Sport Today

I have never played soccer but I do appreciate what a fine game it is.
I have just finished watching Italy and Chile on TV and I have a question.
 Why is all that play acting allowed when ever a player is touched .Im sure
the players are not all whimps as it appears.
 I agree with the English commentetors when the said the game will lose as
many new fans as they gain during the World Cup with all this silly acting.
Carl Anderson
Richmond B.C.
Can.

Hello Carl:

Because simetimes it works, it is called diving to make it look like the
opponent did illegal contact to get a foul. So an opponent gets a
yellow, after that he must be careful, maybe that is enough of an
advantage to score.

Or a red card, so the opponent can play short 1 man, a big advantage. If
it is in the box a penaly kick would be awarded, so you get a chance to
score an easy goal

Richie.

So basically this results from the fact that refs tend to only call
fouls when someone actually hits the ground and so it's usually better
for a plyer to go down when fouled than try to play through it. I agree
the acting is way over done, but the refs do usually know this, know
that there was a foul in the first place, and only make the call based
on what they initially saw, not on how much a player rolls around on the
ground, since most refs were once players and know what it's about. Most
players haven't been refs, though (which I think is a shame), so they
continue to ham it up.

All this is IMHO.

--
Chris Hilton
http://www.jump.net/~dctank
ICQ#: 8190204

http://www.travelnotes.org/Football/

Yes, it works, but what was Rojas' deal.  I was amazed at the fast
healing he was able to create, stopping the game with excruciated
grimmaces when on the replay you could see that he was incidentally
tapped.  Unlike his goalkeeper who took a real shot to the knee that was
legitimately troublesome.

I was glad to see him get the yellow card for his showmanship late in
the game.

Shane

John

However, I had a problem this year with my strikers getting hacked in
the box then taking an off-balance, poorly struck shot because of their
tenacity.  While I respected them and their aggressiveness and will
brought us a second straight district title, I pointed out to them the
difference in percentage shots between what they were doing and a PK.

I still correct what I see as unsportsmanlike behavior, but if a
fullback is going to take down a striker from behind, he deserves the
penalty regardless of the amount of contact.  I just wish the players
would cut the antics.

Shane

   - Rich

Now I may be foolish and naive, as I seem to be the only person who
points this out, but sometimes when you get kicked it hurts.  Now that
may not be an excuse to fall to the ground and act like you've been
shot, but look at it this way: you're in pain and for a few moments
you can't run very well if at all.  Do you struggle on and keep
playing, handicapping your team because you're not able to run
properly, or do you go down, exaggerate the injury, get treatment, and
buy some time to recover?  Your choice.

Cheers,
Alan Douglas
Soccer Guy/

They have made our game a laughing stock, there is one episode
of the Simpsons where they refer to "The Pele Soccer and Acting
Summer Camp".

What does that tell you?

Players in real pain roll around even more than the tricksters to try
and say, I really am in pain. Then after they get a hand job from their
*friendly* physio, they're up and score a goal.

It's all a joke, although I think the referees have done a good job to
date in letting the games flow and not dealing out cards as if they were
in an Atlantic City ***.

The penalty decision was a little unjust, but that's football. England
fans still have to live will the cheating antics of Maradonna in Mexico.
Granted the second goal was genius, but that might never have come about
if he hadn't acted unfairly earlier.

Would we turn down a penalty if sicknote managed to flick a ball at
someone's hand? I don't think so ;-). But I am glad to say that our
players don't try to immitate Greg Louganis.

I remember watching Ardilles at Tottenham. An admirable player, but an
embaras***t everytime he approached the penality box. Players knew he
would dive, and probably gave him a little more room -- or made sure
that they hit him for real earlier. In such situations he was adept at
riding the tackles, skipping around players and generally staying on his
feet.

Anyone who try's for a penalty should be sent to the shower; including
aiming at hands.

http://SportToday.org/

Mostly that the people behind the Simpsons know nothing about soccer. I recall
one episode where they made fun of a soccer game coming to Springfield, that
all the players were foreigners with odd-sounding names, that the game was
boring, and I believe it ended in a riot in the stands from the boredom.

Chris Hilton

While I agree that diving and acting detract from the game, sending players
off with red cards seems like overkill as a solution. Maybe there should be
'orange cards' where the player is sent off the field and can't continue the
game, but a new player can come on as a substitution. Maybe the player
should miss the next game, maybe not.

I know no one will like this solution, so don't bother flaming me. :)

Chris Hilton

being a footballer myself, the bottom line is self respect. i do not
take fake dives simply because i would not respect whatever achievements
it might produce, including an easy point. im a firm believer in working
hard for my goals, and the rest of the football world needs to do the
same.

grapes