The most famous example of the rule being applied is the Pine Tar Incident, which occurred during the Jgame between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees which resulted in a George Brett go-ahead home run in the ninth inning being nullified and the game being protested. Rule 1.10(c) of the 2002 Official rules of Major League Baseball restricts application to the lower 18 inches of a bat. Pine tar is applied to the handles of baseball bats to improve a batter's grip. George Brett's pine tar bat at left, from a 2006 exhibit at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan The tar would stain the hands of ship's crews, and British Navy seamen became known as 'tars.' Such rope would quickly rot when exposed to rain, and was typically tarred to preserve it. Traditionally, hemp and other natural fibers were the norm for rope production. Such treatments, while effective, must be continually reapplied. This is followed with a thicker standard mix. The tar weeps out to the exterior and indicates where the boat needs the most attention. This allows it to permeate deeper into the oakum and fibre of the wood and lets the tar seep into any pinholes and larger gaps that might be in the planks. First, a thin coat is applied using a mixture with a greater proportion of turpentine. Pine tar is combined with gum turpentine and boiled linseed oil to create a wood preservative. Pine tar is used as a softening solvent in the rubber industry, for treating and fabricating construction materials, and in special paints. Applying a smear of pine tar on the hens' wound acts as a natural germicidal/antibacterial agent that discourages continued attacks on the affected hen due to its foreign texture. It also has been used when chickens start pecking the low hen.

Pine tar is widely used as a veterinary care product, particularly as an antiseptic and hoof care treatment for horses and cattle.

It also helped waxes adhere, which aided such skis’ grip and glide. Pine tar was used as a preservative on the bottoms of traditional Nordic-style skis until modern synthetic materials replaced wood in their construction.