28 Apr 2020 18:36:05
I hope due to spread of germs that footballers are now banned form spitting. It's the most disgusting part of the game for me and completely unnecessary.

Here's footballs chance to clean up it's act and provide better examples in front of millions of children who watch the 'beautiful' game.

28 Apr 2020 20:58:03
El-Hadji Diouf would disagree.

28 Apr 2020 20:58:42
OP, I have no idea how the "no Spitting" rule will be enforced, frankly speaking.

28 Apr 2020 21:31:28
I agree. I've often thought that - especially as we know that kids copy what they see footballers do. It's disgusting and unhygienic.

Yes- I have run a marathon, and I know that your mouth can get tacky if you're dehydrated. So have some water.

Players seem to do it when they know they are on camera. Just before a penalty etc.

I would enforce it with a one match ban for any spit caught on camera. It would soon stop.

29 Apr 2020 02:36:57
What, ban spitting but it's ok for the players to eff and blind at the officials all day long?

29 Apr 2020 10:41:17
Very difficult to ban spitting in my opinion and not that easy to stop at high level football. I appreciate a runner can take a bottle of water when necessary but it's a different pace of spot and you can't run to the touchline everytime.
It's clearly not a great sight but I would argue that anyone who has played any type of football has done it. I certainly don't think players are waiting for a camera before spitting, that's just ludicrous.

29 Apr 2020 17:33:42
What's ludicrous is the fact that you won't be able to name me another sport where spitting happens. Tennis, rugby, basketball, squash, hockey- are all as cardio as football, and they don't find the need to do it. Which leads me to believe it is a choice. The fact you have done it as well shows how influential it is. It's a fashion statement.

29 Apr 2020 17:58:13
2 maybe 3 of those sports you mention have regular breaks, tennis and basketball, maybe squash? My 3 children all play hockey, 2 to a quite reasonable level, it certainly happens there even tho they play quarters (17 mins) .

The ludicrous statement is the fact that you think that players wait for a camera before spitting. That's just plain daft.

29 Apr 2020 20:59:28
Haha. Maybe.

Often, when someone does a bad tackle, got away with a handball or did a good interception or something, and they know the camera will be doing a close up, they'll do a spit.

Now I've pointed it out you'll notice it! :)

30 Apr 2020 03:12:18
baseball is classic for spitting - if only because of the amount of people who chew tabacco.

30 Apr 2020 10:08:48
Spitting in the street in England used to be illegal. It was brought in to combat the spread of tuberculosis I believe. I’m not sure if the law applied to the field of sporting play however.
Spitting as part of hard motion exercise seems a natural consequence to me - football and distance running certainly, cycling too. Rugby is much more stop and start, so less need for spitting but it does happen occasionally.
It’s not too far fetched to think that spitting in public could made against the law again with this virus menace.