If you’ve ever watched a game of soccer, you’ve probably shaken your head in disbelief at the amateur dramatics on show from some of the players.
After all, it’s super frustrating watching players try and con the referee into making a decision by being overly dramatic.
Therefore, you might be wondering why soccer players are so dramatic? What causes this strange part of the game? And is there anything referees can do to stop it? Let’s find out now.
So, why are soccer players so dramatic?
Soccer players are so dramatic to try and win their team a foul. By being dramatic, they draw the attention of the referee, who is more likely to award them a free-kick. Their opponent is also more likely to be given a card as a result. Let’s take a look at why soccer players are so dramatic in detail below.
The three main reasons for drama during soccer games
Soccer players are known for being dramatic. You regularly see players fall over and feign injury after almost zero contact with their opponent. And while this is frustrating, it’s part and parcel of the game that we love.
We’ve identified three main reasons why soccer players are so dramatic, and we introduce them below.
To win a foul
The primary reason why soccer players are so dramatic is to win a foul from the referee. You might have seen a player fall over after only the slightest contact from an opponent, which is undoubtedly infuriating!
They do this because they’re trying to convince the referee to award them a free kick or penalty, depending on where the “foul” is committed.
If a player doesn’t go to the ground after a small amount of contact, the referee is likely to signal that they should play on and might not award them a free-kick.
Although this is essentially deception, it’s a big part of the game and something that happens at all levels of the sport.
So, the primary reason for all the drama out on the soccer field is that a player is trying to win a foul, and they’re providing the referee with little choice but to award them the free kick or penalty that they want.
To persuade the referee to issue a card
After a player is touched by an opponent, they are sometimes so dramatic as to encourage the referee to issue their opponent with a yellow or red card.
As you might be aware, a referee is entitled to issue a player with a card if they believe them to have committed a serious foul.
A yellow card is essentially a caution and is issued for moderately dangerous fouls. A referee can only issue a red card for a serious infringement of the rules of the game, and it’s given as a result of dangerous play.
When a player is dramatic and rolls around on the pitch following a foul, it indicates to the referee that the foul was more serious than it actually was.
Therefore, they’re more likely to issue the offending player with a yellow or red card to mark the severity of the foul.
While some people believe this to be cheating, we must reiterate that it’s just part and parcel of the game. Soccer players all around the world try and make fouls seem worse than they are, and it often results in a player being unfairly given a yellow or red card.
To waste time
Another reason why some soccer players are so dramatic is to waste time. Toward the end of a match, and when a team is protecting a lead, time-wasting becomes an important tactic.
There are lots of ways to waste time on the soccer field, from pretending to be injured to conducting multiple substitutions in a short space of time.
So, in many instances, a player will act in a dramatic way following a challenge with an opponent in order to waste time. You might see them rolling around theatrically or clenching their leg on the turf as if they’ve been seriously injured!
But more often than not, this is just an attempt to get the referee to stop the watch, which relieves some of the pressure on the team’s defense as the clock runs down.
Even though the referee will add the time on at the end of the game, a player’s dramatics can be an effective way of wasting time and disrupting the flow of the game, which is why it’s such a popular tactic for some players and teams.
What happens if the referee doesn’t fall for all the drama?
Most referees are experienced, and they’ve seen it all before. While they will sometimes fall for a player’s dramatics, other times, they will be unmoved. If the referee doesn’t fall for the antics, they will simply encourage the other team to play on.
However, if a player falls to the floor and begins rolling around, most referees stop the game, just in case there is an injury.
This can be extremely frustrating for the opposition and spectators, but the referee needs to put the safety of the players ahead of anything else.
But if the referee realizes that he or she has been conned by a player, they can dish out some punishment, as we explain below.
How can the referee stop players from being so dramatic?
The easiest way for a referee to stop players from being so dramatic is to penalize them for simulation. In the rules of the game, simulation is an offense where a player tries to buy a foul when very little contact is made. It’s also called diving.
When a referee sees a player simulate, they’re required to issue them with a yellow card as punishment. Two yellow cards equal a red, so once a player has been cautioned, they’re not likely to repeat their dramatic behavior.
Referees can also issue yellow cards for time-wasting, so if a player has been legitimately fouled but then proceeds to roll around for several minutes, the referee is perfectly entitled to caution them.
Ultimately, there’s not a great deal that referees can do to prevent a player from being dramatic, but they can caution them after the fact, which often serves as a deterrent and prevents other players from taking advantage during the same game.
Recap: Why are soccer players so dramatic?
To fans of other sports like the NFL and NHL, where contact is a big part of the game, there’s no doubt that watching a soccer player roll around on the floor is frustrating. But drama is a big part of the soccer experience!
Soccer players are dramatic to win a foul, get their opponents a card, or to waste time. And as frustrating as it is, it’s part and parcel of the beautiful game, and there’s not a great deal we can do to change it.