Foul language in football

[Canaries Utd 0]

Interesting report from the PFA regarding foul and abusive language in football. I totally agree that this should be knuckled down on from grass roots football to the world stage. It clearly states in the FA rule book that obscene language is a disciplinary offence but it goes unpunished week in, week out. Some of the language you hear on the local recreation field on a weekend is truly shocking, whether it be a youths or adults game. Some of the worst language comes from parents on the sidelines. Action and responsibilty should come from the top to set the required standards. If a referee is abused by obscene language the player should be given a yellow, if it continues, a red. If this happens just a few times it will wipe out the issue. Players, managers and fans will not look favourably on someone who gets sent off for a potty mouth.

It doesn''t happen in other sports, let''s consign foull language to the past and show some respect to the ref, players and people within earshot.

I have played football for 30 years, I understand how passionate it is, and that you will get wound up. Its a true proffesional that will rise above it and direct their frustration back into the game.

[smooth 114]

Watch other sports and punishments are given on the field, rugby refs do not have any foul language directed to them if they do they punish straight away.Now that Terry has been cleared I presume we can all see the video clips without the blurred out spot on the screen. I have given up on it football is always going to have unruly behaviour, it used to be a man''s game but that was a long time ago.

[Syteanric 1]

Having coached youth football I can honestly say I have never heard any offensive language from the boys or their parents....

[Devils Advocate. 0]

I know that it doesn''t make it right, but swearing is part of modern day life, it no longer has a shock value .

[Canaries Utd 0]

Jas, I am completely amazed!! It is heard week in week out during the football season, officials will always say, "what chance have they (kids) got what with the actions in the professional game and over eager parents), I''m not disbelieving you Jas, but if you have never heard it then you are very fortunate.

[Indy_Bones 441]

Whilst I fully agree there needs to be respect and at times we don''t need to hear the language we do, the truth is that there are far more important factors to focus on to be honest.When I see players getting hacked down, cynical professional fouls being made, constant shirt pulling in the area and other general poor displays of sportsmanship and professionalism, it annoys me that often these are being overlooked, but if a player swears, takes their shirt off or even dares to celebrate with the fans - yellow card.It''s nonsensical focus on a less important area of the game. A player tells you to f**k off, you can just ignore them and get on with things, a player snaps your leg and doesn''t even get booked - that''s a totally different story.Diving, cheating, hacking - all often missed, but call the ref a wa**er and you can get your marching orders.Football has gone crackers to be honest....

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,425]

All good points. Jas I''m not sure you''re being totally truthful there.

I occasionally will go and watch Lowestoft & Yarmouth RUFC and it never ceases to amaze me the difference between Rugby players/fans/culture when compared to Football culture.

Saturday afternoon on Bradwell Playing field is full of sweary/shouty parents and the kids aren''t much better.

[YellowFellow 0]

It always amazes me that school kids will generally behave playing football out of fear of their teacher telling them off or sending them off etc, why cant grown professional men?

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="Wings of a Sparrow"]All good points. Jas I''m not sure you''re being totally truthful there.

I occasionally will go and watch Lowestoft & Yarmouth RUFC and it never ceases to amaze me the difference between Rugby players/fans/culture when compared to Football culture.

Saturday afternoon on Bradwell Playing field is full of sweary/shouty parents and the kids aren''t much better.[/quote]because clubs let them get away with it.. the club i coached had a very strong stance on bad language, bullying and dishonesty.... if any one had a problem with following the rules then can go elsewhere....the only reason fat unfit dad shouts and rants and swears is because no one in authority has told him to shut up.. like it or not his son aint the next Ryan Giggs... despite what he thinks.... by telling him to keep quiet or his child will simply be excluded in front of all the other parents makes him feel tiny and also very silly....

[Dubai Mark 0]

Of course its about time more action was taken for foul language, it also might help a little with the general situation on the streets too where foul and abusive language is used now as part of a lot of people''s everyday vocabulary in the UK, particularly kids and teens. As an ex-pat its really so noticeable each time I come over to Norwich for a visit, my young daughter is always shocked when she hears it,as its something you very rarely hear over here, a bit OT but it''s just an example. Back to the topic, I think the game has to accept that there will be some general bad language , but when it''s directed at the ref or another player directly then a yellow should be shown every time, it wouldnt take long for the game to improve. I even think a sin bin would be great for this type of offence.

[Yellow Wal 314]

The laws of the game are quite clear. The use of foul or abusive language is a sending off offence, not a yellow card, not a sin bin, not directed at the referee or an opponent but the use of foul and abusive language.

Just as holding is a penalty in the penalty area, and that includes holding an opponents shirt.

At the end of the day the means to stop these things are already in place and the rules just need to be implemented if the authorities want to cut it out. Perhaps what is needed are a few referees with balls!

[Mister Chops 7]

I''m * well sick of footballers * swearing and gobbing on the pitch, who the * do they * well think they are? You''d think with all that * money they''d have a bit more * class, it * me right off to see those * calling each other *, *, *, * even sometimes * * * * * and *.  If people spoke like that in real life, they''d * well be banned.  If I did my * day job using footballers language I''d be *, my * would be * out of the * door within about five * minutes.  For *''s sake, is it really that * hard?

[First Wazzock 904]

[quote user="Canaries Utd"] If a referee is abused by obscene language the player should be given a yellow, if it continues, a red. [/quote]

Sorry this is complete rubbish.

Although it was some time back, if anyone wanted to stand and call me ''a f****** cheating c***'' as did happen in one game, or something similar, it was the last action he had in that game. Straight red every time.

[SplatCat 18]

In rugby they have a referee microphone. You hear every time what the ref has given a foul for and would hear any abuse he was given. Would make a much more open system in football I think.

[Indy_Bones 441]

[quote user="First Wazzock"]Although it was some time back, if anyone wanted to stand and call me ''a f****** cheating c***'' as did happen in one game, or something similar, it was the last action he had in that game. Straight red every time.[/quote]Makes me laugh how a bit of verbal is a straight red, yet I''ve seen shocking challenges get away with a yellow or even no booking...That alone tells me there''s something very wrong either with the laws or with the way they''re being implemented...

[Yellow Wal 314]

Indy - it is very straightforward for a referee to recognise that he has been called a ****. Unfortunately some of them, at times, can''t recognise a viscious foul even if it''s under there nose.

[Bill 1,788]

Problem is that football takes the wrong attitude regarding discipline.

 

Hit them in the pocket. Yellow and red cards affect the team, but in a more squad based system it is not always that effective, and I doubt that most of the top ones lose out in wages.

 

Not a fixed sum but a fixed percentage of the wages and bonuses and a dip into the managers pocket might see a bit more discipline coming from that direction.

 

As to foul language that should be restricted to te ref and the two linesman - the later could back up his offside decisions with a shout " Oi ref, the carnt was well offside"

 

 

[Syteanric 1]

[quote user="El capitano"]In rugby they have a referee microphone. You hear every time what the ref has given a foul for and would hear any abuse he was given. Would make a much more open system in football I think.[/quote]

Only if the game is televised plus fans can''t hear it

[Syteanric 1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnQ16KFDoA4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Watch that

[William Darby 0]

IMO it always comes down to whether the ref has the stones to enforce the rules to the letter of the law.  Or they let things slide to avoid getting hassle later. There was a debate on TalkSport ages ago on this subject.  One chap called in talking about the Sunday league he played in.  He said the players knew which refs were strict and which weren''t and the players acted accordingly.  What he''s basically saying is, if every single ref from grass roots to the EPL clamped down from the start, and the players were warned beforehand foul language would be stamped out.  It is really simple, like most things, if you know you can''t get away with something, you won''t do it.  Anyway I sure, there''s many many footballers who take to the field each game and don''t utter an F or a C.  So If they can manage it, the others can too.

[Shankslad 0]

I just don''t see the ******** reason for this ******** thread and anyone who thinks different is just being a ****

[Jacko 0]

The issue of foul language isn''t one which is just confined to football really. It is also used more and more in everyday conversation. Thus it has effective become softened and has lost much of its shock value as a result. I personally swear quite a lot without giving it much thought and I am sure others do to. So its no wonder it has also made its way onto the football pitch more frequently.

[Canaries Utd 0]

The F & C word is used everyday, doesn''t make it right though. For all the bravado by some of you in this thread, I bet 99% of you wouldn''t use it infront of your parents of child. And if you do, you are what is wrong with society today.

[Canaries Utd 0]

*or

[William Darby 0]

[quote user="Jacko"]The issue of foul language isn''t one which is just confined to football really. It is also used more and more in everyday conversation. Thus it has effective become softened and has lost much of its shock value as a result. I personally swear quite a lot without giving it much thought and I am sure others do to. So its no wonder it has also made its way onto the football pitch more frequently.[/quote]It isn''t, you just think it has because generally every generation of kids think they invented the wheel. Truth is, there''s probably less swearing on the whole than there was. 

[Jacko 0]

I would disagree with you there Pinkun. The attitude of society changes and as what language is deemed to be unacceptable changes with it. In this generation I think on the whole the use of many swearwords are far less taboo than they used to be. Hence why they liberally sprinkled within everyday conversation.

Initially in the 1500s when religion dominated the forefront of England''s thinking anything blasphemous would have been the ultimate taboo. Now I wouldn''t many people would think twice about using such language to express surprise or disappointment something.

I think now the really big taboo is any language which could be considered racist, sexist, or homophobic. The sort of language which for one reason or another probably wouldn''t have raised any eyebrows 30 or 40 years ago.

[nutty nigel 7,607]

[quote user="Canaries Utd"]The F & C word is used everyday, doesn''t make it right though. For all the bravado by some of you in this thread, I bet 99% of you wouldn''t use it infront of your parents of child. And if you do, you are what is wrong with society today.[/quote]

 

Seriously??

 

Should be a feckin'' doddle to put it right then[;)]

 

 

[Canaries Utd 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

[quote user="Canaries Utd"]The F & C word is used everyday, doesn''t make it right though. For all the bravado by some of you in this thread, I bet 99% of you wouldn''t use it infront of your parents of child. And if you do, you are what is wrong with society today.[/quote]

 

Seriously??

 

Should be a feckin'' doddle to put it right then[;)]Its all about standards Nutty [:P]

 

 

[/quote]

[Victor Segura and the Yellow Cards 0]

I''ve never really understood people being offended by words, whether spoken or written, they are just words.

 

Presumably it is the intent that offends but being called a c*** is akin to being called a ladygarden or a minnie, neither particularly offensive. Maybe I''m trivialising it and the stigma attached to some words is enough to tip some people over the edge. I just fail to see how a word like c*** is any more or less offensive than say, cauliflower. Or trousers.

 

 

[Canaries Utd 0]

If i walked up to your son, daughter, mother, father relative and called them a f****** c***, would you not be offended? Its not always about the person being spoken to to being offended, it can be people within earshot being offended. Just because its common place in todays society doesn''t make it right or acceptable.