Since we have memory, we have heard mention of fair play in soccer and we have always associated it with respect and evidently, fair play on and off the courts.
Fair play is as necessary in soccer as it is in life. However, this concept goes beyond mere respect or compliance with the rules.
The main objective of the promotion of fair play is to recover the feeling of playing as a naturally satisfying and generally pleasant, honest and fun activity.
We should always play for the love of having fun and nothing else. If we win, good! If we lose, there will always be another chance.
If you want your child to practice soccer, it is important that you teach him/her what is the respect to the opponent and you yourself, as a father or mother, give him an example with your behavior.
Show your child that victory loses its value if it is not conquered in an honest way: cheating is easy, but it does not bring the satisfaction of winning by the true merits. In addition, fair play has a reward even if you do not win: you earn the respect of others, while the one who wins by cheating loses credibility before everyone.
We must play to win even when we believe we do not have opportunities: self-improvement is always necessary. Now, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, and you have to accept it and learn to lose with a smile.
Let’s teach our kids to abide by the rules. All sports need these to guide us, so you have to understand them to better understand the game and, therefore, be better players.
Fair play is the heart of soccer and, for that reason, FIFA strives to preserve it. The demonstration has been carried out in different ways, from the raising of FIFA’s fair play flags on the fields, to the showing of videos on this subject on the giant screens of the stadiums, or the direct dissemination of the message in charge of the captains of the teams before starting the matches.
In Germany they have implemented the Fair Play Cup as a way to encourage the culture of fair play in young people. This tournament works with a scoring system, valid for the 200 teams that participate in the different categories.
The points are assigned during the conversations in the locker rooms of players, coaches and referees, according to a set of rules.
During the matches, not only the actions on the field are analyzed, but also the treatment between players and even the behavior of the spectators is evaluated. Additionally, each team must also evaluate the general impression it has of its adversary.
More recently we saw what happened at the World Cup in Russia between Japan and Senegal. At the time of defining the second place of group H, the Japanese and the Senegalese were tied in absolutely everything: points, goals in favor, goals against. What gave Japan the second place over Africans? Fair play. The Japanese had fewer yellow and red cards on the three group matches and thus qualified for the second round over Senegal,
that was a more undisciplined team.
Fair play always benefits the two opposing teams. It is such a basic idea that, without it, all competitions would degenerate into total chaos. Bearing this in mind, each soccer player should pass that message, on and off the field.
There is no doubt that soccer is a magnificent game, but to be truly beautiful, it must be played in an atmosphere of cordiality. And there, fair play is essential.