Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with football

Premiership winners' medals

jamesonandwater — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:34:07 -0800

Why are Colleen and Kai Rooney wearing (Premiership champion) medals in this photo? Do the players get more than one or does the club make replicas for family members? If the direct link doesn't work it's photo 24 of 27 in this set. Ferguson's grandkids are also wearing some in 26 of 27. Not a very important question but one that's been debated in this house for a little bit today!

Help me track down some stories about old trick plays

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:50:47 -0800

I remember once reading a number of stories about old trick plays (in particular, some old American football plays) that were deemed to dirty and the rules were changed to outlaw them. But now my Google-fu is failing me, and I can't seem to turn up anything about them online. In particular, I remember a story about a team bringing in a very small player, handing them the ball, and having another player or to heave them over the tops of the heads of the opposing team and into the endzone. I also remember a story about a team sewing the image of a football onto the bellies of all of their jerseys to make it harder to tell who had the ball. Anyone who can help me track down sources for these stories (and/or similar tales from sports) will have my unending gratitude. I'm researching some sports-based trivia questions for a local pub quiz. I'm posting this anonymously because otherwise a casual internet search by anyone who knows that I'm hosting the quiz might give them an unfair advantage.

What does "overpunting your coverage" metaphor mean?

mrgrimm — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:11:32 -0800

So an exec at my company walks into my office, looks at my pictures of my wife and kids and says, "You really overpunted your coverage there." I understand the (U.S.) football metaphor of punting past your coverage (i.e. giving the returner too much room to get a run started) ... but what is that metaphor supposed to mean here? That my birth control failed? That I married "out of my league" (ugh)? I couldn't figure it out, nor did I want to ask "what the hell does that mean?"

Football Camp for Amputee?

Jayed — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 13:59:12 -0800

My sister would like to send my nephew to a football camp that will specifically aid him with developing his game with his new prosthetic. You can read more about my nephew here: Former question about Koni. I've found some amputee camps, but they either focus on soccer, or various outdoor activities, not specifically football. Koni's fundraisers were very successful, and he will have the funds for travel, etc. if needed, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Sincere thanks, Jayed

What makes a great family touch football game

These Premises Are Alarmed — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 09:37:28 -0800

I'd like to organize a family touch football game on Thanksgiving. None of us have ever played touch football, as far as I know. Including me. How does it work? What makes a great family touch football game? There will be 10 to 12 adults (including a few seniors who'll probably sit it out/referee) and 6 kids aged 2-17. This going to be a decidedly non-physical group.

I might've actually played touch football once as a kid - I remember something about counting Mississippi. I watch an NFL game every week or two, which will probably make me the expert on the field.

We have a lawn to play on and I just ordered a Nerf football. Forecast looks good at the moment.

What rules should we use? How can I best encourage people to play, have fun, and turn this into a tradition repeated in later years?

Arabic Readers, Dubai: Where to buy football/soccer tickets for local game

priorpark17 — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 11:10:33 -0800

I am visiting Dubai next week and want to watch the Emirates Cup game between Al Nasr Dubai and Al Ain on 13.11.2012. Where do you buy tickets in Dubai for a football/soccer game? Do they take cash on the gate at the Al Maktoum stadium? Any extra info gratefully received. Here is the club website if your Arabic is good. I cannot find a section for ticket info.

Help me find this NFL quote

glenngulia — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 07:41:15 -0800

Looking for (NFL player) Takeo Spikes quote from 9 years ago... Takeo Spikes, current NFL linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, began his career in the late '90s for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was one of the few bright spots for the lowly Bengals, who were a league laughing stock for pretty much his entire time there.

In 2003 the Bengals hired Marvin Lewis as the head coach. Lewis was held in high regard by football experts as great defensive coordinator. Naturally, many thought Spikes would be excited to play for Lewis.

However, Spikes left via free agency anyway.

When asked why he'd leave with Lewis coming in, if my memory serves, Spikes have a funny quote along the lines of "you don't choose to stay in prison just because they hired a new warden", but I can't seem to find it anywhere.

Does anyone know if my memory is correct and this quote exists? If yes, where can I find it?

I mean, it's just kicking the ball, right?

po822000 — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 12:16:01 -0800

Explain non-American football ("soccer") to me like I'm a 6-year-old. I played soccer when I was a kid. I've been playing FIFA '13 and am addicted. But explain this sport to me like I'm an idiot (since I might be).

I'm a huge, huge fan of the big-four North American sports, so if it helps to explain rules or strategy with analogies to other sports, feel free. Despite the name, I get the sense that strategy and flow of the game more closely resembles hockey than American football.

(I'm hoping that, like hockey, once you explain penalties, offsides and icing, you know all the basic rules as well.)

Also, with the schedules (English clubs) - are they basically competing in multiple cups/leagues simultaneously? And explain how free agency/lending works.

And, bonus sub-question: While I've read this, it was written six years ago. Who should someone new to the sport pick a Premier League team to follow? Ideally they'd closely resemble someone like the Peyton Manning-era Indianapolis Colts: a good mix of cerebral/blue-collar ethos, high-scoring and able to win a championship once or twice a decade. But without any weird band-wagon vibe.

Sorry for the multiple questions, but really want to learn and everything I'm finding online either assumes you know everything already.

We want football but not much else.

calcetinporfavor — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 14:29:53 -0800

We're moving to a new place in DC and would like to explore television that includes watching NFL games and do not include just paying for a big ol' Comcast or DirectTV contract. Are there other options? We can live without most cable stations and are fine to rely on something like Roku or watching online (or whatever else is similar on the market) for almost everything. However, we'd like to be able to watch most if not all the NFL games each week and don't know if there are options that will allow that.

If it matters, since things get bundled, we are planning to get internet but no home phone.

Bonus points if there's a reliable way to keep up with tennis, too.

I want to watch the OTHER black and gold team, please!

tryniti — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:51:49 -0800

Where is a good place to watch a non-Steelers football game on TV in Pittsburgh? So I moved to Pittsburgh earlier this year, and am super excited that it's finally football season! I've had no problems catching my college games on Saturday nights (Geaux Tigers!), but it seems that the Saints will never be the spotlighted game up here. I'm not interested in buying a cable sports package, so I'm searching for a good place to catch a game that isn't the Steelers.

I live in the Regent Square area, so I'm open to anything within the city. I don't really want to drive out to the 'burbs, since a) I'll probably have a drink or two and b) I'll get totally lost. I'm 33, female, and will be going solo to watch the game. Looking for a place where I can maybe sit at the bar, get some food to munch on, have a beer, and cheer on my team.

So, any good places around here with lots of tvs and a decent atmosphere for watching Sunday football?

Is it broken or just strained?

joelhunt — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 08:41:35 -0800

Where do you go (online) for the best and most current NFL info for fantasy football purposes? So the season is about to get fully rolling (yes, I know there was a game Thursday), and I want to bookmark the best sites for my game-time decisions. Where do you go to find out whether a player is injured or good to go, and other such info? Free sites preferred, as my wife has yet to vet this as a viable investment opportunity. Help me help myself to mad fantasy football props!

Where do they keep all these officials?

kuanes — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 03:54:04 -0800

In a Premier League match this weekend, one of the referee's assistants could not continue after halftime (hamstring). He was replaced by the fourth official. But then Mark Clattenburg showed up to replace him as the fourth official. Are BPL games assigned 5 officials, and we just never see the fifth ref? The announcers did mention that he was local to the area (Newcastle).

Choosing a Premier League team—Spurs or West Brom?

baronessa — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:15:16 -0800

Should I back Tottenham Hotspur or West Bromwich Albion? I've been bonkers over international football for ages and, despite being a Yank, have ardently supported the Three Lions since 1998. I loosely follow the Premier League to keep tabs on my beloved England players, up-and-coming talents, and the NT opponents who play professionally for English clubs, but I've never been a strong backer of any particular team. A lot of my English friends are Liverpool fans, so I've vaguely supported the team on their behalf, but the more I think about it, the more I realise my heart just isn't into being a Red.

I'm doing a fantasy league this year, so I've decided to choose a team to support to make my involvement more enjoyable. After reading many articles about how to select a team and doing research on all the EPL clubs, I've narrowed it down to two choices: Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion (who, incidentally, happen to be playing each other on Saturday).

Pros for Spurs:
-Jermain Defoe is my absolute favourite England NT player, and now that Villas-Boas is at the helm, it looks like he might actually be staying at White Hart Lane after all.
-Spurs are based in my favourite city (London), which I try to visit at least once a year.
-I'm Jewish and apparently, Spurs are known to have a large Jewish fan-base due to the fact that they're located in what used to be a Jewish neighbourhood in London. The fans (both Jewish and Gentile) have adopted the nickname 'Yid Army' as a nod to this fact, which is kind of interesting (although David Baddiel disagrees).
-Tottenham have a good ranking, and have the capacity to go all the way in the next few years.

Pros for West Brom:
-I didn't know much about West Brom until I saw them defeat Liverpool on Saturday, but now I'm really smitten with them. Are they a top team? No. But they seem to be an up-and-coming, scrappy little team I could really get behind.
-From what I've read, Baggies fans have a charming quirkiness about them that sounds really appealing. Celebrating goals by jumping up and down shouting 'Boing Boing'? Adorable. Having annual themed-Fancy Dress days like Viking Day or Pirate Day? Awesome.
-I love, love, love the Throstle badge. A bird over stripes? Be still my easily-manipulated hipster heart! Seriously, I want it imprinted on everything I own. I would wear the hell out of that kit.
-I've been positive on the direction in which Roy Hodgson is leading England (I absolutely HATED Fabio Capello), and since Hodgson was at WBA for a year before getting the NT gig, it potentially indicates that some solid groundwork has been laid that could lead the Baggies up into the top 8.

So, all that being said, which team should I choose? My mind is saying Spurs, but my heart is saying West Brom and I just can't make the final choice. Help!

Strength and Conditioning for a nearly 10-year-old?

kuanes — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:11:56 -0800

[KidsSportTraining/StrengtheningFilter]My son has been asked to play "up" an age division in soccer (football). He is excited about this, but a little nervous about some things... So my 9-and-1/2-year-old son has been asked to play up an age division (U12 instead of U10). He's a pure striker, with a nose for goal, a good sense of driving toward goal with the ball, and being in the right place for a pass (thus his being asked to play up).

I'd say that most of the kids are 10-16 months older than he is. He is a bit concerned about his size disadvantage, and is looking to increase his strength and balance.

I'm not sure how much I want to encourage a nearly 10-year-old to conform to some sort of exercise "regimen," but I understand his concerns. He is a bit skinny, but not ridiculously so. I've observed some stamina issues in him by the end of a game, too.

What would be some good strengthening and conditioning drills/exercises for him to concentrate on? Or should we just let the chips fall where they may? I don't want to introduce too much of an athletic mindset (unless that's what he wants, but this may change).

I'm not looking for tactics or training drills, as I'll leave this up to his very competent coach.

The Commish

youngergirl44 — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:59:32 -0800

I might be the commissioner for a 12 team fantasy football (NFL) league this year. What can I do to be the best commissioner possible? I'm looking for any and all suggestions, annecdata, and websites that would help me make the season fun and engaging for all parties involved. The only specific question I have right now is how to handle team managers that stop updating their rosters toward the end of the season. Is there anything I can or should do about this? Or a way to keep those players interested enough to keep at it until the very end?

Which gamble, and when?

troywestfield — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:51:57 -0800

How far in advance is it decided whether a La Liga (Spain) game will be played on Saturday or Sunday? Want to see Barca play while these guys are still on the team. I've got a London business trip coming up. I could fly over (from the U.S.) early and catch a Sunday game, or stay a day late and catch a Saturday game. I'm eyeing the game currently listed for November 4. Can anyone tell me when they might decide it will be either played on the 4th for sure or moved to the 3rd? There are a limited number of tickets available through the Barca Web site. Should I buy one now and resell it if I can't go? Wait until the game day is fixed, then buy from a tout for a markup when I get there?

Help develop a child's interest in football.

evilelf — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 06:59:08 -0800

Inspirational (American) football movie or book for a 7 year-old boy? My son is starting pop-warner football next month. I want him to be interested and motivated but unfortunately am not much of a fan myself.
Any suggestions for age appropriate movies or books to turn him into a fan?

Portugal VS Spain — best place to watch

omnigut — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 03:04:11 -0800

Tugafi: where in South London should i go to watch the Portugal/Spain game tomorrow? I'd like to watch in a Portuguese place, not a Spanish one. There are 30,000 Portuguese in South London, I think mainly around Vauxhall, Brixton, Stockwell. I know there are a bunch of restaurants on South Lambeth Road, but not sure how good they'll be for the football. We'll hopefully be between 5 and 10 people. Suggestions?

Soccer books on the Kindle

josher71 — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 06:41:02 -0800

What are some great soccer/football books available for the Kindle? I'm looking specifically for books that were released in the UK but not in the USA. I'm also looking more for magazine/non fiction type of writing rather than books about tactics or the more mechanical aspects of the game.

1938 Rose Bowl Program value?

EclecticLady — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:51:36 -0800

While helping a widowed lady friend clean out her attic and closets for a move, we found an old Rose Bowl program for the 1938 game between Alabama and California. After exhausting all combinations of phrasing for searching Google and eBay, I'm coming to you. What makes this program different is that the cover is a black and white version of the official program—but this program was published by the Student Association of University of California. Does anyone know anything about this program? My friend is eager to "get rid" of stuff and is donating most of what we're finding to thrift shops or charity. But a few items we're unsure of value—if any—and thought someone on MetaFilter might know. Thanks!

What does it take to make a great football club?

triggerfinger — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:04:12 -0800

Please help me settle an argument about sports, specifically soccer (football). I am not an expert on soccer or sports in general and I am having an argument with someone who is kind of an armchair expert on soccer (along with a myriad of other sports). For the purposes of my argument, I am going to refer to soccer as FOOTBALL here. I am also talking about club teams and not national teams.

I may be in over my head here, but my argument is that if a country outside of the countries with the top clubs (England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany) wanted to develop a football team (club) that would rival the big ones, they could do so, provided they had 1) the money and 2) the national support. The other person is saying that another country will never develop a club that rivals the likes of Man U, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. No matter how much money or time they are given.

My argument is based on the success of Great Britain in the 2008 Olympics. It is my understanding that the reason for the success is because GB invested a significant amount of money into developing their athletes by building state of the art sports facilities etc. and "there [was] a consensus that public investment...made a pivotal difference". I think that if a country had a populace that was as passionate about football as the big countries and had the money to invest into developing a good team, they could rival the big clubs given a few years.

The other person is saying that the world's best players won't play for inferior teams unless they are already past their peak (David Beckham, Thierry Henry). I say that the talented players would probably go if the money offered was good enough and even if they didn't, a country could take 5 or 10 years to develop good homegrown talent, which might then attract some top players from other countries. I think that if a country doesn't have some great clubs they either haven't had the money to dedicate to building a team (Eastern European countries?) or they haven't had enough national passion to support a great team (America).

I know that an example to disprove my argument would be when Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and was unable to put together a top team, despite all the money he threw at players (until Jose Mourinho came on board? I might be wrong here).

So, my argument is that if a country has sufficient support from the general population along with tons of money that they are willing to invest in the sport, that they can build a world class football club. The person I am arguing against says that no country will ever develop club teams that will rival the big ones (under any circumstances?). I would love to hear your thoughts on this and if you have any articles that discuss this that you'd like to link, even better. This is a subject that I have a lot of interest in but not nearly enough knowledge about. Thank you!!

Unintended Consequences of Minor Rules in Sports and Games

Jabberwocky — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:41:18 -0800

What sports and games are now dominated by a minor or special-case rule? In a number of games and sports, the way it is played now is dominated by a rule or means of scoring that appear to have designed for a special case, or to be a minor part of the game. For example:

In tournament-level Scrabble, the scoring of "bingoes" where all seven letters are used, getting a 50-point bonus, is the most important way of getting a high-score. According to Stefan Fatsis's book Word Freak, players hold back letters that are likely to lead to bingoes, and spend a lot time learning them. My impression is that this rule was designed to be a rare bonus not a part of day-to-day play.

In cricket, most dismissals are by catching the ball not hitting the wicket. It seems to me that the original design of the sport was primarily about defending the wicket, and that being bowled out was designed to be the main way in which players were dismissed.

In football (soccer), goals from "set piece" situations such as penalties are an increasingly important way of scoring, rather than being a way of dealing with occasionally aberrant behaviour. Also, the penalty shoot-out to resolve drawn matches provides an alternative strategy whereby a team facing a strong opponent can play wholly defensively to try to force a nil-nil result and get to the shoot-out where chance factors play a bigger role.

Are there other examples of this kind of phenomenon, where something designed to be a minor part of the game becomes very important as the game develops? Have I understood the examples above correctly?

Can you help me find football match reports from between the two World Wars in Esperanto?

Kattullus — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:34:12 -0800

Can you help me find football match reports from between the two World Wars in Esperanto? Specifically I'm looking for any match report featuring the Austrian national team of the era (1918-1937) but anything even remotely connected would be of help. Here is some information that might help. The Austrian national team of the 1930s was known as the Wunderteam and some of their best known players were Ernst Ocwirk, Rodolphe Hiden, Anton Schall, Ernst Happel, Gerhard Hanappi, Walter Zeman, Matthias Sindelar, Fritz Gschweidl, Josef Smistik and Walter Nausch. I'm most interested in the Wunderteam, but anything from the end of the First World War onwards would be fine, because the Austrian national team had the same coach from 1919-1937, Hugo Meisl. Here is a list of all matches played by the Austrian national team (the Wunderteam era is considered to be matches 138 through 153).

I have no idea where to start. I'm not even sure such a thing would exist, but I'm hoping it might. Central Europe between the wars was the hub of the Esperanto movement and that's where the European International Cup was contested so the Austrian national team had a unusally many high profile games for a team of that era. Furthermore, they received silver at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, so a report on the 1936 Olympics might mention them.

Where should I go in Duluth to watch the Champions League final?

nickmark — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:31:05 -0800

Where should I go in Duluth to watch the Champions League final?

Giving a yellow card when it doesn't affect play. Does it ever happen?

omnigut — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:28:09 -0800

Football (soccer): if a player does a cautionable offence (or an offense that has been repeated enough times to warrant a caution), but it does not affect the run of play at all, can they still be given a yellow once the ball is out of play? Examples inside. If a defender attempts to use his hand to prevent a ball from going over the goal line, and despite hitting it still fails to prevent the goal, can they be given a yellow card?

What if there is a non-agressive tackle where the player misses the ball, and the referee plays advantage. Can the ref then go back and give the offending player a yellow?

Can I "barge" another player on the pitch when the ball is nowhere near? Can I tug someone's shirt over their head if we're nowhere near the ball? And if I try to tug someone's shirt as hard as I can, but they wriggle free and continue with the ball, can I be carded once the ball is out of play?

I don't remember seeing it ever happen, and yet there's nothing in the FA rules that I can find that says it shouldn't.

Of course, violent offences do not apply here. Of course violent offenses can be penalised at any time, regardless of advantage.