Son refuses to play up response to legitimate fouls - good or bad?

[Anonymous]

I have a 12 year old who is 4 foot 8 and 70 lbs. Even in games where coaches are calling fouls for the most minor things, and he is getting fouled by opponents, he will not "flop" even in the slightest, even if it would be to his team's advantage. I don't agree with flopping regularly, but my view is that when the ref is overcalling fouls, for a slight, tiny, kid, he should play it up a bit when he gets legitimately fouled. He refuses. What do people think?

[Anonymous]

I think you have told you DS what you think and now you back off and let him play the way he wants.

[Anonymous]

JFC, stop hassling your kid and let the coach direct him on how to play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 12 year old who is 4 foot 8 and 70 lbs. Even in games where coaches are calling fouls for the most minor things, and he is getting fouled by opponents, he will not "flop" even in the slightest, even if it would be to his team's advantage. I don't agree with flopping regularly, but my view is that when the ref is overcalling fouls, for a slight, tiny, kid, he should play it up a bit when he gets legitimately fouled. He refuses. What do people think?

What is wrong with you?

Your kid is a better person.

NO this is not okay in any way shape or form.

So if his friends are smoking crack that's ok because everyone is doing it????

You should not be parenting.

[Anonymous]

Nah. We tell my kid to hit back harder when ref isn't looking. You don't want to mess with my tiny kid. He's scary. He's younger brother to a brother that currently outweighs him by 60 pounds and has 9 inches on him. I've seen him take him down. Crazy strength is real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:JFC, stop hassling your kid and let the coach direct him on how to play.

+1

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I think you need to stop attending your son's soccer games. You are that parent. I know you don't think you are, but you are. This is a 12-year-old's soccer game. I repeat - this is a child's soccer game.

Your son wants to act with integrity. He wants to play soccer, not attend drama class. Let him. And for his sake, take a step way, way back. Into the parking lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nah. We tell my kid to hit back harder when ref isn't looking. You don't want to mess with my tiny kid. He's scary. He's younger brother to a brother that currently outweighs him by 60 pounds and has 9 inches on him. I've seen him take him down. Crazy strength is real.

We don't flop in my family. From the time the kids started playing--whenever they went down--my husband and I would instinctively yell "get back up!!". We always told them 'you can't play from the ground'. There was a small kid on my son's prior team whose favorite player was Neymar (go figure) and he spent 90% of the game rolling around on the ground. I wanted to go out on the field and kick him in the *ss and say 'get up!'.

[Anonymous]

1. You say coaches are calling fouls?
2. You say your son refuses refs calling of fouls?
3. Best advice I can give you is. Drop your kid off and come back after the training or game is over.

[Anonymous]

I think there is a difference between flopping, which I interpret as faking contact or falling after minor contact, and learning to fall when there is obvious illegal contact. The truth is that refs often don't call a foul unless the victim falls. You may complain about this, but pretty much every single professional player knows to let their body fall when there is contact, especially in the box - it is a skill and part of the game. I don't like flopping (see Neymar) but I think it is a useful skill to learn how to draw fouls (see Jack Grealish).

[Anonymous]

I think there is a difference between flopping, which I interpret as faking contact or falling after minor contact, and learning to fall when there is obvious illegal contact. The truth is that refs often don't call a foul unless the victim falls. You may complain about this, but pretty much every single professional player knows to let their body fall when there is contact, especially in the box - it is a skill and part of the game. I don't like flopping (see Neymar) but I think it is a useful skill to learn how to draw fouls (see Jack Grealish)

OP here. This is exactly how I view it, and you said it much more eloquently than I could have. But, at the end of the day, people are right, it is up to my son what to do.

[Anonymous]

OP, you basically are saying to simulate and flop. Don't try to window dress it. My DS is slight and draws fouls not because of his slight frame but because he is shifty and makes people bite on his cuts. My only instruction to him and other players like that--as their coach--is to try to get into the box with the ball or to take people on in the final third because they have a high chance of earning a penalty (in the box) or a free kick, both of which will help the team.

When they are being bodied off the ball and shy away at that point is that it's okay to try and push back and stand their ground because they will find that in most instances they cannot push that other player out of the way--there is no way they will hurt the other player by doing so, and that if they are competing like for like the bigger player may indeed foul them because they will actually have to push back and may push too hard. Big players and pushy players don't like to be challenged like that.

But in the spirit of the game I don't condone flopping just to flop. I have seen referees go back later and call a foul even if the player stayed on their feet--they checked to see if the player could still realize their advantage first.

[Anonymous]

OP, you're trying to teach your kid to be an a-hole.

[Anonymous]

Your son sounds great. Leave him alone (or compliment his integrity). We don't need more kids flopping around the pitch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nah. We tell my kid to hit back harder when ref isn't looking. You don't want to mess with my tiny kid. He's scary. He's younger brother to a brother that currently outweighs him by 60 pounds and has 9 inches on him. I've seen him take him down. Crazy strength is real.

We don't flop in my family. From the time the kids started playing--whenever they went down--my husband and I would instinctively yell "get back up!!". We always told them 'you can't play from the ground'. There was a small kid on my son's prior team whose favorite player was Neymar (go figure) and he spent 90% of the game rolling around on the ground. I wanted to go out on the field and kick him in the *ss and say 'get up!'.

I like you.