Why Do Soccer Players Fake Injuries?

With soccer being an intense game, footballers will often to find an edge in any way possible.

One of the ways in which they do so is by faking injuries.

In fact, I would say I have even been guilty of doing this myself.

Now while the spur of the moment can really encourage you to do this.

Ultimately there are many reasons why a player may decide to do so.

Sometimes it can be to break the rhythm of the game and stop their opponents from getting any real foothold of the game.

Or it can just be a psychological weapon, where it’s used to get in the opposition’s head.

So from the likes of Neymar and Diego Costa, two of the biggest culprits in the game for faking injuries.

In this post, we will delve deep into the real reason behind it.

Table of Contents

Definition Of Fake Injuries In Soccer

So what exactly is faking an injury?

Well as you can see through those words, it certainly doesn’t mean that the players hurt.

So any time you see a player going down, rolling in pain.

When in actual fact they haven’t been touched.

Well, this is a sign that they are faking an injury.

Now to some people, maybe those who are new to the sport.

This can be seen as quite silly.

After all why make out your hurt when you are not?

Well turns out the answer is quite simple, 99 percent of the time.

As it’s there to gain an advantage and essentially manipulate the game in the way you want.

Sometimes it will be just one player, that everyone watches out for who does it.

Or in other cases, it can be the whole team that goes down with the slightest of touch.

When they do this they will often:

feign pain
exaggerate fouls
simulate contact with opponents.

This kind of behavior has the motive of strategically wasting time or disrupting the current rhythm of the game.

I can tell you would not be happening if the game wasn’t already going in their favor.

So this may make you ask the question.

How does this stop the game exactly?

Well when a player goes down, they do it to signal to the referee that they are hurt and need attention.

The referee will then typically usher on the medical team, taking more time out of the game.

It’s not just this that they trying to con the referee out of.

As they will be looking to get fouls, penalties, and even their opponents a red card.

Now obviously this isn’t something we want in the game, despite it being ever-present for years.

So while things like VAR and greater added times, and have been implemented to solve, bad decisions and wasting time.

When it comes to faking injuries there aren’t really any strict punishments placed on them.

Reasons Why Soccer Players Fake Injuries

Do soccer players fake injuries? Yes! For many reasons!

The main reason is to disrupt the game when it is currently going their way.

To give you an example if Barcelona were winning 1-0 against Manchester United in a match and there were 10 minutes to go.

Then the Barcelona players may start going down under the slightest contact.

In order to stop any momentum that Manchester United have in building attacks to equalize.

Now for the second reason, it is used to manipulate the referee’s decisions.

Pretending to be badly hurt instead of just getting up and carrying on with the game.

Can signal to the referee that a bigger punishment should be given.

When really it may not warrant it.

So instead of the referee brandishing a yellow or even just waving play on.

You could end up with a referee sending someone off.

Just because they believe that the challenge by the player has badly hurt someone.

Now luckily for most top-flight football nowadays this has been eradicated, with the introduction of VAR.

This means any decisions are often looked at numerous times.

Before a punishment is made final.

This has meant we have seen many decisions overturned despite the over-dramatics of a soccer player faking an injury.

Impact Of Faking Injuries On The Game

Now as you have just read the consequences of a player faking an injury are huge.

It will often result in the disruption of flow and rhythm but can also get a player badly in trouble.

Especially if the referee was short-sighted in the incident or doesn’t have VAR assistance to help them out.

It, therefore, puts referees in a difficult situation, as they, therefore, have to figure out what is real and fake straight after its taken place.

Examples Of Notable Incidents

It is common to experience a number of fake injuries in professional soccer nearly every weekend.

However, there are some that not only catch the eye for how silly the theatrics are.

But also go viral online.

Of the fake injuries that have happened here is a table of a few that became famously well known.

Incident	Player	Club	Year
Neymar Jr Shirt Grab At World Cup	Neymar JR	Brazil	2018
Immobile Euro 2020	Ciro Immobile	Italy	2020
Suarez vs PSG Champions League	Luis Suarez	Barcelona	2017

To begin with, on that list, we have Neymar Jr, who went down holding his face during his side’s game against Switzerland in the 2018 World Cup.

Here is a video of it below:

Now if you found that one funny, then the Immobile fake injury in the Euro 2020, will likely tickle your funny bone.

That is because as you can see from the video below the Italian striker went down rolling in agony.

Only to get up seconds later when he realised his side had scored with him going over to congratulate his teammate has if everything is fine.

The Debate Surrounding Fake Injuries

The whole topic of fake injuries is certainly a highly contentious topic

After all, some say it gives an advantage to one team.

Due to the pressure that is put on the referee.

Here is the thing there is a lot of frustration by fans, coaches, and players involved in the game when it happens.

However, interestingly you only seem to hear this, when they are on the receiving end of it.

I have personally watched many soccer games on TV, and I can tell you that almost every team has used the tactics to some degree.

If it’s not to get a player in trouble.

It’s always to milk the clock a little bit.

After all, if you have been fouled, why get up straight away?

There is simply no incentive for a player to do this.

So staying down and pretending to be hurt, is best as it will disrupt the flow and waste more time.

Efforts to combat fake injuries

With the introduction of VAR, it has got better in the top leagues in regards to players trying to get penalties, free kicks, and players carded.

As these mistakes can easily be sorted by referring to the referee in the booth.

Now the consequences for players going down and pretending to be injured aren’t there at the moment.

It is only diving that will get you penalized.

You can understand, as no one can know for certain how much pain a player is in.

Even if they are overdoing it massively in order to waste time.

Conclusion

As you can there are a number of reasons why a soccer player would fake an injury.

Whether it’s to get a specific player ejected from the game.

Or to simply get the advantage over the team, by either getting into their head or disrupting the flow of the game.

A prominent aspect of South American football, faking injury has been around for years and likely won’t be going away any time soon.

Unfortunately for any players, referees, and fans on the receiving hand.

There is no incentive for players not to be over-dramatic in certain instances.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs: Why do soccer players fake injuries

Q1: Why do soccer players fake injuries?

A1: Soccer players may fake injuries for various reasons, such as to gain an advantage, wasting time, or trying to influence the referee’s decisions.

Q2: What advantage do soccer players gain by faking injuries?

A2: Faking injuries can help soccer players create a distraction, disrupt the flow of the game, or draw fouls from opponents, leading to free kicks, penalties, or even getting opponents booked or sent off.

Q3: How does faking injuries waste time in soccer?

A3: Soccer matches have a set duration, and faking injuries allows players or teams to waste precious seconds or minutes, especially when they are winning and looking to run down the clock.

Q4: Can faking injuries influence the referee’s decisions?

A4: Yes, soccer players often fake injuries to deceive referees into believing that a foul has been committed or to exaggerate the impact of a foul, hoping to receive favorable decisions such as free kicks, penalties, or even disciplinary actions against opponents.

Q5: Are there any consequences for soccer players who fake injuries?

A5: If caught faking injuries, soccer players may face disciplinary actions, including yellow or red cards, fines, or even suspensions from future matches

Q6: Is faking injuries considered acceptable in professional soccer?

A6: Faking injuries is generally seen as unsportsmanlike conduct and is widely frowned upon in professional soccer. Players who repeatedly fake injuries may face backlash from fans, opponents, and the wider soccer community.