I have always kinda been a soccer fan but over the past year or two, I have started to like it even more. But the one thing that just kills my enjoyment is the constant flopping and the constant writhing on the ground as if they are dead when they are slightly fouled. It just makes the game look really bad. So, do I just have to accept this? Should I somehow learn to appreciate this? Is there a way to appreciate it? How do you explain this to new fans?
Its just part of the game mate and has been for a long time.. some players will do anything to win a free kick or get a player sent off. .. i personally hate it.. I was often told by coaches that i was too honest and i should go down at the slightest touch.. it happens at every level of football and its a side of the game i despise ..
this may not mean much to you but in previous times, for example 90s, pre 90s, flopping was not a way of the game, even moreso as you go back further in time, do the tackles become worse and referees more lenient than today, generally speaking. However, there is a reason that referees have become soft in modern day soccer, and this is because from previous times the tackles were ridiculously bad and too often players would go unpunished. Its really a matter of something has to give. Either you have a more physical game with less calls and more players getting hurt, or the referee is overly cautious with players flopping but players are better protected from injuries.
When I started playing in the 70s, if a guy whacked you, you did your best to act like it had no effect on you. You wanted to look as tough as possible. We also pushed our socks down to show that we weren't wearing shin guards - another sign of toughness (and maybe some stupidity too). I remember diving back then, but it wasn't as prevalent as it is now. Usually a guy only dove to get a PK. Now guys flop all over the field. I never dove. Not because I was a paragon of virtue, I was just really bad at it. It takes a lot to overcome your natural instincts to stay on your feet. I thought my practice time was better spent on soccer skills other than diving so I never became a diver.