If a butterfly flaps its wings does it send a hurricane barreling across the Atlantic? No, but it is sure to cause a crippling injury to a professional soccer player for about 15 seconds. Flopping has become an essential skill for a professional soccer player, but it hasn't always been that way. In the last world cup (back when the US was in it) native Texan Clint Dempsey took a shin to the face, which restructured his nose. he didn't roll around like he was a gymnast on a tumbling mat he just lay down and let the medical crew come to him.
Next game, he was part of the starting 11. I would have liked to have seen him play through the injury, but I understand why he didn't. I hate to say that players are becoming weaker, but it appears that way. Athletes used to be able to shoulder up with an opponent and play on, but gaining the advantage through officiating has become the new norm in sports.
In 2006 the Dallas Mavericks made the NBA finals for their first time ever. Dirk Nowitzki lead his Dallas team against Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat. The Mavericks were the fourth seed in the west and third best team in the league while the Heat west the second seed in the east and fifth best in the league. The Mavs went up 2-0 in the first two games, but something happened and the Mavs dropped four straight to lose. That something was the marriage of Dwayne Wade and the free throw line. And so begins the history of the NBA and taking advantage of officiating.
So soccer and basketball players like to take advantage of officials. Big deal. Well it is. The referees are neutral parties they should be left neutral. This isn't a keep away drill where the team in possession gets a man advantage. It takes away from the team and focuses attention on individual efforts. If your star can draw a foul why pass and break down defenses? Free kicks and free throws are as their names imply free point opportunities.
But football and hockey players don't seem to do this as much. That is because they are not given fouls they earn them. You have to really deck someone in hockey or football to receive a penalty. That is because they are expected to be tough physical players, and in hockey, if a nasty foul is committed the player will face the enforcer on the other team who will drop gloves and give them a concussion while they are still wearing a helmet. Wonder why so many of them are missing teeth.
Basketball and soccer players do not wear pads and they play non-contact sports so they should draw attention to fouls.
False. They are most definitely contact sports. Bodying someone off a ball is an art. To apply the right amount of contact and leverage to force your way goal side is tough. It is part of what makes both of these sports special. Physicality mixed with grace.
It does give me hope when I see players like Dirk Nowitzki play with a torn ligament in his finger and through the flu to beat the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA finals rematch that players still control their own destiny. And during the Iceland Croatia world cup match Bjarnason take an elbow to the face and finishes the match.Players like this realize rolling around on the ground takes the player out of play if the call is not made. It is a risk players should not take if they care about maintaining defensive poise they would not flop.
Those players are the minority though and a change would require a total culture shift.
It used to not be like this. In the 2014 world cup Mexico played the Netherlands. The Dutch had the ball in Mexico's 18 and the player flopped and earned a penalty kick, which sent them to the next round. In order for both soccer and basketball to shake their negative stereotypes the officials must enforce the rules more vigorously.
