You can question authority without disrespecting it. Ask like you want an answer, not a fight.

A question and a challenge can use the same words and land differently, and the difference is what you hope happens next. If you want the reason, your voice goes up at the end and you wait. If you want the win, it comes out as a statement with a question mark on it, and people answer the tone rather than the content.

When a rule seems wrong, ask what it is for before arguing that it is unfair. Genuine curiosity is disarming, and sometimes the reason turns out to be good. When it is not, you have a better case, because you understood the rule before you objected.