Bending the Rules to Gain Advantage
It is not uncommon for players to bend the rules to gain advantage in soccer. We see it all the time in professional soccer. We even use the term "professional foul" to describe illegal contact that prevents a goal, elevating the foul in a way that makes it seem like such fouls are something to aspire towards. I've taken coaching courses where we've discussed the value of bending the rules. I've had numerous conversations about the necessity of bending the rules with youth coaches, many of whom believe it is important to teach players to pull shirts, participate in "gamesmanship", exaggerate the foul, tackle players from behind when you get beat in order to prevent the goal. I've seen coaches get frustrated with referees because "they just don't understand what we're trying to do here. When we play down south, all the teams will be pulling shirts and committing fouls like these. We teach our girls to do this and the refs are screwing things up."
The reality is that these things happen in soccer whether a coach teaches them to a player or not. Fouls are part of the game. However, teaching players to foul or bend the rules in other ways should not be part of a coach's practice plan. It is not difficult to teach a player to pull on a shirt or talk trash to an opponent. It takes no coaching skill what so ever to teach such skills. So coaches certainly don't deserve praise for providing such training.
Teaching youth soccer players (which I consider to include even college players) is a process that not only teaches the skills and tactics of soccer, but the skills and tactics of life. Coaches have a huge influence on their players. Coaches can be more influential role models for youth than their teachers and other adult authority figures, and in some cases even their parents. The reality is, players understand or eventually understand the rules. If coaches teach their players that it is sometimes necessary in the game to bend those rules to gain advantage, the players may in fact gain advantage in the game. But at the same time, they've learned a principal that they will apply in life as well... "It is o.k. to bend the rules. My coach says so. If I can bend the rules in soccer, I can bend the rules in the classroom, or the work place, or I can bend the rules to gain advantage over my friends or family... The rules of soccer are really just guidelines, they're not rules that we absolutely must follow."
Encouraging oru teaching youth to Bend the rules in sports, not only leads to poor life lessons, it leads to less skilled players and less skilled teams. A player that makes a professional foul, made that foul because he or his team mate got beat. When a player has implanted in his mind that bending the rules is part of the game, the player does not need to play with the same level of discipline as that of a player committed to the rules. A player that plays by the book, must push himself harder. In a game played between the Rule Benders and the Rule Followers, in a 1-1 tie, who is the better team? Which team was more fun to watch? Which team played with the most class? Which team left a bad taste in your mouth? Which coach did his job? Which team honored the game?
On the Rampage, our policy is to teach players to play by the rules. We play physical soccer, but we strive to play clean soccer. We teach our players how to deal with the frustrations of competing against the Rule Benders. By understanding that bending the rules is not nearly as cool as playing by the rules, players walk away from games knowing they've played with honor. If we lose to the Rule Benders, so be it. If we beat the Rule Benders, the victory is even sweeter. We HONOR THE GAME*.
*The phrase "Honor the Game" is taken from one of the key motto's of the Positive Coaching Alliance. Click here for more information.