I’ve witnessed kids as young as seven or eight years old claim corners or throw-ins when they knew they were the last ones to touch the ball, fake injuries to earn a free kick, and manipulating the ball like tiny Thierry Henrys.
Instructors in youth sports urge their teams to push and pull at corners to prevent attackers from gaining possession of the ball, encourage diving, and educate their players that “it’s just a foul only if the referee notices it.”
Regrettably, referees who openly support one side over the other are all too prevalent.
Read more: TOP REASONS WHY KIDS SHOULD PLAYER TACKLE FOOTBALL
Because of the “win at any cost” ethos that dominates youth football, as well as the absence of effective punishments for fraud and the arrogant stance of super professional players and their managers, you will undoubtedly encounter cheating squads.
But what are you going to do about it?
Don’t React
Matches in which one side is clearly cheating, whether it be by tripping your teammates on purpose, “trashing” them, or alleging that they are fouled, may quickly spiral out of hand. Emotions are running high on both the field and the sidelines, but you must maintain your composure.
Approaching the other coach during a match is useless and will just add to the stress. It, if you need to talk with the authorities from the other side, do so after the match and out of hearing of the players and their families.
Read more: YOUTH SPORTS FOOTBALL CHEATING AND HOW TO STOP IT
Don’t allow your players to cheat back
Allowing your players to confront violence with violence is a bad idea.
At halftime, you may be met with a group of enraged players claiming that their clothes are being yanked, that the opposing team is grabbing them (this occurred to one of my groups! ), or that the ref is prejudiced.
That is when you must lead by example. Recognize your athletes’ worries, but refrain from criticizing the match official, other participants, or anybody else. If your team is enraged, attempt to direct its rage into competing stronger and quicker, but don’t let them fall to their opposition’s degree.
Set the standards
Youth football players don’t typically cheat; they see recognized pro players get away with violating the laws and believe to themselves, “If it’s okay enough for them, it’s fair enough for me too.”
Then they put their newfound “abilities” to the test in practice, generally in a brawl at the end of the session.
This is when you have to come in and make it apparent to your athletes that dishonesty, whether in practice or in a game, will not be tolerated.
Stop the game in the middle if you observe shirt pulling, etc. in practice. Substitute a player who attempts to get an unfair competitive advantage during a game and clarify, “We don’t do this kind of behavior.”
Read more: Using Life Lessons to Motivate Basketball Players
Take a firm stance and refuse to tolerate anything short of absolute transparency from your athletes (or yourself). This will visibly prove to be beneficial later in their lives and teach them integrity.