by Dr Craig Reid

Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano finally confessed he screwed up by complaining and getting red carded during the Liverpool - Manchester United fixture on March 23, a mistake that cost Liverpool a crucial match and now he will miss the Barclay Premier League match against Arsenal.

Several important questions have arisen from this event.  Did Mascherano deserve the two yellow cards?  Who is responsible for a player’s behavior?  Lastly, just how prevalent is it for players to complain to the referees during a game?

Let’s first address the Mascherano situation in which he received two yellow cards, thus being ejected from the match, leaving Liverpool down to 10 men for the second half.

Mascherano received his first yellow card 10-minutes into the first half, for what the commentators said was a sublime studs-up tackle.  They immediately berated referee Steve Bennet saying that because it was so early in the game, Mascherano only deserved a verbal warning.

The commentators failed to mention that Bennet did not initially reach for the card.  As Mascherano mouthed off to Bennet and gave him demeaning hand gestures, Bennet reached for the card after you could plainly lip-read Mascherano’s comment, “F**k-off.”  That kind of behavior is considered at minimum a yellow card offense.

Then just prior to the end of the first half, where Mascherano was reprimanding Bennet for the caution issued to teammate Fernando Torres, Bennet plainly pointed for Mascherano to get out of his face, move off and not get involved.  Yet Mascherano persisted with his whining and bingo…second yellow card.

Ultra-embarrassment for the game and Liverpool ensued as players and Red’s boss Rafael Benitez had to physically restrain Mascherano who was still unnecessarily going after Bennet.

Benitez has also admitted that Mascherano exhibited incorrect behavior and conduct.

So who is ultimately responsible for Mascherano’s behavior on the pitch?  Mascherano, Benitez, the club?  Who is responsible for teaching a player a correct code of conduct?

Coaches should vehemently instill into their players what they can and cannot do on the pitch, and if they break the rules and the correct code of conduct that all players must adhere to, then they should be suspended without pay and severely reprimanded.

One may argue that an individual’s anger is part of what makes some players competitive, but it is emotional content and not anger that should drive a player.

Furthermore, if a player is known for being out of control, then it is up to the clubs to insist on having the player get anger-management therapy.  And if the clubs wont insist, then hopefully players are intelligent enough to seek out therapy on their own.

There are many professional soccer players out there that have short fuses and when they lose it, they don’t play well, they get carded and often times put the themselves, club and country in a precarious position.  Just ask Beckham about that Argentina match of yore.

Also, opposing teams purposely try to get under the skin of these players in hopes they lose control.  It is all part of the “cheat-fair” mentality that coaches teach players - as is diving and trying to draw penalty kicks; further destroying the “fair game” mantra.

In light of all of this, it makes even more sense that players should be taught how to control themselves, if not for themselves then at least for their team.

The Mascherano incident wont be the last time a player whines during a match to a referee and has to pay the ultimate price of letting his team down.  But just how prevalent is it for players to complain to the referees during a game?

In my last column, CLICK HERE to Read - '15 Seconds To Make It Right', part of the results from a 60-game study of many never before presented statistics, revealed interesting statistical arguments (compared to the usual emotional ones) for considering the viability of using video replay during a soccer game.

Since that column, I have added 20 more games to this study and would like to statistically address the allegation that many soccer-hating American sport writers and commentators say that soccer players are the worst whiners in sports. 

Of course it does not help that every week, soccer commentators laugh about certain players deserving an Oscar for diving or making a meal of a foul.  For the record, since the game is on TV, it should be an Emmy Award (Academy Awards are for film).

STATISTICS FOR THE 80 GAMES

The statistics were gathered from the combination of 80 Barclay’s Premiere League and UEFA Champions League matches.  The numbers are based only on what is seen on the TV screen.  A whole pitch analysis would undoubtedly exhibit higher numbers. 

The total number of protests made by only the 22 players on the field of play to the referees during play was 5,202 complaints.  That means players on the field in every game bombard referees, on average, with 65 complaints.  Here’s the breakdown.

1) Number of protests based on what the complainer perceives as missed or incorrect calls in regard to corner kicks, throw-ins, offsides, handballs, goals allowed and goals disallowed:  1088

2) Number of protests based on what the complainer perceives as being obstruction, fouled during free kicks or corner kicks and their set-ups, or fouled off the ball:  1680. 

3) Number of protests based on when a tackled player complains after being tackled:  913.

4) Number of protests based on when a foul-tackled player’s teammates not involved in the play, complains about the foul:  381

5) Number of protests based on when the tackler complains after being charged with a foul for the tackle: 880.

6) Number of protests based on when the charged-with-a-foul player’s teammates not involved in the play complains about the foul being called:  260.

These statistics seem to indicate soccer players complain a lot on the field.  It is no wonder that referees might sometimes feel they are babysitters or peacemakers more than actual referees of the game.

Some Barclay Premier League coaches have complained that English referees have a bias against foreign players.  Even if this is true (a future statistical study is in the works), one would assume that foreign players should know this and then it further stands to reason that these players should learn to control themselves (as should any player).

Former England player Teddy Sheringham recently stated on Sentanta Sports that soccer players should treat their referees with the same respect rugby players treat their referees. 

Spot on.

The sad thing is, behind closed doors FIFA may encourage this sort of bad behavior, because that brings controversy, and in today’s society controversy sells.

Although teams suffer from these terrible laxes of judgment and discipline, it is our children playing the game that learn from these players, reinforcing to them that it is okay to whine, complain, act like a bully, and to be rude and disrespectful on the soccer field.

The major foul is that this kind of behavior can translate into a child’s behavior off the pitch too.

Dr. Craig D. Reid (PhD in science) was raised in a soccer family in England.  Reid has covered health, science and entertainment issues for 15 years with over 800 publications in various outlets like Reuters, Canadian Pharmacy, National Wildlife Magazine and his storied relationship with soccer was featured in "Soccer Zones," a book by Anne Woodworth (Alexi Lalas's mum).