Quote:
Originally Posted by blaise
I know it's a cardable offfense, but it seems to me that some of the players relish in their ability to draw penalties for flopping. And I've heard quite a few soccer analysts over the the last few weeks address it as, "Well it's just part of the game, some teams are do it more than others." As an observer, my opinion is that some countries and players make a concerted effort to gain advantages by flopping.
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A few things;
First off, players 'using it to seek advantage' is far different from anyone celebrating it. Seeking an advantage, fair or unfair, is integral to sports. Don't know that flopping is worse than steroids or stickum. If only Herm Edwards had something witty to say about why you play the game.
Second, and this goes to falling, not flopping, but there's a lightness on your feet that you develop a sense for that protects you from injury by having a plant foot struck, but also makes you more susceptible to falling from slight touches. Basically you trade off falling over easily to avoid serious bone/ligament injury.
That said, I'm someone who's been knocked down innumerable times on the pitch and never flopped. I've complained, but only after getting back to my feet. Now, I've never been seriously hurt, so I don't have that in the back of my mind, but as someone who's had many hard fouls not called, I'm as anti-flopping as they come. I support cracking down, but you have to have solid evidence from the referee's eyes. I don't support video review unless it's just for egregious cases AFTER the match. But even then you're injecting subjectivity [is it obviousness, the amount of mugging, the stakes of the situation, the history of the player, why did that guy get away with it and I didn't, seriously it was just a quick bout of cramping, etc., etc.].