Time To Abandon "Sportingly" Kicking The Ball Out Of Play, Methinks.

I've posted this thread on another site and it got an unqualified thumbs up. What do you all think, on here:


Is it just me or do others find it tiresome when games are arbitrarily stopped by a player kicking the ball out of play so an opposition player can get treatment for an "injury"...?

We all know the scenario. Player for blue team goes to ground, convulsing in agony as if he's been run over by a bus, but the referee calls play on. Red team go on the attack and get themselves into a promising position, but amidst much arm waving and whistling by blue players and fans, red feel obliged to put the ball out of play, thus losing any chance of scoring.

When the game restarts, blue "sportingly" give red the ball back by kicking it all the way back to their goalkeeper.

It's gotten to the point where I think this so-called "sportsmanship" is now being exploited as a tactic by teams. Supporters are latching onto it too, and whistling vehemently to put pressure on opponents to stop the game

This is starting to tick me off. Very seldom is the "injured" player really hurt.... mostly he is conspicuously feigning his injury, but by his play acting (or as I call it, cheating) he has succeeded in preventing the opposition from gaining a fair advantage.

In my opinion, if the referee hasn't stopped the game, then the opposition should be under no obligation whatsoever to put the ball out of play. If the blue player can roll around, screaming in agony, then he's obviously breathing and conscious. He'll live long enough for the ball to go out of play in the normal course. Then the physio can come on and rub it better for him.

If I were the manager of any team, I would announce to the opposition before the kick off that my team are under strict instructions not to, under any circumstances, stop play for treatment..... and I would expect the opposition to do likewise. Any drop balls that come about as a result of them stopping play will be contested, and we won't throw the ball back to them either. It's up to the referee to stop the game. Not us.

In my opinion, this bogus nonsense has gone on long enough and if one team made it pretty clear that they were going to keep playing regardless, I think we'd see a lot less of players feigning injury.


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The opposition is under no obligation to kick the ball out unless the referee has stopped the game. Those are the official rules.

The real problem is if somebody is genuinely hurt, the other team could be heavily criticised if they didn't kick the ball out.

Yep I agree, unless they're dead in which case it doesn't matter whether you carry on or not then they should be able to get off the pitch themselves should they require treatment.

And before anyone mentions Muamba I'm having him as the exception which proves the rule.

i was not shocked to hear that howard webb hadnt given a single booking in the first game he officiated.

i commented on another thread about hos disgusting the feigning of injuries is and also showed my support to ireland who played on in the their game against croatia after a player went down supposedly injured.

im all in favour of playing on, even if its an englishmen down. it will improve the game!

Crimey wrote:The opposition is under no obligation to kick the ball out unless the referee has stopped the game. Those are the official rules.

The real problem is if somebody is genuinely hurt, the other team could be heavily criticised if they didn't kick the ball out.

So criticise. I'll live with that.

A genuinely serious injury, such as a break or a player unconscious would be immediately visible to all nearby and the referee would intervene, but players clutching legs and howling aren't usually really hurt.

Another way would be to introduce Health and Safety rules into football, requiring any player for whom the game is stopped, to have a minimum five minutes..... longer if necessary..... recovery time on the touchline. It's for his own good, if he's that badly hurt. That's another way to stop feigning of injury.

I'm just fed up with this nonsense that is going on in matches. Players who are clearly not injured are getting away with depriving opponents of fair opportunities and then expect to be applauded for "giving the ball back" by returning it to the goalkeeper.


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This is the problem feigning injuries and play acting is causing. How do we know if someone is genuinely injured. Its very annoying because often they kick it out and the player get's up and starts shouting at everyone.

martyr_94 wrote:This is the problem feigning injuries and play acting is causing. How do we know if someone is genuinely injured. Its very annoying because often they kick it out and the player get's up and starts shouting at everyone.

As I said in my OP, Martyr... anybody screaming and writhing is obviously breathing and conscious. He'll live until the game stops in its normal course. All he has to do is keep still rather than rolling about (which is likely to aggravate any genuine injury).


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Crimey wrote:The opposition is under no obligation to kick the ball out unless the referee has stopped the game. Those are the official rules.

The real problem is if somebody is genuinely hurt, the other team could be heavily criticised if they didn't kick the ball out.

The player who made the tackle should know how bad it is they can call for to be played out or not

marty2086 wrote:

Crimey wrote:The opposition is under no obligation to kick the ball out unless the referee has stopped the game. Those are the official rules.

The real problem is if somebody is genuinely hurt, the other team could be heavily criticised if they didn't kick the ball out.

The player who made the tackle should know how bad it is they can call for to be played out or not

Not necessarily, especially if it's a dodgy landing.

Crimey wrote:

marty2086 wrote:

Crimey wrote:The opposition is under no obligation to kick the ball out unless the referee has stopped the game. Those are the official rules.

The real problem is if somebody is genuinely hurt, the other team could be heavily criticised if they didn't kick the ball out.

The player who made the tackle should know how bad it is they can call for to be played out or not

Not necessarily, especially if it's a dodgy landing.

If its a dodgy landing theyll know better than most in general though players go down too easy and cant take the punishment that many other sportsmen and women take

In rugby they usually just play on, even with medics on the pitch. No need to stop the game, it's becoming very tedious.

Agreed.

If it is a really nasty injury , in a dangerous place on the pitch , then fair enough - but then the ref will stop play anyway ...

So it really is just a "gentlemanly" thing to do , which sadly can be exploited , and , as Jennifer says , has had its day.

Play on !

I think you'd find as well that if teams did just carry on regardless then those that were feigning injury would miraculously recover a lot quicker as their actions would then be fruitless so the real injuries would be apparent straight away.

Bit sad when we're advocating an end to gentlemanly behaviour, but I guess thats the way society is heading.

Teams are under no obligation to kick it out now anyway

Graeme Swann's Cat wrote:Teams are under no obligation to kick it out now anyway

Exactly! The rule is to not to do anything until the referee blows his whistle and stops the game, it is literally just sporting to do it.

I think people are oversimplifying whether or not people are actually injured or not, it might not be immediately noticeable and you risk causing further damage if the team isn't sporting. If the player doesn't realise, and we the viewers don't recognise that the player is actually injured, the referee might not either.

It's a fair question.

In English leagues it's pretty much a given that the ball is kicked out.Which I think is the right and proper thing to do.
Agreed players sometimes feign injury, but a players safety must always be paramount.

That said, it is frustrating when a player goes down clutching his face , rolls around on the floor only for the tv replays to reveal he's hardly been touched !

Interesting point about the Rugby though Diggers, as they just run on and attend an injured player, although am not sure it would work for football (given it's more fluid nature).Mind you, they play by a different code and if a player stays down it's for a genuine reason.

Totally agree, footballers are the softest sportsman on the planet. It is absolutely impossible that anymore than 5% of these 'injuries' are real. Almost all I see, drogba etc are swinging the lead.
If a player is genuinely hurt it is obvious, just as it is with a child. they don't move or roll around.

Get rid of this silly custom, stop play acting and pulling well practiced anguished expressions and get on with the game.