Why soccer players fake injuries constantly
During the World Cup, I heard a lot from my friends Rich Glanzer and Anthony Orefice about how ridiculous it was that the best soccer players in the world, these supposedly manliest of men, the pinnacles of testosterone, seemed to crumple into screaming fits of pretend pain about every five minutes or so. After all, hockey players have been known to shrug off having arteries sliced open. How is it these guys were not only falling over at the slightest contact, but willing to be so obvious about being knocked down when they didn't have to be? Aren't such things are embarrassing to Manly Men?
After thinking about it for a few days, it became obvious. And, I'm sure every die-hard fan of "The Beautiful Game" understands perfectly well why its players mar it with absurd pratfalls. It's all about the economics. Remember, Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing.
Consider this: The pitch is big. There's enough space, and enough people, that if one player falls behind, it's really no big deal. If you were playing any sport in a regulation-sized hockey rink (hockey, broomball, box lacrosse, etc.), falling down is costly. It works the same way for basketball. By the time you get back up, your opponents have scored on you, and they're pointing and laughing. But, fall down in soccer, and it's no big deal. Ten guys can cover for you until you're on your feet, and you can run yourself back into the play. So, point 1: There's no cost to the player for pretending to be injured.
Also consider: What happens in soccer if one player assaults another? Under the "Laws Of The Game" according to FIFA (soccer's governing body), an intentional injury or a severe injury caused by a foul result in a Red Card. Now, for those who don't know, let me tell you the value of an opponent getting a Red Card. It's huge. The opposing team loses that player, and they don't get to replace him. So, at the highest level that the game is played at, you've essentially consigned your opponents to being unable to score, because they're missing a player. It happens once it a while, but that's fluky.
So, here we have an action that has effectively no cost, which can reap enormous benefits if you can fool the referee just once. As soon as you dupe the officials into handing out a Red Card because you folded like a cheap lawn chair, you've made out on the deal 10,000 times over for your team. If your team is ahead, you're pretty much set to cruise. And, you're a hero. All because you have a convincing "ouch face".
Now, this isn't the way I like to win games. But, it's what the rules give you. Which begs the question, why aren't there rules against "diving" in soccer, the way there are in hockey? Wouldn't the game be better if people didn't periodically flop around like dying fish every few minutes? Adding any cost to faking an injury is likely to stop the practice entirely. I would guess that FIFA, on the whole, doesn't want to take a risk of stopping the game too much more often than already happens. Other sports organizations show the same fear. It tends to be the primary argument against Instant Replay rules in most sports. Add to that the fact that FIFA is famously slow to change any rules at all, and you have a case where what would be a great game gets messed up because the players are willing to put their pride aside to win, and the situation isn't likely to change soon.
So, since the rules have set the game up this way, it seems that the only thing we can hope for is that the fans who buy all the tickets make a big enough issue out of it that the rules are eventually changed. So, I'll leave it with a question or two.
Why don't all of the international fans of soccer have such a problem with all this acting out of fake injuries? Do they just accept it as a part of the game?
After thinking about it for a few days, it became obvious. And, I'm sure every die-hard fan of "The Beautiful Game" understands perfectly well why its players mar it with absurd pratfalls. It's all about the economics. Remember, Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing.
Consider this: The pitch is big. There's enough space, and enough people, that if one player falls behind, it's really no big deal. If you were playing any sport in a regulation-sized hockey rink (hockey, broomball, box lacrosse, etc.), falling down is costly. It works the same way for basketball. By the time you get back up, your opponents have scored on you, and they're pointing and laughing. But, fall down in soccer, and it's no big deal. Ten guys can cover for you until you're on your feet, and you can run yourself back into the play. So, point 1: There's no cost to the player for pretending to be injured.
Also consider: What happens in soccer if one player assaults another? Under the "Laws Of The Game" according to FIFA (soccer's governing body), an intentional injury or a severe injury caused by a foul result in a Red Card. Now, for those who don't know, let me tell you the value of an opponent getting a Red Card. It's huge. The opposing team loses that player, and they don't get to replace him. So, at the highest level that the game is played at, you've essentially consigned your opponents to being unable to score, because they're missing a player. It happens once it a while, but that's fluky.
So, here we have an action that has effectively no cost, which can reap enormous benefits if you can fool the referee just once. As soon as you dupe the officials into handing out a Red Card because you folded like a cheap lawn chair, you've made out on the deal 10,000 times over for your team. If your team is ahead, you're pretty much set to cruise. And, you're a hero. All because you have a convincing "ouch face".
Now, this isn't the way I like to win games. But, it's what the rules give you. Which begs the question, why aren't there rules against "diving" in soccer, the way there are in hockey? Wouldn't the game be better if people didn't periodically flop around like dying fish every few minutes? Adding any cost to faking an injury is likely to stop the practice entirely. I would guess that FIFA, on the whole, doesn't want to take a risk of stopping the game too much more often than already happens. Other sports organizations show the same fear. It tends to be the primary argument against Instant Replay rules in most sports. Add to that the fact that FIFA is famously slow to change any rules at all, and you have a case where what would be a great game gets messed up because the players are willing to put their pride aside to win, and the situation isn't likely to change soon.
So, since the rules have set the game up this way, it seems that the only thing we can hope for is that the fans who buy all the tickets make a big enough issue out of it that the rules are eventually changed. So, I'll leave it with a question or two.
Why don't all of the international fans of soccer have such a problem with all this acting out of fake injuries? Do they just accept it as a part of the game?