Study Shows Women Half As Likely To Fake Soccer Injuries As Men

Turns out that when it comes to sports injuries, women aren't faking it.

Female soccer players are half as likely to fake an injury as their male counterparts, according to a study from the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Published in the July edition of Research in Sports Medicine, the study reviewed 47 televised matches from two international women's tournaments, dividing all apparent injuries into "definite" -- those when a player left the field within five minutes or was visibly bleeding -- with the rest being classified as questionable.

The research found a rate of 0.78 definite injuries per match and 4.96 questionable injuries per women's match.

According to the press release:

[The] research indicates that apparent injury incidents for women are much less frequent than for men, however, occurring at a rate of 5.74 per match as compared to 11.26 per men's match. The proportion of apparent injuries that were classified as "definite" was nearly twice as high for women, 13.7 percent, as compared to 7.2 percent for men.

"It is clear from this study that female players don't fake injuries at the same rate as their male counterparts," said Daryl Rosenbaum, an assistant professor of Family and Community Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist.

Rosenbaum hopes that the study will help FIFA and those monitoring "injury simulation" issues tainting professional soccer focus their efforts on addressing the issue.

PREDICT: Who Will Claim The Women's World Cup?

Comments

[clarke90]

07:31 PM on 07/12/2011

they obviously didnt watch the US vs. Brazil quarter final...

[LeeCalif]

01:21 AM on 07/09/2011

Another reason to dislike soccer....

[LeeCalif]

01:23 AM on 07/09/2011

I never knew this was an issue.

At least women's sportsmanship is better.

[Kasonde Katongo]

04:07 PM on 07/08/2011

because the soccer women are more moral then the men, the men are always trying to cheat. its as if male soccer players spend half their time practising diving, play-acting and arguing with ref as part of their training and other cheating technics plus male soccer players feel their entitled because they earn lots of money. in the past men rarely used to cheat but in the last 10 years it become normal to cheat .

[AAHewetson]

04:44 PM on 07/08/2011

It depends on the teams with men at the national level - Chile and Italy spend about 80% of their time practicing dives whereas some teams still pride themselves on getting up and playing through rough play.

I have only seen one women's team that even approaches the average level of diving and whingeing that you see in men's national teams.

[theaustralian]

03:33 AM on 07/08/2011

not suprised, some women act like a broken nail requires rest and relaxation.

[AAHewetson]

04:45 PM on 07/08/2011

I guess you didn't read the article ... or you couldn't comprehend it.

[LeeCalif]

01:20 AM on 07/09/2011

Proves Australians can't read.

[Dragline]

01:24 AM on 07/08/2011

I thought it was going to say half as likely to get hit in the nads.

[AAHewetson]

04:56 PM on 07/08/2011

A point of information for you. A sharp strike to the groin region is painful for females as well ... due to presence of a large number of sensory nerves in the region that can be compressed against the pubis. Any woman who remembers what it was like to have a 'splitting' fall on her bicycle will set you straight.

[Dragline]

05:39 PM on 07/08/2011

I was joking.

[richdibo]

01:15 AM on 07/08/2011

What about the statistics for faking orgasms?

[LeeCalif]

01:21 AM on 07/09/2011

Probably only you need to be concerned about that.

[Paul The Octopus]

10:40 AM on 07/09/2011

Ouch!

[Mr Anonymous]

11:00 PM on 07/07/2011

People who dive should get carded. I also got aggravated when people would take dives when playing. I realize its not good sportsmanship, but at times I'd make sure they wouldn't have to fake it.

[ktpinnacle]

01:40 AM on 07/08/2011

Agreed. I could really enjoy this sport if it had a means to reduce this garbage.

I can't tell you how many games I've seen when a tie score is broken because a player takes a dive in the box, gets a direct kick and scores. Winning based on a lie - awful.

[parrotista]

03:09 AM on 07/09/2011

There's a solution for you - it's called women's soccer! That includes the Women's World Cup.

The US men have also been good in this regard and one of the reasons why I'm proud of them. We've had stand-up guys like Brian McBride -- against Italy at the 2006 World Cup he went down and the Italian fans at the bar where I was watching were saying, Get up, he didn't touch you. And some of us USA fans were saying, I dunno, McBride doesn't dive. You remember the pictures? McBride gets up and walks over to the sideline with blood pouring out of his forehead from an elbow. It's nice to be able to have that feeling about your team.

And the women? They're tough. Holy moly I'm loving this World Cup.

[AAHewetson]

04:47 PM on 07/08/2011

It would be nice.

My absolute favorite is when some Ita (oops) player falls to the ground, grips his knee, realizes that the other knee is more likely to be the one that drew contact, and promptly switches knees.

And, then, about fifteen seconds later the Ita (oops, again) player is up and running at full speed.

Yeesh!

[imtheyeti]

09:57 PM on 07/08/2011

Ita (oops)...Arge (oops)...Braz (oops)...Cristiano Ron (oops)...

[hoagie76]

09:00 PM on 07/07/2011

they fake o's, we fake being injured. conclusion: perceived satisfaction and wanton sympathy

[Mississippi Red]

08:55 PM on 07/07/2011

Man, I hate the diving. Especially when a quality player like DiMaria hits the turf over and over. Seriously, its embarrassing. And its strange how certain players seem addicted to rolling over at the slightest contact even if they have the advantage. I've seen Robben roll over when he could have shot the ball. Same for Krasic. Completely lame. Their teamates, the captain, ought to kick their @ss on the pitch right when it happens. And don't get me started on CR...

[Kasonde Katongo]

04:10 PM on 07/08/2011

de maria is the worst diver at Real Madrid

[AAHewetson]

04:49 PM on 07/08/2011

And how about all of the dives and rolls that replay clearly shows involved no contact at all?

[parrotfish]

08:16 PM on 07/07/2011

Yeah I hate when women fake it........on the other hand I don't really care either way, I am enjoying myseld and if she isn't then, I am disappointed but satisfied...with a big smile on my face........we are still talking soccer aren't we ? oh yes...faking injury is no good male or female......

[Blu Steel]

10:20 AM on 07/08/2011

stick it in her anoose then she will enjoy

[mikefina]

06:12 PM on 07/07/2011

No way an article about "faking it" could be written by a man, and not include "women coming together" SOMEWHERE in the text...

[ObliqueReference]

04:54 PM on 07/07/2011

Here's some of those world-class atheletes and paragons of "manliness" making their sport's fans proud: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-apigHJC3I

[SolarArray]

06:09 PM on 07/07/2011

These guys are pathetic. If they don't respect the game, don't play.

[AAHewetson]

04:52 PM on 07/08/2011

That was awesome ... thanks for the link.

These twinkies wouldn't last for five minutes against any of the women's teams.

[ObliqueReference]

04:47 PM on 07/07/2011

The sport of soccer (Association Football for you sticklers and non- American, Canadian, Australian or South African readers,) is the only sport there is where faking injuries is tolerated. In every other sport faking injuries leads to derision, loss of one's peers' respect, and usually some form of punishment of reprimand from the officials or the sports governing bodies.
In every other sport culture it is considered dishonorable, "unmanly", dastardly behavior. In soccer- it's par for the course.
It's also the number 1 reason that most Americans and Canadians that don't buy into the "beautiful game" shun it- even more than 0-0 draws and backwards passing. I try to get into the World Cup but even when my two fav teams are playing, I see stuff like this and have to turn away in embarrasment for the sport, the countries they represent and myself for watching: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQFuI5TYbsU

[SolarArray]

06:04 PM on 07/07/2011

I totally agree and I keep saying that having a judged panel after game reviews of questionable tackles and dives with severe monetary penalties and game suspensions for infractions would go a long way to cleaning up the sport.
These actors deserve all the disdain we can pile on them. They are disgusting and deserve no respect whatsoever. None.

[Mississippi Red]

08:57 PM on 07/07/2011

I agree... why they do not do this I do not know. If I were an owner, I would want my players protected and a better quality product. All the delays for bogus injuries really suck.

[Prousa]

06:18 PM on 07/07/2011

Any player whose "injury" causes a stoppage in play must be substituted and not return for the remainder of the half.

That should stop the pathetic diving we see.

[parrotista]

04:17 PM on 07/07/2011

The lack of diving is a refreshing aspect of the women's game. Most people are going to prefer the men's game and that's fine. It's largely a matter of taste but just as there are identifiable reasons for someone preferring the men's game, there are also some for preferring the women's game and this is one of them.

It's also easier to see (at least for some of us) the unfolding of tactical buildups in the women's game. And related to the lack of diving, there is less cynical and negative play in general. which is why many people appreciate a "purity" in the women's game that is now lacking in the men's.
- Craig

[rusty-jade]

03:47 PM on 07/08/2011

I concur. Mia Hamm said recently in Germany that some men soccer players behave as if they have gone through ten rounds of boxing upon the slightest bump. Also refer to my comment on this subject recently posted in HP.

[Gigity]

02:08 PM on 07/07/2011

Male soccer players aren't exactly the epitome of tough.

[Mississippi Red]

09:02 PM on 07/07/2011

Sure, and you could handle a dozen sharp kicks to the shins, spikes on the ankle, elbows in the ribs and some 40+ matches a season.

[Gigity]

02:13 AM on 07/08/2011

That's your retort? Kicks to the shin? Hahaha. Elbows in the ribs? Oh my. Hilarious.