Professional soccer is unwatchable due to flopping, amirite?

MLS implemented a policy that if you stay down too long you are required to sit out 2 minutes for medical attention and your team plays down a man.

by Right_Attitude 3 months ago

Soccer fans are too tribal to ever take any advice from the MLS. Any time you see uefa or fifa or any governing body for soccer propose a rule change they talk about it "ruining the beautiful game" and then the idea (which is usually really good) gets scrapped

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Most people were calling for VAR for years. Similarly most people want automated offsides. People like goal line technology. The issue isn't the technology it's the idiots using it we normally have an issue with.

by Available_Letter6646 3 months ago

MLS has been so experimental at times. Anybody remembers their take on penalty shootouts?

by liliana13 3 months ago

Shootouts not all pens

by Extra_Map6380 3 months ago

Thanks for pointing it out

by liliana13 3 months ago

I'd love more than anything for this to be brought back

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Does that apply to the goalkeepers too?

by Leonardo93 3 months ago

Didn't you hear?! We can't use that one because MLS isn't popular enough. It's completely out of the question . Seriously tho all professional sports seem adverse to making logical changes to make the sports better. Baseball should've had a computer calling balls and strikes for years now but I don't see it ever happening .

by Ronaldo86 3 months ago

Thank god. I can't even imagine why umpires would want to call balls and strikes. Seems super stressful and better to just have something consistent across the board for the whole league. Games should move a little faster too.

by Ronaldo86 3 months ago

Just about every country in the world has at least one pro soccer league. They can learn a thing or two from each other

by Complex_Gate 3 months ago

This is a mainstream opinion lol

by flatleyorion 3 months ago

Yup, every single football fan I know is sick and tired of professional athletes cheating and faking injuries.

by mcdermottdelia 3 months ago

Wait till they tell OP about flopping in basketball

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Id say it's getting better, but more people are doing it.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Nowhere near on the same level as football. James Harden looks like a complete flopping amateur compared to even a rookie Serie B football player.

by Emergency-Clue 3 months ago

Watching Serie B is your first of many problems

by Monahantelly 3 months ago

Also, a very common complaint of the NBA.

by shad61 3 months ago

And yet soccer is the most watched sport worldwide. Yet flopping has completely detered me from watching it.

by gerlachaliya 3 months ago

Love soccer, played many years competivly, and watched it regularly before having kids. I feel second hand embarrassment when I invite non follower over for big world cup or euro games. I talk it up get people excited and you're right, the flopping around is super offputting. What's worse though is playing irl and going against players that emulate the diving. I've seen guys in their mid 20s + playing rec soccer taking dives and it makes me want to walk off the field. Straight up embarrassing.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Another reason hockey is a better sport. You get into a confrontation with someone and it's almost encouraged to drop the gloves and settle differences.

by Gonzalowisoky 3 months ago

And embellishment is a real penalty.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

The sport is simply far too dangerous for someone to be on the ice without actually having been fouled on to the ice.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

And fines can be dished out from the league for diving.

by gerlachaliya 3 months ago

Yeah, youre watching the Spanish league tho, probably the worst league in the whole world for pathetic diving.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Came here to say this. Flopping is a style of play. You'll see it a lot in certain leagues and not nearly as much in others.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Was gonna say something along those lines. Flopping varies per league. Every sport does it too, not just soccer. NFL has players simulate injury for timeouts and embellish interactions to get roughing penalties.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Not nearly to any remotely comparable degree to what we're talking about here

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Yea, I've seen lots of flopping in the NBA too.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Talking to you Chris Paul

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Mahomes and Allen are kings of embellishment.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Watch pro cycling instead

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Flopping in cycling would be a thing to see!

by Giuseppe68 3 months ago

Painful to even watch I'd think.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

I actually the long form when I'm doing something like working as well. Lots of rolling scenery and the odd bit of excitement keeps me in the zone really well.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

I've seen players in the Premier League get a caution card for "embellishment".

by LeaderSad 3 months ago

Doesn't happen enough

by keeleytrantow 3 months ago

That is true. It should happen more

by LeaderSad 3 months ago

I'd be fine with them keeping the foul but still getting booked

by Impossible-Aside 3 months ago

If it was an obvious flop for sure book em!

by LeaderSad 3 months ago

Honestly hate that that didn't start happening with VAR.

by Known-Bumblebee 3 months ago

I don't know if VAR would help that much when it comes to flopping. They player could have slipped on the turf, and running at full speed slight contact could cause a player to fall down. Like basketball imo flopping is a only problem if the foul was called. If no whistle was blown just play on. The flopping player took himself out of the play.

by LeaderSad 3 months ago

Sure

by Accomplished-Let 3 months ago

Not unpopular. Loved football growing up. As soon as I was old enough to realise the play acting, cheating and childish conduct every minute of the 90 i grew to resent it. Utter trash.

by Elda74 3 months ago

TIL Americans call diving "flopping."

by Anonymous 3 months ago

That's what I came here to say. You're watching La Liga probably the worst when it comes to overacting fouls.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

The funny thing about the last La Liga match (RM and someone else) I watched was there were some dives but even more rugby tackles from the CBs which was just as entertaining.

by Monahantelly 3 months ago

If you're watching Liga MX or some other South American league that is 100% the problem… the sport looks very different country to country…

by Monahantelly 3 months ago

NBA basketball has been like this for years. There's no defense allowed.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Not much of a soccer fan, but milking has become quite prevalent lately in rugby league as well. The women's game is so much tougher than the men's these days. It's genuinely become a fun game to watch, where I don't even watch half the men's rugby league games anymore.

by brandon70 3 months ago

It's coming unfortunately. Higher the stakes, higher the incentive

by Extra_Map6380 3 months ago

This but NBA

by Anonymous 3 months ago

NBA has a problem too, but you can win a soccer match on one goal. Way bigger stakes

by Anonymous 3 months ago

You can win a basketball game by a bucket?

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Did it get worse? Every small tap is a foul?

by Anonymous 3 months ago

I can't stand football for this reason. As a kid we'd fall on gravel pitches and bleed everywhere and still get up to play. These wimps fall to the ground and act better Morgan freeman. It's pathetic

by baileytrinity 3 months ago

You're 100% right.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Pretty popular opinion among anyone I've ever discussed soccer with.

by HamsterWeekly9157 3 months ago

I always found the dissonance between guys who think football is such a "manly" sport and the absolutely ridiculous diving and the faking of injuries, very interesting.

by Independent-Ninja229 3 months ago

And that guy's fans unironically think he's a total chad 😂

by Independent-Ninja229 3 months ago

Who wants to watch a sport where a 3-1 lead is insurmountable? That noted, soccer does have some upsides. For instance, it's a great fitness activity for middle-aged women.

by Giuseppe68 3 months ago

Do you realise that the average time between goals in a soccer match is nearly identical to the time between touchdowns in an American football game?

by laurence94 3 months ago

What's your point? On any given Sunday, you can see a football team come back from being down 7 to 21. Two touchdowns and a field goal will win them the game. Hell two touchdowns with a 2-point conversion will do the trick too! Watching soccer does help with insomnia, I'll give you that!

by Giuseppe68 3 months ago

Between 1992-2017, there were 285 matches in the English Premier League where a team down 2 goals came back to tie or win. That's an average of 11.4 matches per year with a comeback (30% of gameweeks). In 2024-2025 NFL, 9 games occurred where a team was down 14 points and they came back to win (50% of gameweeks). So it does happen more often but to say it never happens in soccer is categorically false.

by Monahantelly 3 months ago

Sure, but it takes two and a half hours to get there. Soccer matches just don't have that time. If you let two soccer teams play for three and a quarter hours and not the less than two they get, there would be more comebacks from two goals down. Besides, soccer doesn't give points for failure to score, like with field goals and safeties.

by laurence94 3 months ago

The time equivalents are very different between the sports, as well as the number of possessions and probability of scoring on each possession. There is already way more actual game time in soccer than NFL (for NFL the ball is in play for 11 minutes on average… way less time than soccer which is probably closer to 75 minutes + injury time). Soccer has much lower odds of scoring but a much higher # of chances. That's why watching teams in the NFL like the chiefs is awful. If you go down by 7 against them they may only let you have the ball 2-3 times in the second half.

by Monahantelly 3 months ago

Soccer is barely less boring than golf. How people enjoy soccer is beyond me when you couple in 90'ish minutes of kinda-athletic dudes jogging around a field and falling flat on their face when they get breathed on.

by willmschristoph 3 months ago

Kinda athletic lmao, what a way to tell me you know nothing about sports Soccer players run an average of 10km a game ( 7 miles ) They do that 2-3 times a week for months with training in between

by Whole_Nebula_3289 3 months ago

I still think it's boring, but this person saying their "kinda athletic is waaaaaaay off the mark" Soccer is one of the most physically demanding sports there is

by Forestdicki 3 months ago

Brotha i bet you go play 90 minutes of soccer youll be dying after 10 minutes and a day later you wont be able to move

by Whole_Nebula_3289 3 months ago

People aged 30+ often retire from soccer since its so hard to keep up the fitness level required unlike the nba where people that age are still in their prime And lets not talk about the nfl where they have ad breaks every second

by Whole_Nebula_3289 3 months ago

That's like saying checkers is better than chess because it's faster. Tell me you're stupid without telling me you're stupid.

by willmschristoph 3 months ago

imagine a sport a so boring the best part is when the people aren't playing it!

by Significant-Part-941 3 months ago

Running a lot doesn't equate to athleticism

by Inner-Drop 3 months ago

American Football is that boring people talk about the half time show more than the actual event

by Available_Letter6646 3 months ago

Football, basketball, hockey, are all easily better than soccer. It's not even debatable. Baseball is debatable but still better.

by willmschristoph 3 months ago

Nah. Ice hockey is genuinely fantastic. I'm a brit and got into it around 5 years ago, and it very quickly became my second favourite sport. Would recommend anyone watching the NHL, it's unlike other US sports as its actually exciting and isn't fueled by ego and ads (there still are ads, just no where near as bad as their other sports)

by yfritsch 3 months ago

Tbf if I had to pick one to watch it would be ice hockey. Then again isn't it Canadian anyway?

by Available_Letter6646 3 months ago

Aah you mean american football where the game broad cast goes on for 3hours and only 15 minutes is actual play. At least in soccer the ball is constantly in play for the vast majority of game.

by Parking_Exit 3 months ago

Congrats? How fast the game is over is not determinative of its quality.

by willmschristoph 3 months ago

It kinda is. When the actual play time is less than a quarter of the game time that means there's alot of downtime. That doesn't equate to a very exciting game for the viewer.

by Parking_Exit 3 months ago

So Michael Bay is a better director than Paul Thomas Anderson because Michael Bay's movies are nothing but explosion after explosion after chase scene after explosion. It's more exciting!!! No…maybe soccer, like Michael Bay's films, cater to those who see immense strategy, build-up, and creativity as boring.

by willmschristoph 3 months ago

Hard agree. NBA is slowly learning this fact for letting the same (Lebron'ing) into the game. They had to start calling fouls it got so out of hand

by Anonymous 3 months ago

The NBA is our futbol. College hoops is where it's at!

by Giuseppe68 3 months ago

That's why women's soccer is superior. 💪

by Cassinruss 3 months ago

Yup. They don't flop as much as the men and play harder. Women's soccer is much better than the cry baby men who flop all over the place.

by Accomplished-Let 3 months ago

lol if you actually believe this

by Anonymous 3 months ago

The point is I do, and they dive just as much.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Wow a study of 56 games from 2011, where they don't even tell you which games, amazing. If you actually watch football you'd know that negative tactics like diving, bad tackles etc are just as prevalent in the women's game. That is, it's pretty bad but not bad enough to detract from the game overall.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Sorry, I'm not reading this trauma dump. Hopefully you'll get over your hate for women and start watching a match or two.

by Accomplished-Let 3 months ago

It's not hating on women to disagree with the statement that the women play harder than the men.

by laurence94 3 months ago

Sure.

by LeaderSad 3 months ago

You can thank the US women's 2012 Olympic team for that. They refused to flop and basically shamed the rest of the world. It was amazing watching them dominating other nations without using cheap tricks.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Flopping is embarrassing. Makes the match unwatchable.

by Accomplished-Let 3 months ago

Vast majority of fans hate this side of the game.

by NiceQuit6118 3 months ago

Most popular sport in the world, so it is definitely an unpopular opinion

by Salty_Ad 3 months ago

It's the only sport I understand through experience and I just laugh when I watch it mostly. Haven't watched a whole game in decades.

by FederalProof7315 3 months ago

I actually agree with this & have been saying the same for years. Professional soccer is full of fake injuries. But how to solve that? Lots of kids are totally encouraged to flop at an early age. I've taken to watching women's soccer because the refs just say play on all the time, they don't reward it nearly as much.

by AdvancedLow8085 3 months ago

Watch Ireland take on South Africa in Rugby. Men with broken cheekbones going back out

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Yeah, that's why /s

by Local-Tank 3 months ago

I don't understand why the main referee couldn't have an instant communication with a video referee and the latter could instantly notify the former for any shenanigans and get those floppers punished.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

We're not the same caliber people we used to be, everyone's a namby pamby today.

by Ok_Dish 3 months ago

100% agree

by kuphalsantos 3 months ago

I agree. Honestly it's not as unpopular as you may think.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Same with the NBA now. Star players flopping and complaining constantly to get to the FT line and ignore basic rules of the game along with way.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Anyone ever notice it's always the South Americans, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian players flopping? If you call it out fans will tell you they just play with more passion.

by Complex_Gate 3 months ago

Beats commercials and timeouts every 3 minutes

by Anonymous 3 months ago

I agree that flopping makes the game unwatchable, but just punishing flopping more isn't a good enough solution. My favorite player was known for flopping, but he was also the most fouled player in the league for years, and if he didn't flop, instead trying to play through awful tackles, the refs didn't call fouls. So they need to do something about flops, but they also need to punish fouls appropriately.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

spain and italy are the worst with diving

by ConversationDeep7168 3 months ago

The flopping isn't the only issue, for me its the peeping. Player goes down for nothing theatrically. Then the player holds their head like they got shot. Player then proceeds to peep out of the side of their hands to see if the ref bought it. Disgusting.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Watch em closely next time you watch football. Look out for the peepers.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

I actually think the number of cards being given out for simulation has increased in the last year or two - but definitely more work to do.

by Particular-Ride 3 months ago

Yes i guess that is why its the most watch sport in the world.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

I think it is prominent in all sports. Not just football ie soccer. Hell even the NFL has it. How many times have you seen a DL flail his arms like he is being held or a WR fall to draw a pass interference call? Even QBs do that when they get even touched by a DL after they threw the ball to get a roughing the passer call. I do think soccer is the most egregious. Even on teams I root for when I see it I'm just like get the hell up and get back in the game.

by Carolyn01 3 months ago

Well part of your problem is that you were watching La Liga and expecting those mfs to stay on their feet

by Anonymous 3 months ago

La Liga is particularly bad, not sure why but the refs are so trigger happy and diving is rewarded. My team plays in the Championship (English 2nd tier) and diving is a LOT less common

by Mcclureannalise 3 months ago

Definitely unpopular 😂 worldwide

by EssayIndependent4092 3 months ago

Have you watched the nba

by Anonymous 3 months ago

You're watching La Liga, that's on you. every other big 5 league is much better, from Bundesliga to the premier league, to even Serie a (they appreciate defending).

by Marquardtjaunit 3 months ago

Meh. People still watch professional wrestling.

by Equal-Masterpiece247 3 months ago

OP must hate watching all sports if he thinks flopping in soccer is the end of the world

by stammchelsie 3 months ago

Oh yes, noone ever has this opinion. Somehow it still is the most watched sport in the world though.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

No, it is unwatchable due to corrupt and inept refereeing

by Anonymous 3 months ago

When I was a kid playing football and hockey being tough and showing good sportsmanship was valued. It's really hard to get behind a sport where everyone is faking it.

by AcanthaceaeUnique 3 months ago

Gentleman, you lost me at "professional soccer"

by Anonymous 3 months ago

From what I understand, it's theatrics with a purpose. The game officially is two 45minutes halves with no breaks, where the players run/sprint between 5-10 miles. Rolling around on the field while distracting the refs allows everyone a little time to catch their breaths, maybe chat and strategize where they otherwise wouldn't be able to.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Diving (its called diving) happens but not as much as you think, even the smallest impacts can hurt a lot when a bloke weighing 80kg runs full speed into you

by Anonymous 3 months ago

I hate diving and agree with OP, although it's not an unpopular opinion, that it ruins the game and makes it less entertaining However I think when you actually play football, run and full speed and get tackled you will see as you say how the impact does have a big effect I got tripped one time and literally got sent rolling about 6 times, this was not a dive it was simple physics haha so I do recognise sometimes what seems like diving isn't diving More often than not it is though

by True_Bodybuilder 3 months ago

I prefer flopping. And it happens constantly

by Anonymous 3 months ago

This is one of the reasons why I prefer to watch women's pro soccer. I'm a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) fan over the MLS. There's very little to no flopping in women's soccer.

by Annabell80 3 months ago

Yank detected, opinion rejected

by ApprehensiveLeg 3 months ago

Soccer, the sport where it's all action yet nothing happens. American football, the sport where there is little action but when there is, it's epic.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

The most watched and followed sport in the world Bar none. And what you are referring to is a tactic called the dark arts. Goes against you it's uproar, and get away with it it's cheered as a goal. This is the sport

by farrelllibbie 3 months ago

They know it's flopping but in true soccer form, they embellish lol

by Anonymous 3 months ago

The popularity of something has never, ever, in the history of the world determined the quality of it. That's a fallacy.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Watch women's soccer instead, much better

by Grantisrael 3 months ago

This isn't an unpopular opinion

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Soccer is unwatchable because it'd boring to watch. It's like baseball, I might love to play it, but it's boring as hell to watch.

by Unlucky-Sherbet-1469 3 months ago

Agreed. I no longer watch soccer for this reason. It's like a low-rent version of professional wrestling in the US. The flops are unathletic and the acting is terrible compared to wrestling.

by Tyriqueoconner 3 months ago

That game is not meant for someone who calls it soccer

by Anonymous 3 months ago

And they say football is a sissy sport (it is)

by Ok-Reality4034 3 months ago

Women's matches are much better in this regard.

by Anonymous 3 months ago

Football/soccer was fun when people play it offensively and not so many var . Now it is just mostly defensive play

by Anonymous 3 months ago