Common Bad On-Field Habits of Professional Footballers That Annoy You

[CatsOfUlthar]

1. Spitting. Disgusting and unnecessary.

2. Holding the ball at the corner. I don't care that you want it to be over, if you want to put the game to bed, put another goal in.

3. Draught Excluder

 

[FrankDrebin]

Talking with their hands covering their mouths. Do they think opposing teams hire lip readers to translate what they're saying? And do we actually give a feck?

For me its probably this one.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Spitting is the obvious one. It's a grim spectacle that the TV shows far too much of.

Players walking away with the ball when it's a dead ball or throw to the other team. I'd like to see referees get heavier on timewasting, even the very small instances like that.

Not celebrating against your former team, particularly as it's usually done in a look-at-how-much-I-am-not-celebrating sort of way. As annoying as it was at the time, Danny Welbeck's celebrations against us are how it should be done.

 

[The holy trinity 68]

Players who when lose a game sulk off the pitch without shaking the opponents hands and storm down the tunnel crying and making it all about himself.

3 guesses for who.

 

[BEST No7]

Spitting?? Part and parcel if you've ever played. I've honestly never heard anyone ever complain about it until now.

 

[Pink Moon]

Players giving away the most brainless fouls imaginable.

Look at the free kick Argentina gave away v Netherlands for the goal or the one Coman did last night for Rashford's free kick at the end. It's Harry Maguire on the ball 22 yards out, he isn't going to trouble you, why are you diving in on him?

You see it a lot when they've successfully pressed someone into a corner area then they put their hands on the guys back and he goes tumbling over. Players can't wait to fall over there and referees can't wait to buy it yet the defending player does it every fecking time. So frustrating.

 

[Eli Zee]

1) Any player that makes tackles and injuries seem worse than they are to get a call from the ref. If you are rolling screaming from a challenge that caused you great pain and then 5 seconds later resuming play as if nothing happened, you were faking it and/or exaggerating.

Seriously, if you're so hurt from a challenge, the ref should force you off the field to make sure the injury isn't serious. Make these divers/pretenders give their team a temporary disadvantage (10vs11) since they are so hurt.

if the injury is real, they'll be subbed off. It would only really affects pretenders/"exaggerators", for the most part.


2) Also, players that stop playing to ask the ref for a foul/handball/anything be called.. like, just play the game. You do your job and the ref does his. if the whistle blows, fine... but don't stop playing and demand the whistle is blown as the other team continues on with an advantage, since you stopped playing.

3) Players that go down at the slightest contact when they easily could've stayed up and continued... It's a dive for me. Maybe it isn't a completely bad on field habit if it gets calls... but There's many times they don't get a call and if they had continued on like they could have, they would've been in a better position to influence the game.

 

[Pink Moon]

Spitting?? Part and parcel if you've ever played. I've honestly never heard anyone ever complain about it until now.

I play a few 5's and 7's aside games per week and no one spits. Manky as feck tbh. I'm sure kids saw players doing it on the TV and it just caught on now.

 

[Gringo]

Players giving away the most brainless fouls imaginable.

Look at the free kick Argentina gave away v Netherlands for the goal or the one Coman did last night for Rashford's free kick at the end. It's Harry Maguire on the ball 22 yards out, he isn't going to trouble you, why are you diving in on him?

You see it a lot when they've successfully pressed someone into a corner area then they put their hands on the guys back and he goes tumbling over. Players can't wait to fall over there and referees can't wait to buy it yet the defending player does it every fecking time. So frustrating.

Hernandez on Mount last night was unbelievable. The ball is going over their heads. I would be throwing the boot bag at Theo Hernandez if I was Deschamps.

 

[Buster15]

For me it is definitely the high level of cheating. Primarily pretending they have a head injury when it is clear that they have nothing of the sort.
And the screaming when they had the tiniest of touches falling down and so called rolling in agony. Only to get up a few seconds later and playing on normally.
Come on guys. Grow up.

 

[Pink Moon]

Hernandez on Mount last night was unbelievable. The ball is going over their heads. I would be throwing the boot bag at Theo Hernandez if I was Deschamps.

Yeah that was so stupid. I've noticed a trend with players needlessly shoulder barging defenceless players just because they know it won't be punished. Alexander-Arnold and Robertson do it all the time whenever a player isn't expecting it. I think someone did it to Di Maria years ago too when he returned to Old Trafford. I think that's what Hernandez tried but his dumb ass barged Mount in the back instead of shoulder to shoulder.

 

[TommiHelm]

Just generally that they behave differently on field than off. Whether it's diving, cheating, complaining about any decision no matter how obvious, etc. It's not just annoying to watch grown men behave like entitled little children in itself, but I feel like they are literally wasting energy they could have used to play better football.

 

[Hoof the ball]

Maybe someone can clear this one up for me.
Has the human body undergone some kind of devolution in the last 10 years or so wherein the pain threshold for the average player is significantly less than it used to be?
It's not just once or twice a game, but countless times each game from every team. Eg.

Player gets a soft trailing hand in the jaw and then proceeds to drop like lead and remain on the floor for minutes. Again and again and again, a player is incapacitated for minutes for some kind of contact that is probably incapable of keepnig you down for more than a few seconds! I mean, if you did the same thing in the street to anyone, there's not a chance they'd even go to the ground, let alone remain on the floor writhing in agony. No chance!

Hand flicks, brushes, clips, slight trips, slight shoulder shoves, all instances in every single game where a player will act like he's been brutalised in the most unimaginable way. To make things even more triggering, if the offending player who committed the foul mouths off at the supposed 'injured' player on the ground for making a meal of it, the same 'injured' player indignantly turns into Goku, leaps off his feet, miraculously overcoming is crushing pain and proceeds to confront the fouling player.

Playacting bastards, almost all of them, in every single game repeatedly. What's funny is that if the team is losing with a few minutes to go, somehow they can withstand every tackle in existence because reasons........

Refs too. Why the feck are they NEVER ready for a quick free-kick? Never. It's infuriating. Team goes to take it quick and the ref does that irritating double or triple whistle to call it back. Wouldn't be so bad if it was now and again but it's all the time. It's not even like they're dishing out a verbal warning to a player or a yellow card. Most of the time the ref just isn't ready for........reasons.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Spitting?? Part and parcel if you've ever played. I've honestly never heard anyone ever complain about it until now.

Shows half these posters have never exercised for more than 45 minutes in their life. There's obviously a build up of phlegm after running 10KM plus.

 

[Scandi Red]

Something that a lot of defenders do that annoys me to no end - narrowing down their field of view/passing options by turning towards the area they want to pass to.

I'll need to use visuals to explain what I mean.

Exhibit A is the player looking forward. Can see the entire field, and will be able to pass forward, left or right. Can also have good awareness if a winger will try to sneak up behind him in a case of backpassing to the GK

Exhibit B is the player turned to the dugout. He telegraphs to the opposition his intent to pass to the left back or so, and invites them to rush in because the options are limited. In case he needs to backpass, he cannot see if the left winger is sneaking up between him and the GK.

I specifically mention defenders, because naturally that's where they get the ball, and they don't have the agility a midfielder or attacker has to escape from pressure and make more difficult passes.

And of course, the absolute master of this move is Maguire, who almost always hesitates in his first pass, then hesitates some more, then turns towards the left side, inviting opponents to rush onto him, and naturally we're under pressure.

I don't know, man. Both A and B seem to have great Wi-Fi signal strength!

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Another one for "talking whilst covering their mouths"

Nothing you have to say is that interesting.

 

[BEST No7]

Shows half these posters have never exercised for more than 45 minutes in their life. There's obviously a build up of phlegm after running 10KM plus.

Yeah. Of all the things that annoy people, that is definitely the worst. It's natural. Like taking a piss. Needs to be done.

 

[BEST No7]

Cynical fouls. Should be automatic red cards. Seems harsh, but it would cut it out big time if reds where shown. fecks me off the most

 

[Bole Top]

defender is panicking and struggling with the ball in his half, options are few and it's obvious he could lose it if he's put under pressure. couple of players then try to press him and force a mistake from him, but one of them without any reason makes pointless and obvious foul which kills all the effort and simply frees the defender from potentially dagnerous situation. 100% retarded, not even diving I hate as much as players with low IQ.

 

[BEST No7]

defender is panicking and struggling with the ball in his half, options are few and it's obvious he could lose it if he's put under pressure. couple of players then try to press him and force a mistake from him, but one of them without any reason makes pointless and obvious foul which kills all the effort and simply frees the defender from potentially dagnerous situation. 100% retarded, not even diving I hate as much as players with low IQ.

Yep agree. That's up there

 

[Dominos]

Players who can't even shoot shooting from 25 yards every game (I'm looking at you Fred).

Committing needless fouls when a player is going nowhere, particularly when you're chasing a game and the opposition are looking for an excuse to waste time.

Players picking up needless yellow cards early on in a game so they can't make a tackle for the rest of the match.

Players pretending to be injured when they've lost the ball while the opposition just play on and go on the attack so you're defending with 10 men (Bruno, I'm looking at you).

 

[RedPed]

The offside arm in the air by defenders instead of just focusing on the fecking game. Gets me every time.

 

[JeffFromHK]

Players who can't even shoot shooting from 25 yards every game (I'm looking at you Fred).

Committing needless fouls when a player is going nowhere, particularly when you're chasing a game and the opposition are looking for an excuse to waste time.

Players picking up needless yellow cards early on in a game so they can't make a tackle for the rest of the match.

Players pretending to be injured when they've lost the ball while the opposition just play on and go on the attack so you're defending with 10 men (Bruno, I'm looking at you).

Same thought. Bruno is a very very frequent culprit of that problem.
There is no point ,other than saving face to pretend you were not faking injury, to stay on the floor when your "fake injury" tactics doesn't work

 

[klayton88]

Managers spitting.

 

[El Jefe]

Goalkeepers bitching anytime an attacker makes contact with them in a challenge for the ball. Keepers clatter players regularly but God forbid you make the slightest contact with a keeper in an aerial challenge or ground duel and they act like its a criminal offence.

 

[acolyte]

Something that a lot of defenders do that annoys me to no end - narrowing down their field of view/passing options by turning towards the area they want to pass to.

I'll need to use visuals to explain what I mean.

Exhibit A is the player looking forward. Can see the entire field, and will be able to pass forward, left or right. Can also have good awareness if a winger will try to sneak up behind him in a case of backpassing to the GK

Exhibit B is the player turned to the dugout. He telegraphs to the opposition his intent to pass to the left back or so, and invites them to rush in because the options are limited. In case he needs to backpass, he cannot see if the left winger is sneaking up between him and the GK.

I specifically mention defenders, because naturally that's where they get the ball, and they don't have the agility a midfielder or attacker has to escape from pressure and make more difficult passes.

And of course, the absolute master of this move is Maguire, who almost always hesitates in his first pass, then hesitates some more, then turns towards the left side, inviting opponents to rush onto him, and naturally we're under pressure.

Isn't it harder/less natural to play the ball to the left if you're right footed? I thought that's why all the Dutch managers seem to insist on having left footed center backs for the LCB position, so they can distribute to the left flank without compromising their vision.

 

[WeePat]

I always hate how a defender barges into an attacker in the back for no reason giving away a needless freekick.

It’s the opposite that annoys the feck out of me - when the attacker on the losing team barges into the defender near the corner who is clearly just shielding the ball waiting to be fouled.

 

[acolyte]

Maybe someone can clear this one up for me.
Has the human body undergone some kind of devolution in the last 10 years or so wherein the pain threshold for the average player is significantly less than it used to be?
It's not just once or twice a game, but countless times each game from every team. Eg.

Player gets a soft trailing hand in the jaw and then proceeds to drop like lead and remain on the floor for minutes. Again and again and again, a player is incapacitated for minutes for some kind of contact that is probably incapable of keepnig you down for more than a few seconds! I mean, if you did the same thing in the street to anyone, there's not a chance they'd even go to the ground, let alone remain on the floor writhing in agony. No chance!

Hand flicks, brushes, clips, slight trips, slight shoulder shoves, all instances in every single game where a player will act like he's been brutalised in the most unimaginable way. To make things even more triggering, if the offending player who committed the foul mouths off at the supposed 'injured' player on the ground for making a meal of it, the same 'injured' player indignantly turns into Goku, leaps off his feet, miraculously overcoming is crushing pain and proceeds to confront the fouling player.

Playacting bastards, almost all of them, in every single game repeatedly. What's funny is that if the team is losing with a few minutes to go, somehow they can withstand every tackle in existence because reasons........

Nah, playacting is constant in football and people have been complaining about it the whole time I've been watching. There was never any "golden age" where all the players were super tough and shrugged off every challenge without complaint. Go back and watch any Italy game from the 90s, or check out Rivaldo in the 2002 WC specifically if you want to see the mother of all fakery.

 

[Hoof the ball]

Nah, playacting is constant in football and people have been complaining about it the whole time I've been watching. There was never any "golden age" where all the players were super tough and shrugged off every challenge without complaint. Go back and watch any Italy game from the 90s, or check out Rivaldo in the 2002 WC specifically if you want to see the mother of all fakery.

It's just not the playacting. It's the average length of time each player stays down per foul. It's even worse when you consider that the force of tackles permitted now are less than the force of tackles permitted in 90s. How is it possible for tackles to decrease in physicality and time on the floor to increase in reaction?

It doesn't add up. They should have spent more time on the floor in the past than now. But they don't.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

Player has ball in their own corner area, pressured by attacker. Just don’t touch the defender, don’t give him any reason to fall to the floor and win a free kick to relieve the pressure.

Attacker puts hands on back, defender falls to floor - free kick.

When will they learn?

 

[Lecland07]

Shows half these posters have never exercised for more than 45 minutes in their life. There's obviously a build up of phlegm after running 10KM plus.

Spitting isn't a requirement to exercise. I regularly run 20km and never need to spit. Spitting is a choice.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

I have a real hatred for players who make stupid fouls far away from their goals and there is no counter attacking happening. Just a plain stupid foul in the middle of the park

Oh you mean the McTominay special

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

A good number of the main ones have already been posted, but I’ll go with one that hasn’t:

Players that are so one footed that they can’t even make basic passes with their weaker side (watching AWB yesterday reminded me of this). If as a professional footballer you’ve allowed your lack of weak foot hinder you so much that you can’t make a simple 10 yard pass unless it’s with your stronger side then you shouldn’t be on the fecking pitch.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Spitting?? Part and parcel if you've ever played. I've honestly never heard anyone ever complain about it until now.

This. I’m baffled by all the posts saying spitting.

It’s crucial.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Spitting isn't a requirement to exercise. I regularly run 20km and never need to spit. Spitting is a choice.

You doing constant on - off sprints for that 20km…?

Spitting / saliva increase with explosive exercise is unavoidable. It’s the same with surfers vs long distance, slow swimming.

 

[Vanrouge]

I've skimmed the answers and couldn't see this one, so apologies if I missed it.

Players who are tackled, decide they've been fouled, so they grab the ball to force the ref's decision. Stronger refs should see this as deliberate handball, which is an automatic yellow, but they never do. Why not?

 

[berbatrick]

Slow passing from centre back to full back to winger, return to full back, return to centre back.

Bonus if this sequence ends with a panicked clearance from the keeper.

A specialty of United 2012-22.

 

[RopersReturn]

Kicking the ball out of play as a means of defending, although this happens more frequently in the EFL, invariably to a rapturous applause the from fans.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Spitting?? Part and parcel if you've ever played. I've honestly never heard anyone ever complain about it until now.

I play a few 5's and 7's aside games per week and no one spits. Manky as feck tbh. I'm sure kids saw players doing it on the TV and it just caught on now.

Shows half these posters have never exercised for more than 45 minutes in their life. There's obviously a build up of phlegm after running 10KM plus.

Yeah. Of all the things that annoy people, that is definitely the worst. It's natural. Like taking a piss. Needs to be done.

Spitting isn't a requirement to exercise. I regularly run 20km and never need to spit. Spitting is a choice.

I came in just to post this. My personal experience is that as someone who does play football socially at a very casual standard and pushes himself (but is still incredible unfit), for some reason I have a load of phlegm and saliva. It's unavoidable unfortunately.

I do realise though it's sort of 'unique' and I'm one of few amongst my friends though.

 

[V.O.]

I've skimmed the answers and couldn't see this one, so apologies if I missed it.

Players who are tackled, decide they've been fouled, so they grab the ball to force the ref's decision. Stronger refs should see this as deliberate handball, which is an automatic yellow, but they never do. Why not?

One of my favourite sights in football is a ref telling them to feck off and giving the free kick the other way for the handball. Most refs are too weak to do so, of course.

And yeah, it should be a yellow card as well, but never is.