Soccer: Losing Your Sportsmanship?

There is something about association football that is very attractive. The game is played by more than 250 million players in more than 200 countries and has the highest television audience in sports. What is it that makes soccer so popular? Do you still retain your sports spirit?

unfair game

I am familiar with football in England both on television and from the stands.

Some argue that unfair play spoils the game. Pundits speak of the so-called ‘tactical foul’ as if it were acceptable. As if taking an unfair advantage was okay. However, doesn’t cheating undermine fair play?

We hear of ‘professional foul’ as approvingly saying ‘He took one for the team’ for an unfair advantage, perhaps to stop a dangerous attack on goal. His infraction resulted in a yellow card from the referee.

Similarly, ‘diving’ can be cheeky. More difficult to referee is the player who goes down unnecessarily when there is any kind of physical contact with the tackler. This is more common. When a player seemingly gets injured only to get up a little later and immediately sprint down the field, fans are very outraged. This is because faking an injury is done to stop play and give teammates a break or encourage the referee to show a red card and send the opposing player off the field.

Some argue that sometimes a ‘win at all costs’ attitude develops and this is killing the spirit of the game, for example handing the ball into the net. It is better to enjoy football for its own sake than to believe that the only thing that matters is whether we win or lose.

Being a sore loser hurts sportsmanship

It’s good to see opposing players and coaches shaking hands after a game and both teams congratulating the other on their efforts. Likewise, the crowd cheers when a player kicks the ball out of play if a player on the opposing side is injured so that he can get help.

However, sore losers make little complaints about all sorts of things. When winning at all costs rules our heart, then we will feel really fed up after a loss. Unhappy with the referee, substitutions, bad luck.

But maybe the opposing team deserved to win in all honesty. They didn’t cheat, but they showed good skill and effort. How many times have you accepted ‘Yes, we were outplayed, thought, raced and fought: the best team won’. Everyone is attracted to those who seem honest and fair. Even children know what justice is and they get very angry when cheating is done.

Verbal abuse in soccer

Soccer is just a game. But being hidden in a crowd, some individuals want to be verbally abusive. Openly express hostility directed at opposing team players, match officials, or people of a different race than their own. Some fans have even been known to abuse their own players who have made mistakes.

Even in the amateur game, abuse directed at the referee can continue by some players, coaches, and fans. Some parents have been heard yelling and cursing at referees in front of their own children. Unfortunately, football culture now has its vicious side.

Loss of community sportsmanship

Being part of a stadium crowd can be a wonderful experience. Just being there and being a part of the drama and spirit of the game with its thrills and unpredictability is a big part of the fun. Living the 90 minutes with its ups and downs and its accomplishments and disappointments.

However, with no live football on English terrestrial television, people watch the Match of the Day highlights and seem happy just to see the goals, red cards and penalties, and not much else. Even watching football live on pay TV lacks the community aspect of football as a sport. Instead of being part of the crowd, the viewer is looking at a secluded spot.

Loss of competition in football

Modern high-level football in England has been changed by pay television. He has poured billions of pounds into creating astronomical salaries, transfers and agent fees. And to some extent, all this money has bought success in the field and a commercial windfall. Why else would businessmen want to invest mainly in the best Premier League clubs? So much so that others can hardly compete and the same big clubs are there or there at the top at the end of the season.

Income disparities between the various leagues were once narrow, giving lower league teams a better chance of victory by virtue of having good veterans and talented young players with several cup competitions open to them. There is now an absolute chasm between the top and other levels of the game.

When the playing field is so uneven, it unfortunately reduces the unpredictability that is vital to the spirit of the sport. Matches with one of the richest clubs can sometimes turn into an exhibition with a foregone conclusion rather than a competition.

Monetary orientation in football

The average salary in the Premier League is around £200,000 a month, £2.5m a year. Fans are constantly trying to gauge player commitment versus revenue, fees paid versus performance. Therefore, some commentators suggest that football is now about knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. If it is true that football has become mainly about money, it seems to be ruining the high-level game.

Conclusion on sportsmanship

Sport can be deeply satisfying to play and watch when the sportsmanship of the game is present. This means being honest with ourselves about our team’s performance, showing consideration for everyone involved, celebrating participation in shared enjoyment, and playing fair.

“Everything that is good and true, fair and just, and also honorable, has a strong and hidden power within itself to attract the minds of people.” (Emanuel Swedenborg, spiritual philosopher)