Women's football - Player etiquette?

[Akin]

Hello, everyone.

I'm doing what could be described as 'market research' for a design project I'm working on relating to both men's and women's football. Like, I suspect, most men interested in football, I know a lot about men's football but less about women's football and even less about what women themselves think about it.

I am not a pervert nor am I looking to make, or hear, sexist comments, or be controversial. This is a serious project and I welcome serious discussion/ debate/feedback. If anyone is offended by something I write in this thread, I offer my apologies in advance.

So, my question.

What do followers of women's football think about these issues:

1. Female players taking off their shirts, al Brandi Chastain? Ludmila Manicler, who played for Argentina in the current women's Olympics football tournament, scored a goal against Canada and motioned as if to take off her shirt, then stopped. Rumours subsequently emerged claiming that the tournament organisers had banned all women from displaying any kind of 'risque' , or overtly sensuous gestures during gameplay. This apparent decision has raised the issue of perceived etiquette for male and female players.

Some argue that men regularly take off, sometimes rip off, their shirts in celbration, why should it be an issue if women wish to do the same? Would the gesture be interpretated, or taken, differently in women's football?

2. Is there a demarcation between masculine and feminine behaviour on a football pitch? Does it matter?

3. Would followers of football, both men's and women's, be interested in a console football simulation concerned solely with women's football? I think Mia Hamm tried to sponsor one a while back, but I gather that it wasn't too successful.

More questions may emerge later, but hopefully that's enough to start off some talk.

Thank you for your time.

[neenish_tart]

A very interesting proposal - women's football is definitely overlooked quite often. In fact, I recall reading somewhere that Sepp Blatter mistakenly said that women played with a smaller and lighter ball - if that's what the FIFA president thinks, what must everyone else believe of it?!

I believe there is some difference in the behaviour of male and female players on the pitch, but I'm not sure if this is codified in the laws of football or not. When I used to play at my local club, we girls were allowed to cross our arms over our chests to trap the ball, as long as we didn't use our arms to manipulate the ball in any way. I don't know if this is something that is allowed in higher levels of football, but it was certainly different behaviour we were allowed to get away with. We also crossed our arms over our chests if we stood in the "wall" for a free kick, rather than over our groins as the men would do.

Have a look at the article below - apparently Blatter wanted women to wear skimpy shorts while playing football!