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GMing Technique: Modify the Rules as Needed
Game rules are usually written to approximate some situation. In most cases, they only simulate the most common form of that situation imperfectly, and they simulate less usual forms of the situation even less well. The most important example is melee combat, which most game systems treat fundamentally as combat between two human-sized, human-shaped individuals standing up facing each other, able to see and aware that each other are there. When these conditions are not met, the game mechanics usually need some adjustment to put things right.

A game rulebook will often have some modifications covering non-standard situations, such as bonuses for surprise or rear attacks. But there will always be cases which are not covered in the rules, and then the GM must make a sensible decision about how to handle the situation. Written rules may create a loophole which is open to exploitation by players. The balance between written rules and the GM's judgement is discussed in Risk versus Fudging.

To make it possible for GMs to make sound decisions about how to modify rules well, it's important for rules to be transparent.

Here's an example of a GM making a really silly decision about modifying (or rather not modifying) the rules to fit the situation:

I was playing a British Civil War game using a version of the RuneQuest rules. In RQ, shooting uses a simple % chance to hit. In this particular version, the unmodified skill was used for short range, then penalties were applied for longer ranges. There were no rules in this for point-blank range.

My character, Jack 'Madman' McGuire, wanted to kill a certain character. This character considered McGuire a friend, and had no reason to fear him. McGuire was standing behind him, so he simply raised his rifle to the character's back and fired.

The GM told me to make a to hit roll. I asked what bonus I got for being so close. He replied that there was none. I was stupefied. 'But look - I've put my rifle two inches from the centre of his back and pulled the trigger. How can I miss?' I protested. We argued but the GM was adamant that I should get no bonus for this. He ruled that shooting an unmoving unknowing target at point-blank range was no easier than firing at an enemy twenty yards away under combat conditions.

When this sort of thing happens, it can really fuck me off, and end up ruining a whole gaming session for me. I realise of course that this makes me a childish twat, but such is the path I've chosen. I certainly know many other gamers who take on much more bitterness about this sort of thing than I do, so it's not just me. Lots of gamers don't like this kind of thing.