Why do players hold their heads when they've been kicked?

[Hibbyradge]

If I get kicked on the shin or ankle I'll likely hold or rub the bit that hurts, but loads of footballers hold their heads instead.

Is there an actual reason for that or is it just amateur dramatics/posing?

[JohnM1875]

It's cheating, simple as that. Coached cheating as well.

The game is totally done now when it comes to making a challenge, fully grown men diving and rolling about with the slightest contact. It's embarrassing

[HibeeHibernia]

If I get kicked on the shin or ankle I'll likely hold or rub the bit that hurts, but loads of footballers hold their heads instead.

Is there an actual reason for that or is it just amateur dramatics/posing?

to win their team fouls mate

[1875Sean]

Ask Porto

[Trinity Hibee]

It's cheating, simple as that. Coached cheating as well.

The game is totally done now when it comes to making a challenge, fully grown men diving and rolling about with the slightest contact. It's embarrassing

Yep. I rarely watch other football games These days due to all of the nonsense. Even in SPFL you’ve got players going down for nothing. Makes the game less appealing to me anyway and I wish the authorities would come up with ways to stamp it out. Used to feel we didn’t see as much of it in the SPFL but it’s here now.

Could say any player with a head knock goes off for a minimum of 5 mins? Might stop the diving and feigning injury we saw v Ross County.

What also annoys me if the time wasting. Refs allow it to happen from early on in games and it continues. Deal with it early by booking people and players won’t do it.

Rant over.

[Hibbyradge]

It's cheating, simple as that. Coached cheating as well.

The game is totally done now when it comes to making a challenge, fully grown men diving and rolling about with the slightest contact. It's embarrassing

They're not pretending they've been hit in the head, they're just holding it when they've got a sore leg.

How's that cheating?

[JohnM1875]

Yep. I rarely watch other football games These days due to all of the nonsense. Even in SPFL you’ve got players going down for nothing. Makes the game less appealing to me anyway and I wish the authorities would come up with ways to stamp it out. Used to feel we didn’t see as much of it in the SPFL but it’s here now.

Could say any player with a head knock goes off for a minimum of 5 mins? Might stop the diving and feigning injury we saw v Ross County.

What also annoys me if the time wasting. Refs allow it to happen from early on in games and it continues. Deal with it early by booking people and players won’t do it.

Rant over.

Think there needs to be some kind of time spent off the pitch for a head knock. Not only would it stop cheating but if the player is genuinely struggling it would allow a proper assessment.

Don't get me started on time wasting! Seen it so much from away teams at Easter Road this season. Called it straight away at the County game, said to my mate nothing would happen til about 70 minutes, lo and behold they get a booking for taking an age to take a throw in just after 70 minutes despite doing it for about an hour before that. ****ing hate it.

[where'stheslope]

The other part of feigning injury, is when a player goes down screaming and rolling around?
Then gets up after treatment, and either takes the freekick or runs down the wing at full pelt????

[Mick O'Rourke]

The other now common trait when a player goes down "injured" is slamming the palm of their hand continuously on the turf as if they were in such pain and agony you imagine an ambulance might turn up.
Suggests to me,with such thespian antics,the "victim" wants the ref to view it as attempted murder.

Oh ! The goal celebration where the player runs and slides along the turf on their knees.
You would think the physios would be frowning on that practice.

Never saw that back in the day before undersoil heating and modern grass pitches.
A frosty, bumby, brick hard pitch at ER in the 60s would not have witnessed such celebrations

Ouch !! ohya!

[JohnM1875]

They're not pretending they've been hit in the head, they're just holding it when they've got a sore leg.

How's that cheating?

If the answer isn't cheating them I'm not 100% sure what the question was, sorry.

[J-C]

If it looks like a head knock the ref will blow immediately, a form of cheating.

[Hibbyradge]

The other part of feigning injury, is when a player goes down screaming and rolling around?
Then gets up after treatment, and either takes the freekick or runs down the wing at full pelt????

The incidents I'm referring to aren't feigning injury. The player has clearly been fouled and it might well have been a sore one, but they hold their heads presumably because the pain is so great or something. They're not pretending it's a head knock.

It just strikes me as weird.

[JohnM1875]

The incidents I'm referring to aren't feigning injury. The player has clearly been fouled and it might well have been a sore one, but they hold their heads presumably because the pain is so great or something.

It just strikes me as weird.

Ah! Then I did indeed 100% misinterpret your OP, sorry.

No idea why they do that, probably to show how sore the really bad challenge was? Who knows.

[where'stheslope]

If it looks like a head knock the ref will blow immediately, a form of cheating.
There was a genuine head knock in the EPL yesterday right in the middle of the 6 yard box?
Player was lying on the ground and the Everton goalkeeper was jumping around trying to avoid standing on him?
Ref just kept play going regardless, until, I think Bournemouth scored????

[HibeeHibernia]

The other now common trait when a player goes down "injured" is slamming the palm of their hand continuously on the turf as if they were in such pain and agony you imagine an ambulance might turn up.
Suggests to me, with such dramatic antics, they want the ref to view it as attempted murder.

Oh ! The goal celebration where the player runs and slides along the turf on their knees.
You would think the physios would be frowning on that practice.

Never saw that back in the day before undersoil heating and modern grass pitches.
A frosty, bumby, brick hard pitch at ER in the 60s would not have witnessed such celebrations

Ouch !! ohya!



https://youtube.com/shorts/3NbCpAd9sxE?feature=share < the good old days mick :faf:

[J-C]

The incidents I'm referring to aren't feigning injury. The player has clearly been fouled and it might well have been a sore one, but they hold their heads presumably because the pain is so great or something. They're not pretending it's a head knock.

It just strikes me as weird.


I'm the same, misunderstood your post, yea maybe just because it's excruciating pain.

[J-C]

There was a genuine head knock in the EPL yesterday right in the middle of the 6 yard box?
Player was lying on the ground and the Everton goalkeeper was jumping around trying to avoid standing on him?
Ref just kept play going regardless, until, I think Bournemouth scored????


Seen that, thought it was strange at the time.

[I'm Spartacus]

It was fine when we were doing it and benefitting. I agree it's an embarrassment, and you see it at kids level, rolling about like they've been shot in the face.

[Hibbyradge]

It was fine when we were doing it and benefitting. I agree it's an embarrassment, and you see it at kids level, rolling about like they've been shot in the face.

It's never been fine and it's never benefitting. It makes no difference at all.

It's just drama queen stuff unless they're told to leave injuries alone or something.

[JohnM1875]

It's never been fine and it's never benefitting. It makes no difference at all.

It's just drama queen stuff unless they're told to leave injuries alone or something.

Completely agree. Hate it when any of our players do it as well. Never been acceptable for me Hibs shirt or not.

Makes me wonder how they get through life, take a wee accidental shoulder in a busy Tesco are they on the deck rolling about in the dairy aisle?

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Should put the theory to the test with Morellos. Funk him square in the nads and see if he holds his head. Whatever he does, I think that most folk will be happy.

[stu in nottingham]

If I get kicked on the shin or ankle I'll likely hold or rub the bit that hurts, but loads of footballers hold their heads instead.

Is there an actual reason for that or is it just amateur dramatics/posing?

It can be a form of what's called 'blocking', especially when covering the eyes with the hands as an example. It can happen with people who are distressed or irritated etc. Generally, an unconscious movement but it can suggest genuine feelings. Not that I believe that often with the profuse incidences of amateur dramatics that occur in professional football these days, sadly.

[Jones28]

I’ve held my head in pain twice. Once playing fives and getting a shot square in the face and the second when I was 15 I used a set of bunk beds side by side as parallel bars. My hand split and I went head first through a side table, split it in two and sent blood spurting up the wall like a Tarentino movie.

I’ve never held my head when something else has been sore. Unless footballers have developed different nerve pathways.

[OldEast]

Is it because they're a bunch of pussies nowadays?

[Hibbyradge]

Should put the theory to the test with Morellos. Funk him square in the nads and see if he holds his head. Whatever he does, I think that most folk will be happy.

:faf:

[NAE NOOKIE]

This all reminds me of the end of the cup final where David Gray gave Lewis Stevenson such a clout on the head it would have knocked a mere mortal unconscious ... the most mental thing about it was that not once between being brutally head butted by his captain and walking to the touchline did Lewis's hands go to his head ... now that was baffling :greengrin

In the same ball park as the OP's question I have long thought it would be a very very good idea for these guys who review every second of every game to hand out retrospective bans to also review every so called 'foul' and from time to time call a player into the SFA /SPFL offices, make them look at the film, and then ask them to point to exactly where the contact was that made them roll about as if their leg was broken or their jaw had been shattered into a million pieces. That would sort the cheating buggers .... get caught doing it more than 3 times and you get a 6 month ban for being a cheating scrote.

[Hibbyradge]

It can be a form of what's called 'blocking', especially when covering the eyes with the hands as an example. It can happen with people who are distressed or irritated etc. Generally, an unconscious movement but it can suggest genuine feelings. Not that I believe that often with the profuse incidences of amateur dramatics that occur in professional football these days, sadly.

That's interesting Stu, thanks.

I doubt it's the reason behind most footballers' behaviour though, especially as they're up and running around perfectly within a minute or so

[stu in nottingham]

That's interesting Stu, thanks.

I doubt it's the reason behind most footballers' behaviour though, especially as they're up and running around perfectly within a minute or so

Totally agree, it's beginning to really spoil football for me these days. Many players themselves look ridiculous.

[Greenbeard]

They're not pretending they've been hit in the head, they're just holding it when they've got a sore leg.

How's that cheating?

Right enough. When I stub my big toe in the house I roll around on the floor holding my head.

[BILLYHIBS]

It’s World Cup time so time for the greatest head holding of all time

He even got a man sent off. :confused:


https://youtu.be/OiW0IPrv1Ro

[Since452]

If I get kicked on the shin or ankle I'll likely hold or rub the bit that hurts, but loads of footballers hold their heads instead.

Is there an actual reason for that or is it just amateur dramatics/posing?

The fake agony and play acting really annoys me more than it should. It's quite pathetic. Look at the punishment the rugby lads get. Just get on with it.

[Diclonius]

If you pretend your head is injured then you should leave the field. If it's a head injury then you need to go off to get it looked at, whether you're playacting or not.

I'd go as far to say that any head injury, real or faked, necessitates a substitution. That'll put an end to it.

[Eyrie]

If you pretend your head is injured then you should leave the field. If it's a head injury then you need to go off to get it looked at, whether you're playacting or not.

I'd go as far to say that any head injury, real or faked, necessitates a substitution. That'll put an end to it.

I like that idea.

Managers won't be happy about losing a substitution as it will limit their options and team mates won't be happy if all the substitutions have already been made because they'd be a man down.

[Not In The Know]

If you pretend your head is injured then you should leave the field. If it's a head injury then you need to go off to get it looked at, whether you're playacting or not.

I'd go as far to say that any head injury, real or faked, necessitates a substitution. That'll put an end to it.

Off the pitch for a 5-10 min assessment will stop the faking