# Faking Injuries in soccer **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 5, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339 "2018-07-05T19:12:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/41 "2018-07-09T14:17:49Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > It’s an outlier since VAR has shown that the refs have been too stingy in awarding penalties. As I think Vox pointed out rather dryly, one of the reasons players fall so theatrically is to point out fouls. Yeah, speaking as a referee, it’s a bit of a vicious cycle, and trying to decide exactly where the beginning of that cycle is can be difficult. Did it start with referees trying to let the players play, and not stopping the game for fouls that weren’t “obvious”, causing players to try and make fouls look more “obvious”, causing referees to call those fouls, leading to players deciding to dive? Or did it start with players exaggerating fouls to try and get a whistle, causing referees to be skeptical of apparent fouls, leading to players having to embellish just to draw a whistle, etc.? Part of the trouble, too, is that the definition of the fouls in Law XII has changed a bit over the years, despite the assumption by many that what the IFAB wants called a foul hasn’t really changed. For example, tripping now is only a foul if it is done “carelessly, recklessly, or with disproportionate force”. “Carelessly” is defined as “when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution.” This really muddles the water with respect to when tripping someone up is a foul. The same standard applies to tackling or challenging for the ball. But holding an opponent is ALWAYS supposed to be a foul, regardless of how it is done. And yet, at no time in the last 50 years has holding been called whenever it happens (good God, the game would be almost unplayable), and at the same time, people expect any and every trip to be a foul, regardless of how it came about. 😕:smack: The solution, of course, is to have consistent refereeing; a foul today is a foul tomorrow. Within a league, that’s relatively easy to accomplish. But when you play internationally, you get referees who aren’t used to the play in the national leagues of the teams in action. A South American referee in charge of two European teams from countries where physical play is accepted (say England and Germany) will sow confusion simply because of the difference in interpretations of what’s allowable. That’s why things sometimes get a bit chaotic at the World Cup. The England v Colombia match was an example. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/42 "2018-07-09T19:19:14Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Terry Bradshaw used it to his advantage a few times, even though it pissed off his teammates. He’d get sacked hard, giving up ten yards, then he’d get up very slowly. He’d shake his head and stumble toward the huddle, waving off calls from the sideline. > > Then he’d limp/stumble to the center, still shaking his head and looking around like he wasn’t sure where he was. Then he’d take the snap, flawlessly run a complicated play and put the ball in the end zone. That’s just a bit of legitimate headology. The NFL already has rules to discourage flopping. If time is stopped for an injury the player has to come out at least one play. An injury at the end of each half will cost a time out or a time run off. It’s not the same at all. As for soccer it’s one of the issues that makes the games unwatchable for me. I’ll try to watch some of the upcoming games without turning it off in disgust. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/43 "2018-07-09T19:22:16Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Yeah, speaking as a referee, it’s a bit of a vicious cycle, and trying to decide exactly where the beginning of that cycle is can be difficult. Did it start with referees trying to let the players play, and not stopping the game for fouls that weren’t “obvious”, causing players to try and make fouls look more “obvious”, causing referees to call those fouls, leading to players deciding to dive? Or did it start with players exaggerating fouls to try and get a whistle, causing referees to be skeptical of apparent fouls, leading to players having to embellish just to draw a whistle, etc.? Maybe the rolling around part makes more sense in a post-VAR world, but if a ref doesn’t call a foul even from an obvious exaggeration of contact, would several minutes of rolling around in pain make him rethink his call? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/44 "2018-07-09T19:33:06Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Feel free to doubt it. But your single example is not evidence against my statement that faking used to be more acceptable in some leagues than others. > > It also looks to me like that was a genuinely dangerous tackle by Monzon, that would have taken Klinsmann out of play if he hadn’t jumped out of the way. I would agree that certain exemptions don’t make the rule, but Klinsmann is well known to be a diver, regardless of the fact that he is a German ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/45 "2018-07-09T20:07:59Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Maybe the rolling around part makes more sense in a post-VAR world, but if a ref doesn’t call a foul even from an obvious exaggeration of contact, would several minutes of rolling around in pain make him rethink his call? Rolling around in agony has never made any sense; that’s just the flair for the theatric some players have. It’s a performance for the audience, more than anything. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/46 "2018-07-09T20:12:41Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Rolling around in agony has never made any sense; that’s just the flair for the theatric some players have. It’s a performance for the audience, more than anything. Do members of the audience enjoy it? I don’t follow the sport, but based on responses here, it seems to be universally reviled. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/47 "2018-07-09T20:30:52Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > :dubious: > [Like that well known South American Jurgen Klinsmann against the innocent Northern Euro Pedro Monzon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaPZnPzmNPA) in the 1990 WC Final? Did he even touch him? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/48 "2018-07-09T20:43:20Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I don’t follow the sport, but based on responses here, it seems to be universally reviled. Well, it is and it isn’t. Your player doing it = bad, my player doing it = well, there’s a bit of moral flexibility there. There’s a fair amount of theatre in football, amplified at the very top. Goodies vs Baddies, and everyone disagreeing who is who etc ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/49 "2018-07-10T00:04:58Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Do members of the audience enjoy it? I don’t follow the sport, but based on responses here, it seems to be universally reviled. The home crowd in the stadium will eat it up, howl for a foul to be called. If you’re playing away, it REALLY fires up the traveling support. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/50 "2018-07-10T00:48:09Z")
ALso, getting fouled is quite painful if it is a knee in your quad or a tap to your lower shin. Even though you can get going again fairly quickly, right after contact it freaking hurts. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/51 "2018-07-10T01:05:14Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Ban slide tackling. Solves 95% of the problem right there. > > Why doesn’t this happen in women’s soccer? Do they just have more self-respect? > > “Soccer: where the women play like women, and the men play like girls.” Obligatory, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMWlptqmxqo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMWlptqmxqo) ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/52 "2018-07-10T01:41:00Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Rolling around in agony has never made any sense; that’s just the flair for the theatric some players have. It’s a performance for the audience, more than anything. I’ve never rolled more than once. NOW i’ve rolled back and forth a bit. Thats what you do when you’re actually hurt. When you rolled your ankle and you could hear the ligaments snapping. Knowing that in five minutes your ankle will be as big as your knee. Once saw a so-called pro grab his knee, his head, then his knee and then flop. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/53 "2018-07-10T14:10:47Z")
> [@Isosleepy](#): > > ALso, getting fouled is quite painful if it is a knee in your quad or a tap to your lower shin. Even though you can get going again fairly quickly, right after contact it freaking hurts. Not to mention the feeling in today’s very light soccer “boots” when someone steps right on top of your instep. The embellishment I hate is the attempt to convince someone you’ve been smashed in the face whenever any contact happens around the head. Even in the Colombia England game, when the Colombian player “head butts” the English player, it is the chin that gets hit, but to judge from the reaction, his whole face and skull got smashed. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/54 "2018-07-10T15:47:32Z")
Ironically, if they’re really injured…so injured their Cup may be over…they just lie there. ---
**Author:** ![hifijohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@hifijohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hifijohn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2018, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/55 "2018-07-10T18:16:39Z")
Its the nature of the game, most soccer games end in a tie or a one goal difference, so that penalty kick is very important, this gives great incentive to fake an injury.Limit the number of penalty kicks to just two per game per side or make the goal worth very little, 1/2 or 1/4 point. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/56 "2018-07-12T08:00:06Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Ban slide tackling. Solves 95% of the problem right there. > > Why doesn’t this happen in women’s soccer? Do they just have more self-respect? > > “Soccer: where the women play like women, and the men play like girls.” This is the #1 way to eliminate the problem. Some high profile coach needs to convince his players that after taking a hard foul, unless you are legit injured, you get right up and keep running. IMO that “You can’t hurt me” psychological edge can outdo any perceived edge you might get from rolling around on the pitch looking like a pussy trying to get a yellow or red card that probably won’t come anyway. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/57 "2018-07-12T14:46:30Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > This is the #1 way to eliminate the problem. Some high profile > coach needs to convince his players that after taking a hard foul, unless you are legit injured, you get right up and keep running. IMO that “You can’t hurt me” psychological edge can outdo any perceived edge you might get from rolling around on the pitch looking like a pussy trying to get a yellow or red card that probably won’t come anyway. > Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Uh, watch more soccer. 1. There are plenty of players who ride the foul and get on with it. 2. Getting kicked in the ankle HURTS. Getting your foot stepped on by cleats HURTS. Having your kneecap bang against something hard HURTS. You don’t easily just continue playing when that happens. Try it and find out. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339/58 "2018-07-17T21:06:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What proportion of goals are scored off of penalty shots, in high-end play? At this world cup, there were 169 goals, 22 of which were scored from the spot. That’s 13%. There were 29 penalties given, 22 of which were scored; that’s 75%. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/faking-injuries-in-soccer/817339.md?page=2)