When you watch a soccer match, many times you will see players “flop” or “take a dive”. The player who fell to the ground looks and acts injured. With exaggerated wincing, arms flailing, and body rolling around, you might think the player is truly injured. Or are they faking? Then you see the replay and can easily see that the player was barely touched. Yet they took a dive into the ground and made it seem like they were injured.

Why do soccer players flop? Let’s take a look at the top 6 reasons Soccer Players Flop.

1. Get the opposing teams player carded
2. Earn a free kick
3. Earn a penalty kick
4. Draw attention from referees to pay attention to fouls
5. Add more time to stoppage time
6. Give yourself and team a breather

Soccer players flop and fake injuries as an attempt to draw a foul for the opposing team. A flop can also be a strategic attempt to get the opposing team carded. Flopping or faking injury also helps win a free kick and adds to stoppage time. And lastly, a flop can be used simply to give yourself or your team a breather, or rest.

All of the reasons soccer players flop aren’t enough for most fans to give it justification. Some, including myself, wouldn’t mind seeing the player faking injury be the one to get penalized. Which can happen. If a player takes a dive that a referee feels is definitely fake, a yellow card can be given. However, it can be difficult to prove a player is faking an injury.

Let’s look at the top 6 reasons soccer players flop. These are both strategic and physical reasons soccer players flop. Then decide for yourself if you still think it’s an ugly or annoying part of the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Get the opposing teams player carded

When a player makes contact with the opposing teams player, whether it’s significant or not, they might flop. This could be the quickest way to get the opposing teams player a yellow card or even a red card. A yellow card is like a warning, and a red card is an ejection from the match. Two yellow cards in the same match results in an ejection. By taking a flop, whether it’s valid or not, it could bring attention to the opposing player and result in a card. If the opposing team ends up losing that player for the match, it’s a significant advantage for the other team because once a player is removed or ejected from a match, they are down to less players. No substitution allowed.

2) Earn a free kick

Another strategic play by taking a flop is simply to earn a free kick. A free kick in soccer is an unopposed kick by a player to restart play after an opposing player has committed a foul or penalty. See our article about penalty kicks and free kicks for more info at What is a penalty kick in soccer?

By taking a flop and earning a free kick, it helps setup a potential big play or even a goal because the player earning the free kick is not being defended. It gives time for their team to setup for a strategic pass towards the goal. If earned in the oppositions side of the field, it could be a massive advantage towards a potential goal.

3) Earn a penalty kick

Even better than a free kick is a earning a penalty kick. This would be a massive blow to the opposition and huge advantage for the team earning the penalty kick. A penalty kick is one of the best ways and highest probabilities of scoring a goal. Again, more information about penalty kicks can be found here at What is a penalty kick in soccer?

The penalty kick simply is one player vs the goalie. The ball is set at the penalty mark just 12 yards from the goal. And at that points, it’s player vs player. One player kicking a shot towards the goal while the opposing teams goal keeper tries to stop it. Earning a penalty kick from a flop is hands down and by far the biggest and best result of all the possible outcomes from a flop. It can absolutely change the entire game.

4) Draw attention from referees to pay attention to fouls

Soccer matches can be a battle with a lot of contact. Depending on the referee, they may let contact happen or others could be more sensitive to it and call fouls or penalties. If a player flops, or multiple do throughout a match, it could draw more attention. A referee may notice the contact isn’t something to just let happen and instead bring more attention to the opposing team making contact. By doing so, it could lead to one of the results listed above: yellow or red card, free kick, or penalty kick. A referee might also simply just warn the opposing teams player who is making borderline fouls which could result in that player playing just a little more soft or hesitant. This could end up being a disadvantage to that team.

5) Add more time to stoppage time

Another really good reason to flop is to add more time to the stoppage time. Soccer has a running clock. For more information about the running clock in soccer, see our article How long is a soccer match? With a running clock in soccer, a team tied or losing may try and extend the game. One way to do so is flop or fake an injury. A real injury too of course, but faking it might work too. By going down, or flopping, play stops while the player is being assessed by their teams trainers. In doing so, referees may add more time to stoppage time, either at the half or at the end of the match after 90 minutes. This gives both teams more time to score, and if it’s the losing team or team tied that needs a win, more time added to the match could really help.

6) Give yourself and team a breather

Depending on how the match is going, or how tired a team is, taking a flop could be a simple move just to catch your breath. The player taking the flop or their team might need some time to rest and if the flop or real injury results in the training staff assessing the player, it gives everyone a chance to rest. In soccer, once a player is substituted from the match, they may not re-enter. So catching your breath, especially late in a match is crucial. As we all know, soccer requires a ton of running, almost non stop. If a team is exhausted or a player is exhausted and doesn’t want to leave the match, taking a fall could help them and their team gain some much needed stamina.

Are soccer players trained to flop?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One knock on American soccer players is they are known not to flop. To the regular American sports fan, we have don’t have a problem with this. We don’t like flopping in any sport. But to the rest of the world, flopping or faking injury is a big part of the sport. Not doing so is viewed as not giving your team the best chance to win.

As discussed, there are multiple strategic reasons for flopping and faking or exaggerating injury. Some players are so good at it that we think the acting deserves an Oscar. They pull it off so well and so often that they appear to be trained at flopping and faking injury. I do want to give them some benefit of the doubt. Although soccer players are in prime shape physically, they are still running a lot every match.

If a player is knocked down and wastes some time, they could be simply catching their breath. I think I might do the same if I’m out of breath. Take advantage of the opportunity. Also, when players are down and referees are reviewing, they are also adding time to stoppage time. This helps a team losing or tied as they need more time to score. Especially in the late in the match. Wasting a little bit of time to get up is simple and helps your team get more time added.

In a way, especially professional players, they are trained to flop. Trained naturally as they grow up learning the art of it and when and how to do it. Some however make an absolute spectacle of themselves. Such that it’s so bothersome that I’m hoping they are the one to get penalized.

Check out some of these dramatic flops just from this season alone:

Who flops the most in soccer?

There are multiple lists out there ranking who flops the most in soccer. Some are based on volume, some on dramatic effect. Some a combination of both. Overall, the lists contain most of the same notorious players known to fake injury.

The biggest names in the world of soccer known to flop are:

• Christiano Ronaldo
• Neymar
• Harry Kane
• Mohamed Salah
• Garreth Bale
• Jamie Vardy
• Luis Suarez
• Dani Alves

These are some of the best players in the world. Two of them, Ronaldo and Salah, are two of the best ever to play the sport. It may sound crazy, but even the best players at the highest level are flopping. There are real stats behind these rankings as well. How many times a player is awarded a penalty kick is a result of flopping or faking injury.

The eye test is the main way to know who is a flopper. Watch enough soccer and you’ll start to see who takes a dive often. Who plays the drama queen. Who acts so well that you start to believe it.

You’ll also start to dislike certain players because of it. However, when your team is awarded a free kick or penalty kick as a result, you’ll love it.

With that said, lets take a look at some more flops:

And the famous Neymar flops. Two of the best and worst ever. Frustrating and laughable:

 Is flopping illegal in soccer? Is flopping cheating?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Americans, or in most of the American sports, flopping is a form of cheating. We simply don’t like it and most fans despise players who do it. We like to say “play the game the right way”. But in soccer, it has a purpose.

That’s not to say it’s right though, morally or sportsmanship-wise. I’d rather see someone get right back up on their feet and keep playing. But I can also see me exaggerating enough to catch my breath and get some time added.

All said, flopping is not illegal and it’s not cheating. The player flopping still has a chance of receiving a penalty, yellow card, or red card. If the referee feels its completely false, they can give the player a penalty.

I don’t believe every soccer player is a flopper. And I also don’t believe flopping is cheating. I do think it’s ridiculous, but part of the game.

If you want to flop and make a fool out of yourself, go ahead.

Flopping isn’t cheating, it’s just acting and hoping. Acting out a small fall into an injury in hopes of the opposing team getting penalized. This all to put your team at an advantage. It’s part of sports, and especially part of soccer. I don’t like the saying “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying”, and flopping kind of goes along with that saying. If feels like a form of cheating or dirtiness.

Flopping happens in basketball. Dirty plays go unpenalized in football. Baseball players lean into pitches and steal signs. There are all forms of “flopping” or not “doing things the right way” and this is one of them.

Summary

I, like many, don’t like to see players flopping in soccer or any sport. I think it’s a cheap way of trying to gain an advantage rather than just playing the game that’s right in front of you. “Playing the game the right way” as people say, which sounds old and cliché but rings true. If you’re not injured, why act like it?

Well as we discussed, there are many possible outcomes in your advantage as a result of flopping.

Particularly the part of faking injury. If a player can act well enough to appear injured, the opposing could team suffer strict consequences. Substantially enough to gain your team an advantage.

For example, if it’s a close match and a player get nicked but goes down hard? And hard because he or she exaggerated enough for a red card?

The other team is now down a player and at a significant disadvantage. Or if the red card is in the right spot on the field, it could result in a penalty kick!

These are both prime example of the huge advantages of the outcome of flopping and faking injury.

All said, I still don’t like it, and most fans don’t. Most soccer memes and viral videos come from players dramatic acting. So at least there is some embarrassment involved, which is a good punishment for being so ridiculous.

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