CollinsS

As a current soccer player who is experienced in the techniques of all forms of tackles, slide tackles are part of the game. It would be a crime to simply remove them from the game. The biggest problem with them in high school leagues is the reffing. A good majority of the refs are inexperienced in the rules of soccer especially when it comes to contact in the sport. Being a male soccer, I love a good hard tackle, whether it be for or against me, but part of every game, there will be times when bad, unsafe, or unclean fouls are committed. Just like in college and professional soccer, fowls should be tracked from player to player. If a player is noted to have too many fowls, they should be suspended for a designated number of games. If fowls continue, harsher punishment needs to be taken. As for athletes being unable to control themselves, I find that completely inaccurate. Myself being a high school athlete, i know my limit and I like to pride myself on not being a player that commits tackles to cause injury. Yes, as in every sport, there are those that have a side to them that comes out that are dark and do not care about others well being, but outlawing slide tackles are not going to change that. In comment to the game in which the girl's leg was broken in 2 places, there isn't much to say to that except it sucks. It's a freak accident that possibly could have been prevented had coaching or reffing been better, but it's not my place to criticize that part of the game. Slide tackles are part of the games. If they're removed from the game, it will change the game not only on a high school level, but it will change college play because athletes will not have practice in the technique.