Soccer 101: Why is that Guy Rolling on the Ground?

Without out a doubt, the most common criticism Jim Bobs everywhere have of soccer is the players just seem so wimpy. To the novice, soccer appears to have a slow speed and little physical contact. So when a player hits the deck, writhing in agony as if he'll need his leg amputated from a seemingly innocuous challenge, people used to watching men the size of household appliances crashing into each other in full body armor are less than impressed. Add to this the fact that many of these displays are in fact fake and the people in question are left with a less than endearing impression.

SOCCER'S (BAD) ACTING

The situation: A fast paced player (perhaps a winger?) is weaving in and out of defenders down the field. His feet are like lightening and his vision seems ingenious. Then, just as he's reaching the top of the penalty box, the ball gets away from him and he crumples against a solid challenge from a defender. After three flamboyant rolls, he is left clutching his knee or his ankle or his back or his face, wincing in agony as if he is about to pass a paperweight-sized kidney stone. Is he bleeding? Does he need medical attention? Is he going to die?! Clearly, a foul has been committed.

But the referee is unimpressed and dismisses the situation with a frown and a wave or even a wry smile and a wagging finger. The player may stay crumpled on the ground for a bit, but eventually he gets up and continues playing, back to fine health. And no one says another word about it.

So why did he go out of his way to fake an injury? The answer is simple, but the reasoning is a little harder to understand. The player is trying to draw a foul and give his team some sort of advantage.

Players draw fouls because they want to influence the referee's decisions and they know they can get away with it. Soccer can be an incredibly dangerous game with players experiencing compound fractures and concussions. On top of this, the real-time, fast-paced nature of soccer means that referees are often yards behind players (who can be as much as half their age) when calls need to be made. So when a player is fouled (or not), the referee may not always be in the best position to make the correct call, so he must make an educated guess.

The catch? Intentionally faking a foul (or simulating) is against the rules and punishable by a yellow card. But in a game where infractions can take place in the blink of the eye and yards away from any official, how are the referees to know which are real and which are faked? As a result, players are only called for simulation when it is particularly obvious, often in the box. However, more often than not, players get away with it. A problem? Yes. But the best referees can minimize its impact.

Tomorrow on Soccer 101: The Fans