Footie
As baroque as ultimate feels, I have to say that I’m finding soccer to be a little less fun these days. Not because of the game itself, but because of the teams I’m facing.
Soccer is a non-contact sport, but since Christmas I’ve been:
- Pushed from behind (between plays).
- Verbally threatened (between plays).
- Knocked down from behind (during play).
- Had my foot stomped on (a few seconds after I’d already passed the ball).
And it isn’t just me. Players on my team have been physically threatened and shoved (during and between plays). The referee saw both of infractions but chose not to reward the offender with a card. And this is in the lower tier of a recreational soccer league.
I expect a certain amount of jockeying. When play gets spirited I expect players to bump into each other and jostle one another for the ball. But I don’t expect to see players acting maliciously. The game is about teamwork and individual skill, not bullying an opponent into submission.
Having said that, the wankers ruining the game are in a minority. The pushes, shoves, threats, and stomps have come from about five people. Given that I’ve probably played ten or twelve teams of 15 people, in that time, we’re talking about less than 5% of the soccer-playing population. But those assholes are really sucking the fun out of an otherwise enjoyable and accessible game.
Part of the reason I’m noticing the cavalcade of hate is because of the ultimate team I’m playing on. In each game that I’ve played, the other ultimate team has been genuinely friendly; providing a pleasant atmosphere for play. I’m curious if this is because ultimate doesn’t have the same physical competition as soccer, or if it’s because ultimate is self refereed. In the self-refereed soccer matches I’ve played, tempers have remained much calmer.
I haven’t noticed any more people than usual playing aggressively. There are always a few. And sometimes you find a whole team of them.
And soccer is a contact sport. You can do alot of things to other players as long as you get the ball first. That being said, if you are pushed from behind of threatened between plays between plays and the ref refuses to do anything about it, a complaint should definitely made about the ref and the other team.
Personally I like the aggressive player. I take a certain satisfaction in annoying them. And anytime I’ve been threatened on the files it’s usually some guy who thinks he’s better than he is and figures if you got the ball away from him you must have fouled him in some way. Also they are always just talk. They aren’t going to actually start a fight.
But really the only thing I can suggest is suck it up or go play some more frisbee.
MG