[lithos]

You can use your hands in soccer, even if you're not the goalie.

Just ask anyone from the 1986 England World Cup team.

[Jasvox]

It seems to me that any game that you can't use your hands, except the gollie, lacks something. Is there any other sport you can not use your hands? Just wondering.
A

You use your hands playing soccer, you're just not allowed to touch the ball with them. As far as using them to pull, push, leverage off others when jumping, etc ...they are used almost continuously.

Jason

[mel]

As a 35-year player of the beautiful game, I should probably just keep my mouth shut. But I can't. I've played pretty much every position, and am currently a goal-keeper. As an attacker, going full-tilt down the field after the ball, getting tripped up by a defender, one does tend to fly through the air a bit. Or when a defender slides into your ankle cleats up. Yeah that hurts. No padding worn there really. Or going up to head the ball and collide with another player un-helmeted head to un-helmeted head. Yeah ouch. I have a teammate that did that in college, collided with another player, and when she landed her jersey was covered with blood and her nose was laying sideways against her cheek. Yep, she's a pansy.

Or hey, now as a goalkeeper, sliding into a sea of kicking legs to stop and take possession of the ball, no protection to my head, face, neck, back, nothing. I don't know how many goals I've stopped with my face, from a shot a couple feet in front of me coming too fast to get my hands up in time.

Personally, part of the beauty of the game is the amazing control of the ball these players have with their feet. Before criticizing, perhaps see how many times you can juggle a ball with your foot and not let it touch the ground. It's harder than it looks.

[Bramela]

It seems to me it comes down to, "Each to his own likes and dislikes in sport".

I have watched many soccer games, and yes, some are downright boring, whilst others are totally captivating.

I played soccer for many years as both defender and goalkeeper and be assured it is no game for your so called pansies.

But I must agree, the swandives and acting by some of these prima donnas is absolutely ruining a great game.

Our Aussie team was put out of the last World Cup by a piece of such acting by an Italian player. Sometime later he admitted his actions.

[Parallax]

It seems to me it comes down to, "Each to his own likes and dislikes in sport".

That's the absolute truth. They all require a great deal of skill; but as for the likes/dislikes; I haven't spent 20 minutes total in the last 20 years watching ANY sport that involved a team and a ball. I would rather eat a barbed wire sandwich while litening to disco than watch baseball, basketball, football or soccer.

[Peter Zack]

I knew my choice of words would get a few "defenders of the faith", going. Mostly because they didn't quite read the post. Just saw the word "pansy" and fired off a response.

But if noticed in my posts, I was commenting on when one player fakes being injured. There was close but no actual contact. Sure running at full speed and colliding with another, also at full speed could go as far as a career ending injury.

As has been stated many times, when these theatrics happen and they happen every 2-3 minutes, it slows the flow and diminishes the game. I'm surprised that FIFA, who seems to have complete control over all this, has allowed this to continue. In most other sports, certainly Hockey and NA Football, it's a significant penalty.

[mel]

I knew my choice of words would get a few "defenders of the faith", going. Mostly because they didn't quite read the post. Just saw the word "pansy" and fired off a response.

But if noticed in my posts, I was commenting on when one player fakes being injured. There was close but no actual contact. Sure running at full speed and colliding with another, also at full speed could go as far as a career ending injury.

As has been stated many times, when these theatrics happen and they happen every 2-3 minutes, it slows the flow and diminishes the game. I'm surprised that FIFA, who seems to have complete control over all this, has allowed this to continue. In most other sports, certainly Hockey and NA Football, it's a significant penalty.

It is a penalty. Sort of. A cardable offense actually. it's just a really tough call to make. You have to be certain, then by the time you are the play has moved on. interrupting the flow of the game by the ref is a no-no.

[Bramela]

Peter, I agree with your use of "Pansy" in some cases. I also will go with my "Prima Donna" description.
Whatever one cares to call them, I think they are a blot on the game.

Jim.. good for you, but I don't know about the barbed wired sandwich.

Call baseball boring, take a look at cricket and the behaviour there, my pet hate cricket and mostly the Aussie cricket team. When ever they lose a match the whinging and whining is deafening.
Now THERE is a bunch of prima donnas if ever I've seen one.

[Peter Zack]

I haven't got a clue about Cricket. We can't see it on TV here and I don't understand the rules. Unusual game. Baseball is a good game but can be like watching paint dry at times. It's a perfect game for radio and I liked listening to it while doing something else.

Mel, they could fix that in a second. Since it's so hard to score, allow the ref to judge a real incident vs a fake one and award a penalty kick. A yellow card is a joke. Guys would be bleeding before they screamed in pain.

[mel]

, allow the ref to judge a real incident vs a fake one and award a penalty kick.

I don't understand what you mean here. I reffed for a number of years but I can't seem to locate my most recent FIFA rulebook. The ref has a split second to make the call: Foul or no foul. A lot of players will dive to try to convince the ref there's a foul. What you see is often determined by the angle. And the rule is, if you don't see it, you can't call it.

Case in point: Once I was reffing a U19 boys game. The ball was coming at a player at chest level. I was in the perfect position to see the action. The player's hands came up, but right at the moment of contact, another player stepped between me and the action. I could assume the player hit the ball with his hands, but I didn't actually see it. What if I had made the call and his hands were to the side and the ball hit his chest? That call still burns me but there's nothing I could have done. I did not see it.

With diving, the ref has to decide foul or no foul. If it's no foul, play goes on. Eventually the diver learns the ref won't fall for it and they get back to playing as diving wastes a lot of playing time.

[lithos]

Baseball is a good game

US sports are some of the most boring around. There's a reason no one else plays them. Well, except Canada, Japan and, um, Cuba.

Gridiron involves pausing the game every five seconds so the coach can tell the players what to do - apparently, those helmets prevent proper brain function or something. Baseball has less action per minute than cricket.

Cricket's good. You can play it on a beach, or, failing that, street.

[Peter Zack]

Mel, that's true in any sport. Ref's will miss calls all the time and it's part of the game. But what I'm trying to say is, If the ref see's the play and decides that the collision is fake, then he awards the offending team a penalty shot. Not a free kick. If it's that hard to see what's going on, then they need more ref's. NA football added them years ago and Hockey did a few years ago as well. For this to happen though, FIFA would have to change how the ref's call the game. Be much tougher on the drama that ensues when 2 players come close to each other.

What would happen is, players would rather limp up the field before grabbing their angles and rolling around unless they can't stand up. Play would move faster and be far fewer stoppages.

See, my problem is I compare this to Hockey. They are identical sports in many ways. Hockey, like Soccer has international appeal, unlike Baseball, Basketball and NA Football.

The huge difference is speed and playing surface. A Hockey rink is much smaller and the players move at 4x the speed. Body contact is also part of the game. Players take hits and keep playing. But the concept is basically the same. Goals at each end, 5 players aside that constantly pass the puck, offside rules etc.

Having a 100Kg guy at full speed (upwards of 40KPH the fastest recorded skater was 52 KPH (about 31MPH)) body check you into the boards is a really violent collision and defense men particularly might have this happen 20-30 times in a game. They rarely get carried of the ice. The gear (other than the helmet and shoulder pads) really don't protect you from injury. Hockey gear doesn't cover that much and is mostly designed to protect against getting hit by the puck.

So I when I see these guys go down in a heap when they weren't even touched or minor taps at best, I just have to eyes.

Lithos, that's not actually true. The coach does call in plays but the break between each play is normally called by the QB. Coaches can call in plays via a helmet microphone or hand signals. The QB assembles the players to explain what they are about to do. It's actually one of the most complex games in terms of play designs. Everything is placement and timing. Each player has a specific assignment and they all have to practice this to get it right. Sure the game stops a lot. But to fans, this isn't an issue.

To your point though, I had a VCR that would advance 30 seconds at the touch of a button. If you hit the button at the end of each play, you could watch the game in 12-13 minutes. Each break between plays is 45 seconds.

I'm watching the Netherlands vs Denmark game at the moment. Just now a guy was running for the ball and his opponent out played him. He slid on the grass and laid there for 10 seconds rolling around and grabbing his angle. Hoping for a free kick or card I assume. The ref was right there and awarded the free kick. The replay clearly showed the players never made contact and the guy just lost his footing. I mean give me a break.

[seacapt]

The officials need to stop the game , watch the replay on their smart phones , check what the fans are saying on twitter, text uncle Lou who is watching the game at home on the big screen and then make a decission. If the alledgedly injured player is faking he should be awarded a penalty kick to the testicals. Problem solved!

[mel]

But what I'm trying to say is, If the ref see's the play and decides that the collision is fake, then he awards the offending team a penalty shot. Not a free kick.

That would involve lotso re-writing of rules as at the time, only fouls inside the defending goal penalty area by the defending team are awarded PKs. The kick is given where the foul takes place. So you would propose moving the play potentially to the even the other end of the field for the PK? Hmmm. I saw a play on day one (don't remember the teams) they showed it again and again, where a player slid into the ankle of another, cleats up, then came around and nailed the guy in the calf with the other foot. There was no call on that one. Amazing.

The worst hit in soccer I ever took was in indoor. I was keeper and I came out to clear the ball up, got hit from behind AFTER kicking, went headfirst into the boards (no helmet). Lovely concussion. While convelescing I was playing around with some self portraits and snapped the one that is my avatar. It's all BW high contrast like that because it made it easier to erase out the two shiners I had from the collision with the wall. Oh and no call was made on that one either. Ref said he didn't see it.

Exactly what does this thread have to do with politics and religion, etc? Peter needs some infractions for screwing up a good P&R forum with sports. Isn't that what GT is for after all?