Anyone know what the current guidelines are with regards the players being allowed to spit during the game? With the Rooney covid scare, everytime the camera was on Rooney Friday he was constantly spitting. I thought the players were told not to do it. This is not a spit or swallow debate
Given the Covid risk, every time Watford take the field they may as well be facing eleven Dilophosaurus. It's a dangerous time but we can get through it.
They're encouraged not to, but there's no actual law against it from IFAB, afaik. No ref will bother to enforce it either, as they'd be reminding players every 2 minutes.
See also: any kind of contact between two players, even of the same team. Basically just for insurance purposes more than anything isn't it? If worst comes to worst, it wasn't the league's fault, OK?
Why do players spit? Is there a real need to during sport? I'm guessing not. Genuine question though. You don't see basketballers spit for example, and that's a very high tempo sport.
I guess they wouldn't want to slip on their own, or anyone else's saliva. Then again you don't tend to see it on the grass courts at Wimbledon... It's quite a natural thing to spit when playing football, but maybe that's just because it's always been the done thing? Referees cover as much ground, in the same environment, without needing to.
Not for a while! Is there really a need to spit though? EDIT: Just read this. I've answered my own question. https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-football-players-spit-so-much/
