears above them.
Bruno lies beaten and bandaged on the ground, fist still raised, shouting "Next rat UNDER 4 FEET is gonna get it!" as Duchess looks on wide-eyed

We admire his courage, though.

Get beat up and punch your way into our activity pack for fun activities that help you spot the fallacy!

Moving the Goalpost in a Nutshell

Moving the goalpost is when you change the rules the moment they stop working in your favour.

Bruno had had enough of the graffiti rats. Next rat he saw? Gone. No size restrictions. Just justice. Then they turned the corner. The rat was enormous. 

Bruno woke up in bandages with a new declaration: next rat UNDER 4 FEET is gonna get it. Same fist. Suspiciously specific new height requirement. We admire the commitment. We do not admire the change of goalpost.

See all 24 fallacies in What Are the Most Common Logical Fallacies?

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