Soccer used to be a brutal/violent sport too.

[Kaka]

For those of you that don't know much about the game, and think its all "diving" because of the modern game and its rules.

Let me give you a little background on soccer.

Some of the few superstars we knew before Pele were Di Stefano and Puskas, these were highly skilled players, yes they got brutally beat every other game, they didn't wear shinguards also, we had a lot more injuries.

Pele at one point didn't want to play the game anymore, he would get hit over and over in every game to the point where he was depending on pills because of the pain.

It wasn't until Spain 82 (world cup) that FIFA decided to do something about the brutality of the game. Maradona and Jorge Gonzalez were the stars on that world cup, and they got beat so bad that they didn't shine as much as they were supposed to.

FIFA started reviewing these tackles and putting a lot more regulations into the game, to make it safer for skilled players.

Maradona won the next world cup in Mexico, his skill was too much for defenders that were only looking to break his legs and were not able to do it anymore.

What now you see as a "diving" fest, used to be a brutal game, but it had to be changed due to the brutality of the injuries.

When players such as Maradona and Pele missed 6 months, people started realizing something was wrong with the game...

I know, diving has gone too far right now in soccer, but FIFA is also looking at fixing the problem, but the game is safer and that is a good thing.

We all like to be though men that wont admit pain but at the end of the day, a rehab of 6 months is not really something you want to brag about.

I have been in long rehabs and I am all for people making sports much more safer, and yes I decided to write this due to the NFL and NCAA new rules on tackles that have been discussed on these board.

One thing I find interesting in baseball, not much contact, still a good sport.

[pantera17]

Hey my man so did football. I watched a game from 1985 last night. The dolphins vs the broncos. And it wowed me.

[I Bleed Garnet]

Hockey players are the toughest and craziest.

That's really all I have to add.

[robgusc76]

You trust FIFA? The most corrupt governing body in the world of sports?

[Kaka]

Originally Posted by robgusc76

You trust FIFA? The most corrupt governing body in the world of sports?

FIFA may be corrupt when it comes to money, but the safety of the players is the most important in these cases.

I think modern sports should be that... "modern" sports.

If you want violent and brutality, that is why we have "combat" sports such as MMA, Wrestling, Boxing, Kick-Boxing or whatever.

One of the reasons I don't watch hockey is because of the same violence... "modern" sports should go along with "modern" people.

Anyway, I will lie if I tell you I don't enjoy watching UFC but I try not too... again, thinking of the word "modern."

Once you hear those stories about people having brain damages because of the beating they take... that is just dumb to me, no reason for that.

[markymark550]

Originally Posted by robgusc76

You trust FIFA? The most corrupt governing body in the world of sports?

FIFA's more corrupt than the IOC? I find that hard to believe, but if so, damn...

[Schecter]

Soccer?

[StretfordEnd]

FIFA is more corrupt than the mob.

[sandstorm2001]

I think the main concern on the board is that these types of rules are often poorly and unevenly enforced, and ejecting a player on a judgement call is pretty ridiculous. I just think of the Arkansas game last year where they had the bad helmet to helmet call all DJ. He would have been ejected for that perfectly legal hit because the ref misread it. Then he wouldn't have gotten the pick 6 on the next play.

Not that any of this has to do with your hard on for soccer.

If you watch football games from back in the day players used to kick each other and all kinds of crazy stuff.

[Kaka]

Originally Posted by sandstorm2001

I think the main concern on the board is that these types of rules are often poorly and unevenly enforced, and ejecting a player on a judgement call is pretty ridiculous. I just think of the Arkansas game last year where they had the bad helmet to helmet call all DJ. He would have been ejected for that perfectly legal hit because the ref misread it. Then he wouldn't have gotten the pick 6 on the next play.

Not that any of this has to do with your hard on for soccer.

If you watch football games from back in the day players used to kick each other and all kinds of crazy stuff.

the ref are going to make mistakes, there is no doubt about that, we haven't even invent perfect machines yet.

but if those mistakes are going to prevent players from being out of the field for 6 months or a year, ill rather take the ref mistake.

most of us that play sports know how hard it is to come back from a bad injury.

no being able to play is just tough for athletes, sp when they have so much to offer to the game.

think of Lattimore... who knows if he will ever be the same beast he used to be.

[Metalrush24]

Originally Posted by Kaka

the ref are going to make mistakes, there is no doubt about that, we haven't even invent perfect machines yet.

but if those mistakes are going to prevent players from being out of the field for 6 months or a year, ill rather take the ref mistake.

most of us that play sports know how hard it is to come back from a bad injury.

no being able to play is just tough for athletes, sp when they have so much to offer to the game.

think of Lattimore... who knows if he will ever be the same beast he used to be.

You're going to have injuries regardless of trying to regulate physical contact.. if that weren't the case then track stars would never become injured. Does that mean player safety should come last? No, but it's unrealistic to expect to remove the physicality of a sport and expect people to remain enamored and the athletes impervious to injury.

[Kaka]

Originally Posted by Metalrush24

You're going to have injuries regardless of trying to regulate physical contact.. if that weren't the case then track stars would never become injured. Does that mean player safety should come last? No, but it's unrealistic to expect to remove the physicality of a sport and expect people to remain enamored and the athletes impervious to injury.

I think its more of a mathematical answer.

Can we prevent bad injuries from happening? No

Can we reduce bad injuries? Yes

[Metalrush24]

Originally Posted by Kaka

I think its more of a mathematical answer.

Cant we prevent bad injuries from happening? No

Can we reduce bad injuries? Yes

I can go with that. The answer to the problem is 1. Enforce the same rules through the entire sport at all levels(youth to pro) and 2. Develop safer equipment. IMO the safer equipment is the most workable solution at the moment considering that it basically takes a generation to try and coach out poor/dangerous techniques. Enforcing extreme rules will potentially help in some instances, but the disparity in calls around the sport will make it extremely difficult for the athletes to actually learn that what they did was wrong.

[Kaka]

Originally Posted by Metalrush24

I can go with that. The answer to the problem is 1. Enforce the same rules through the entire sport at all levels(youth to pro) and 2. Develop safer equipment. IMO the safer equipment is the most workable solution at the moment considering that it basically takes a generation to try and coach out poor/dangerous techniques. Enforcing extreme rules will potentially help in some instances, but the disparity in calls around the sport will make it extremely difficult for the athletes to actually learn that what they did was wrong.

In answer to what you said.

This past week, we had a huge incident in soccer.

A Manchester United player got a "terrible" red card for a play against a Madrid player.

Yes, the call was harsh, he "had no intention" of hurting.

The reality is, the Manchester player had his studs up, and his foot high, those are metal studs, could you imagine what will happen if for any reason he gets the other player in the eye?

Think about you getting hit in the eye with metal studs...

Some calls may be "harsh" but if that would prevent some players from bad injuries and will tell other players to be more careful when it comes to tackling, I am all for it.

Like you say, another thing that would help a lot is teaching the kids how to properly tackle... tackling in every sport is a technique, but of course some people are just not good at it and they use excessive force which is easier to do but can have bad consequences...

[sandstorm2001]

Originally Posted by Kaka

In answer to what you said.

This past week, we had a huge incident in soccer.

A Manchester United player got a "terrible" red card for a play against a Madrid player.

Yes, the call was harsh, he "had no intention" of hurting.

The reality is, the Manchester player had his studs up, and his foot high, those are metal studs, could you imagine what will happen if for any reason he gets the other player in the eye?

Think about you getting hit in the eye with metal studs...

Some calls may be "harsh" but if that would prevent some players from bad injuries and will tell other players to be more careful when it comes to tackling, I am all for it.

Like you say, another thing that would help a lot is teaching the kids how to properly tackle... tackling in every sport is a technique, but of course some people are just not good at it and they use excessive force which is easier to do but can have bad consequences...

That's not the best comparison. Either your cleats are up and your fit is in the air or they aren't. There isn't a ton of grey area there, and the only way it's not going to get called is if a ref just doesn't see it at all. There isn't necessarily a lot of grey area in what an illegal hit is, but there is a lot of grey area in what the refs see at game speed from __ feet away at any number of different angles.

Originally Posted by Kaka

the ref are going to make mistakes, there is no doubt about that, we haven't even invent perfect machines yet.

but if those mistakes are going to prevent players from being out of the field for 6 months or a year, ill rather take the ref mistake.

most of us that play sports know how hard it is to come back from a bad injury.

no being able to play is just tough for athletes, sp when they have so much to offer to the game.

think of Lattimore... who knows if he will ever be the same beast he used to be.

Lattimore's injury had nothing to do with helmet to helmet hits. Both were freak accidents that no rule could have prevented, unless you made falling down and making contact with a player who is already in contact with another player illegal.


15 yards on the play and suspensions after the game for particularly flagrant offenders. I feel like that's fair and gives players plenty of reason not to hit high, and you're less likely to make somebody miss game time that doesn't deserve it. From what last season showed they really can't even consistently enforce rules this way, so they have no business making it a game speed, "in the moment" call. Like I said, I don't have a problem with penalizing illegal hits and I don't have a problem with players missing time for them, I just think an ejection during the game is going to cause more problems than it solves.

Then again, in your favorite sport they won't even implement instant replay for goals that obviously go in so I can see why you don't have a problem with this being left up to the ref's discretion.

[VincentSmithsHead]

Lol soccer nowadays is anything but brutal. Diving is an epidemic, breathing on someone is a foul. EPL is even starting to become pussified.

[Kaka]

Originally Posted by VincentSmithsHead

Lol soccer nowadays is anything but brutal. Diving is an epidemic, breathing on someone is a foul. EPL is even starting to become pussified.

basketball is worse, no joke.

[Kaka]

Originally Posted by sandstorm2001

That's not the best comparison. Either your cleats are up and your fit is in the air or they aren't. There isn't a ton of grey area there, and the only way it's not going to get called is if a ref just doesn't see it at all. There isn't necessarily a lot of grey area in what an illegal hit is, but there is a lot of grey area in what the refs see at game speed from __ feet away at any number of different angles.



Lattimore's injury had nothing to do with helmet to helmet hits. Both were freak accidents that no rule could have prevented, unless you made falling down and making contact with a player who is already in contact with another player illegal.


15 yards on the play and suspensions after the game for particularly flagrant offenders. I feel like that's fair and gives players plenty of reason not to hit high, and you're less likely to make somebody miss game time that doesn't deserve it. From what last season showed they really can't even consistently enforce rules this way, so they have no business making it a game speed, "in the moment" call. Like I said, I don't have a problem with penalizing illegal hits and I don't have a problem with players missing time for them, I just think an ejection during the game is going to cause more problems than it solves.

Then again, in your favorite sport they won't even implement instant replay for goals that obviously go in so I can see why you don't have a problem with this being left up to the ref's discretion.

I agree with most people, a player shouldn't be ejected in football.

[FloydTheBarber]

No matter how much you try to convince people otherwise, Americans just do not care about soccer.

[cock13]

Originally Posted by FloydTheBarber

No matter how much you try to convince people otherwise, Americans just do not care about soccer.

Wait, I don't?

SHIT!