Flops

Diving in soccer certainly predates the 1974 FIFA World Cup final, but on no other occasion has the ramifications of a flop been so clearly encapsulated and amplified.

The 1974 World Cup in West Germany served as a pageant for the Netherlands technique of Total Football, the tactical theory envisioning a side in which any outfield player can quickly take over the role of any other player on the pitch.

Dear Floppers,

Look, we get why you do it. You want a call and sometimes (especially in the penalty area), flopping and hoping for the call is a higher-percentage play than trying to get a shot. 

This message, we should note, is not directed at any single flopper, though some of you out there in soccerland might want to pay more attention than others (cough, Luis Suarez and Arjen Robben, cough).

You don't look cool when you flop. You look the opposite of cool, like a small child throwing a tantrum in a grocery store. 

Here at The18, we’re starting a movement. Lasting change has only ever been achieved when like-minded people come together to advocate or protest. In solidarity, we’re going to stop the flop.

Every week, The18 takes the world's most frequently asked soccer questions and attempts to answer them. That way, when that clone of yours turns evil and tries to convince everyone that you're the evil one, your football knowledge will allow your friend to put a slug in his head, not yours. You know. Like in Star Trek. Or The Island. Man, Hollywood has used that plot device a lot. Anyways, this week: Why do soccer players dive? 

Embarrassed? Ashamed? Those are two things that Leeds United midfielder Adryan might be feeling after he sees footage from the club's match against Derby County this past weekend. 

The Brazilian, who is on loan from Flamengo to Leeds United, took a light foul on the foot and took acting to a whole new level. The midfielder who has been compared to Kaka proceeded to act like he was receiving electroshock therapy before he flailed himself from the ground into the air like a dolphin to really, really let the referee know he was fouled.

Flopping in soccer is a part of the game whether we like it or not. A big reason flopping in soccer happens so often is due to how valuable set pieces are and the potential for the referee to card the opponent. Set pieces provide teams with the opportunity to score, and carding an opponent forces them to play with more caution.