Football (Soccer) Etiquette

Posted on September 13, 2007
Filed Under Sports |

So if you have been following the FIFA Women’s World Cup than you are probably aware of the beating taken by Argentina at the hands of Germany, 11-0. Some internet outlets (who will remain nameless) have questioned if this is a reasonable result or is this just mean-spirited? That is to say that in the this sport there is an etiquette to be followed. A score of 3-0 is a convincing win, a score of 4-5 goals to nill is a dominant win, but 11-0? Is that not excessive?

So you say what about other sports, such as hockey particularly when medals are involved teams will use other teams as an example or “make a statement” to let others know this is what you are in for if you play us, or are you ready for this? How is this any different? If we were to talk about football (the sport where you get tackled, uh I mean, where you carry the ball, I mean the sport where you score by getting touchdowns) if a team was beaten badly 21-0 or more there is hardly any discussion about how that was mean to run-up the score. Except in the case of college football, and even then, news media certainly do not agree or take the side of the humiliated coach, that is just the way the sport goes.

As a matter of fact every sport that I can think of including individual sports like tennis where dominant players take care of lower ranked players in as little of 30 minutes with commercials to a score of 6-0, 6-0, indicate that this is acceptable sport behavior.

The problem is, I agree that the win over Argentina to the tune of 11 goals was poor soccer etiquette. What?! Before going any further, let me say I am not from Argentina and I like Germany and Argentina equally, in that they are both soccer powers and I would love to watch a great game with either of them or between them.

The problem here is that soccer is the most watched sport, the true definition of a team sport and certainly the cheapest-meaning that it is a sport that is not separated by class or race, where small countries or islands have a chance to at least be seen on an international stage. Soccer is the only sport where I and 25 or more people would be huddled together in a bar or coffee shop that is fortunate enough to carry ESPN (Thank you ESPN) to watch soccer at 3 in the morning. Where, you moan and complain about your team and why they didn’t do this or why they are not doing that, you take the taunting and scolding of others who root against your team, and at the end of the night or morning all is forgiven (except for a few English soccer fans), it is a good experience and maybe you have learned or imparted some of your so-called soccer knowledge on the others you were with or met.

For all of this, comes some responsibility, soccer like it or not is held to a higher standard, because the eyes of the world are on it, soccer needs to be played in a manner of true sportsmanship, I think that is one of the reasons why in soccer when a player is injured instead of continuing, the ball is played out, and what do the fans do? They clap, there is an etiquette, this is not in the rule book and in any other sport you would perhaps be thought crazy by the fans, but not here. Please understand, Germany is clearly a power this year and should not be demonized for there play or performance, they got the win and yes the argument could be made that you want the goal count in case of ties, but, a little soccer etiquette could have been exercised here.

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