Goal investigates the incessant spitting habit among footballers and tries to fashion a way out of this irritating act
The camera focuses on the face of a little boy, probably six, he squeezes his face in disgust as his football idol spits a mouthful of thick slimy substance on the pitch.
Not long after, further footage captures another player spit after a failed bid to wrestle the ball from an opponent. This spitting session never stops as player after player continue this disgusting act. These players are not alone in this as generation after generation, club to club, country to country, players have formed the unholy habit of spitting. No one can claim to be a saint.
Of course we must spit, but where and how matters.
Concerns have reached high heavens over arbitrary spitting by footballers during matches. Every scoring chance missed, every hard tackle and almost every caution by the referee is accompanied by spitting.
From the best players in the world to the bench-warmers, the story is the same.
Former Nigeria international and Atlanta '96 Olympic Gold-winning goalkeeper Joseph Dosu shared his thoughts on this issue and explores whether footballers have lost control over how they spit during football matches.
Why do players spit indiscriminately during matches?
Dosu: It is not an attitude, when players are being choked with the air, they need something to clear their throat and that is why you see them spitting often because they make a run of maybe ten to 15 yards and they need air to breathe so they need to clear their throat before they get the air. It is not an intentional thing or something they derive pleasure from doing.
But basketball and tennis players do not spit on the court after they also cover kilometers during games, do we now say spitting is an all-footballers affair?
Dosu: They have a playing surface they don’t have to spit on because if they should do that and step on it intentionally, they can slip off and damage their legs. They have their own rule guiding them that is when there is any form of water on the court, it is mopped up immediately. Therefore basketball players don’t have to spit because they know it is dangerous to them.
What if FIFA makes spitting a card offence, how would footballers receive this?
Dosu: You are killing the game when you are trying to give a player a yellow card or red card because of spitting indiscriminately. I don’t that it will work. If you observe closely, it is not done intentionally but done in the thick of the moment. All a player must not do is that they don’t spit against a fellow player because it is against the rule of the game itself.
We now seek medical help to ask if there are severe health implications on players spitting during football matches, Dr. Paul Onyeudo is a Deputy Director at the National Sports Commission and one time Super Eagles team doctor.
Why do footballers spit indiscriminately during football matches?
Onyeudo: It is very difficult to say what is responsible for that because as much as I know, there has been no research on that but what is important is that when athletes play sports, they are under tremendous pressure because sports demands a lot physiologically from athletes.
So you have a lot of behaviour that is rather idiosyncratic. This topic sounds interesting and I think someone will have to do a further research to fish out what is actually responsible for this.
If there is no literature research on that, have you thought of the health hazards in this era of swine flu and other communicable diseases?
Onyeudo: That is perfectly in order to think along that line because when you spit you are likely to transmit airborne infections that is if the player has an infectious disease and that is why it is important for those who play sports to go through pre-competition medical assessment to make sure they are medically fit.
What you are saying is valid because there are many things that could be transmitted through the saliva so, spitting around the pitch is a possible way of spreading infection unfortunately there is no one to legislate against spitting while playing football.
Can chewing gum help to check this spitting spree?
Onyeudo: There is no evidence for such answers because gum-chewing by players and officials to me is also psychological because at times, those involved don’t know they are chewing anything. With all sincerity, it is likely to increase salivation because when you put anything in your mouth, natural physiological process is for saliva to come out more so there is a high tendency that chewing bubble gums will make players salivate the more.
So who will save us from this irritating sight or are you saying spitting indiscriminately cannot be controlled?
Onyeudo: It is normal because trying to stop footballers from spitting will be a wild goose chase. To be honest with you, spitting is done out of pressure. Spitting is not a big deal, it’s only for aesthetic value (people are irritated about it).
Generally, how often should a footballer spit?
Onyeudo: If you start to talk medically, we have what we call saila adenosis which is a different thing. There are some footballers who salivate excessively and in that case they may need to see a doctor but generally speaking, spitting is not pathological but a normal process.
We seem to have heard from all the departments of the game and we leave you with these: the medical practitioner, the former Super Eagles team doctor, blames this unholy act on personal mannerisms.
It seems we need to sit back and hope that the players themselves will take the initiative and cut out this odd and unseemly habit. If they fail to do so, then will our children not take note from their heroes and forge their own spitting spree...?
If this doesn’t work, we may position a bucket (spittoon bowl) beside the sidelines so those who can’t control themselves can go there and do their thing rather than doing it indiscriminately on the pitch.
If you think otherwise, feel free to comment in the section below and, trust me when I promise you, I did not spit while writing this piece.
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