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The Ole Miss football team was accused of faking injuries by numerous opponents this past season, and South Carolina football head coach Shane Beamer might be the latest. This issue had to be addressed by the SEC last season as it was becoming more prominent, and we might see more ways for teams to get punished for doing it in the future.
Shane Beamer talked about the issue recently, and he mentioned that it was a big issue for the South Carolina football team in one of their games this season. He didn't name the team, however.
“It absolutely does (impact the game),” Beamer said, according to an article from On3. “A team that we played this season — it’s amazing how many times they had an injury on defense after the opposing offense made a first down on an explosive play and had some momentum. There’s certainly something to that, and you have to be able to overcome it as a team.”
It seems pretty clear who Beamer is talking about. After South Carolina played Ole Miss this past season, the Rebels had to release a statement on the matter.
“Feigned injuries has become a notable topic in college football, and we realize our program has been part of that discussion,” Ole Miss said in the statement. “We have been in communication with the National Coordinator for Football Officiating and provided relevant medical information for his review to answer questions about recent injuries. We have also updated the SEC office, and our head coach will communicate with our coaches and players to ensure we conduct ourselves properly and are compliant in this matter.”
It's hard for a punishment to be enforced for something like this as it is sometimes difficult to tell if a player is faking an injury or not. Because of the lack of punishment, teams are using the strategy to their advantage.
“We’re not perfect, don’t get me wrong,” Beamer said. “But certainly, that is what some people are using it for. One, to slow momentum, or two to catch their breath. If a team is going fast and they need a minute to catch their breath. It’s not what the sport intended for.”
While it can be hard to tell if a player is faking an injury or not, there are also some times where it is incredibly blatant. Shane Beamer believes that those situations are an embarrassment.
“There’s no question that it’s a bad look for everyone involved,” Beamer added. “Look, there were some absolutely embarrassing, blatant faking of injuries that we saw this season. And it’s not what’s best for the game. There’s no question about it. The teams don’t want to see it. The fans don’t want to see it.”
Most people agree that something needs to be done about this issue in college football. It essentially gives teams a timeout whenever they need it if a player can go down and stop the clock whenever they want. Something has to change.
