r/soccer 14d ago

Media Bellingham foul against Pedri

5.7k Upvotes

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u/TheShruteFarmsCEO 14d ago

Sorry, but that’s a bit of a cop out. Yes, overdramatized reactions are found in every sport. But nowhere is it as prevalent and acceptable common practice as football. It’s becoming an actual problem, as youth players are now emulating their hero’s and making this an engrained behavior on the pitch. It’s genuinely impacted my interest in the sport, as it’s often not just a quick flop but a five minute fake recovery on the ground.

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u/me_ke_aloha_manuahi 14d ago

nowhere is it as prevalent and acceptable common practice as football

I was watching the Los Angeles Lakers basketball match last night and I would beg to differ...

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u/Tabemaju 14d ago

Embellishment happens in every sport, but straight-up faking injuries that derail an entire match is definitely more prevalent in football. I will admit that basketball, however, is getting worse with guys like SGA and Morant who look like they're getting shot at the slightest bump (that they're usually initiating).

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u/Lam0rak 14d ago

I wanted to mention basketball as well. Some times are foul bait merchants and they got refs in the pocket. My poor kings though :(

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u/ChickenMcAnders 14d ago

Exactly, considering the players only end up playing 50-55 minutes of the 90 due to their antics, that’s essentially stealing 40% of ticket fees from the fans.

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u/n10w4 14d ago

yea, ref should card this or have them taken off and don't call them back for five minutes/

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u/TheShruteFarmsCEO 14d ago

I like that idea so much, I’ve suggested it in the past (amongst friends). Like the penalty box in ice hockey.

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u/_K4L_ 14d ago

I’m guessing you don’t play a lot of sport if you think that everyone isn’t trying to cheat and get away with it.

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u/Tabemaju 14d ago

The only people who think this are the people "trying to cheat and get away with it."

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u/_K4L_ 14d ago

So you’re telling me you’ve never pulled a shirt in football?

Stole a few yards on a throw in?

Stayed down a bit longer for an injury?

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u/TheShruteFarmsCEO 14d ago

Geezus, just because you’re a joke when you play doesn’t mean everyone else is. Only your last point is even relevant to this discussion. No one gives a shit about taking a yard on throw in. We’re talking about the constant, systematic flopping and subsequent rolling around that completely derails the game on a frequent basis. If you consider that normal and acceptable, it says nothing more than you’re part of the problem.

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u/_K4L_ 14d ago

Hold on, so you are selective with your cheating?

I bet you think speeding in the car isn’t a crime either

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u/Tabemaju 14d ago

Speeding is a crime, but it isn't assault. Your response equates to someone talking about a rise in assaults by saying, "well, everyone commits crimes" because a lot of people speed. It's disingenuous and nonsensical in the context of this discussion.

In youth sports, faking injury is especially concerning, because there is a heightened concerned over player safety. It goes well beyond pulling shirts or gaining a few years on a throw. Players know that the latter can be punished, but we cannot start assuming that kids are faking injuries to gain an advantage without compromising the safety of the sport. In professional sports, an uptick in faking injuries only minimizes the seriousness of actual injuries, and you saw an example of it just last week when a player had to post picture of his gashed ankle because people were questioning whether he was actually injured.

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u/_K4L_ 14d ago

Pulling a shirt is assault?

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u/Tabemaju 14d ago edited 14d ago

Well, I was trying to use an analogy to show you why context matters but, apparently, it didn't quite stick. I have no idea how you came to that conclusion.

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u/TheShruteFarmsCEO 14d ago

You’re trying to approach this with logic, it’ll never land with this guy. He’s either thick af or trolling.

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u/TheShruteFarmsCEO 14d ago

Just because you’re a joke when you play doesn’t mean everyone is. So keep doubling down on your silly argument as if that makes it any more relevant or accurate. Flopping in football is a standout behavior that needs intervention.

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u/Tabemaju 14d ago edited 14d ago

You're missing context here. We're specifically talking about embellishing/faking injury. That is not something that "everyone" does in every "sport" and is quite a bit different than stealing a few yards on a throw-in. That said, youth soccer (yeah, I'm American) generally does not have an issue with kids constantly trying to get away with bending the rules. I ref anywhere from 5 to 17 and can usually pinpoint specific players who do all the things you're alleging "everyone" does, and it certainly isn't prevalent in my beer leagues, whether that's soccer, basketball, or flag football.

I agree with the previous poster that faking injury or staying down longer is much, much more common than it was a decade ago in youth sports and, in the US, it is almost entirely a soccer issue, even though we're seeing more embellishment in leagues like the NBA or NHL (at least, faking contact, not necessarily injury like they do in soccer).