A Discourse Analysis of Soccer
How the sport of soccer can be used to establish an identity
Soccer as a Discourse
Soccer is a sport played by millions of people internationally. With players ages ranging from three and up, soccer, more commonly known as futbol, is a universal sport played recreationally, as well as professionally in countries around the world. Soccer, like other sports, has its own set of rules, regulations, and specific player positions that distinguish it and make it unique. People who play and are familiar with the sport typically identify themselves as members of the community of soccer.
This type of community can be defined as a Discourse. James Gee, of the Department of Linguistics at USC in California, coined the term Discourse as a
“a sort of ‘identity kit’ which comes complete with the appropriate costume and instructions on how to act, talk, and often write…” (Gee 7)
Defining Discourses
In order to define Discourses and the pieces of language that pair along with them, Gee established a set of steps to analyze what makes up and defines them. These steps, called building tasks, include things such as the identities, significance, and sign systems of a Discourse. All of these things together make up the particular language or languages that constitute a social community of practice. Based on Gee’s work, Darcy Fiano, a professor at the University of Connecticut, put these building tasks together in order to interpret the differences and the importance between Discourses.
Discourses differ in a variety of both broad and specific categories and many different things are pieced together to create these common communal practices. Some helpful sources, such as FIFA’s Laws of the Game and an article titled ‘32 Things Only Soccer Players Would Understand’ can be used as models to understand the Discourse of soccer. By understanding the composition of soccer, one will be able to notice that there is a lot put into it and it is challenging to become a part of. Through this, one can also determine which type of Discourse it is as there are different types.
Soccer can be described as a non-dominant secondary Discourse. In James Gee’s work on linguistics he describes not only what a Discourse is, but what other categories an individual’s Discourse or various discourses may fall into. Some discourses are broad while others fall into specific categories.
An individual’s secondary Discourse is one based off of
“various non-home based social institutions — institutions in the public sphere, beyond the family and immediate kin and peer group.” (Gee 8)
But because soccer does not
“constitute our original and home-based sense of identity,” (Gee 8)
it is labeled as a secondary Discourse.
It is gained from an outside source and is learned through experience as our lives develop. Gee describes a distinction between dominant and non-dominant Discourses. He says that dominant Discourses are a type of secondary Discourse that “at a particular place and time, brings with it the (potential) acquisition of social goods.” (Gee 8) On the other hand, non-dominant Discourses are defined by “solidarity with a particular social network, but not wider status and social goods in the society at large.” (Gee 8) Considering that soccer is primarily played for recreation, it does not involve the “acquisition of social goods,” (Gee 8) and is non-dominant. While in some cases, primarily in a professional setting, playing soccer may bring about higher social status and decoration, it is more generally played to build relationships and skills. Because of this, it is most notably non-dominant rather than dominant.
As a result of it also being a secondary Discourse, it is not uncommon for outsiders of the Discourse to be unfamiliar with many important aspects of the game. For those who are in the Discourse of soccer though, it is easy to recognize such aspects like the appropriate clothing, the referee’s calls, and the field lines. Someone with knowledge on soccer would know that “All items of jewelry are strictly forbidden and must be removed,” (Fédération Internationale de Football Association 70) while those who are not a part of the Discourse would have no reason to know this.
In order to define Discourses and the pieces of language that pair along with them, the building tasks that Gee established illustrate the differences between Discourses. One common building task in analyzing a Discourse includes knowledge on sign systems.
Knowledge of Sign Systems
Sign systems are “used to privilege or disprivilege,” (Fiano 83) meaning that without the knowledge of specific technical language and the understanding of meanings pertinent to the Discourse (of soccer), people will either be included or excluded. In the Discourse of soccer there are some things that are necessary to know. In FIFA’s Laws of the Game, all basic rules of soccer are defined and explained. Something that appears a lot throughout the book is free kicks.
While an outsider to the Discourse would be confused and would need to read up on these kicks, a member of the Discourse would know that there are two types of free kicks arising from foul play; direct and indirect.
They would know that “A goal can be scored only if the ball subsequently touches another player before it enters the goal,” when an indirect kick is awarded.
They would also know that “The referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head.” (Fédération Internationale de Football Association 41)
They would know that aside from these two types of kicks there are goal kicks, penalty kicks, and corner kicks, and they would know which way the ball would have to exit the field for these kicks to be appropriate.
Without this basic knowledge, an individual could not call themselves a member. It would be easy to identify an outsider of the Discourse. To be included as a member it would be important for one to be familiarized with the basic principles to play the game and to present themselves in a way that displays knowledge.
The Significance
Another important part of the building tasks is the significance. The significance of a Discourse relays how a piece of language is “being used to make certain things significant or not.” (Fiano 82) One piece of significance relating directly to soccer is the offsides call. The offsides call is one present in the game of soccer which signifies that a player “is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.” This represents a foul and is called by the referee.
A member of the Discourse would know the specifics behind the offsides call, and know that
“There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, a throw-in, or a corner kick” (Fédération Internationale de Football Association 36)
A seemingly easy concept to grasp, the offsides call is one that is difficult to understand without seeing it in action. To an outsider, it would not be clear without experience. When a player is given an offsides call, his opponent is awarded a free kick. The referee will raise their flag directly in front of them 90 degrees to call offsides. Each part of this, the referee’s signal, the naming of the foul play, and the consequence, signifies something within itself. If an individual is not familiar with offsides then they are likely to make this mistake. In turn, they would not understand the referee’s call or the further action taken. Without knowing this, the significance behind it all would be irrelevant and would not make sense.
Members and Non-Members
While all of these things could potentially distinguish between an insider and an outsider, there are many terms that could be transferred over from other sports in order to grasp parts of the Discourse of soccer also. Some sports incorporate the same motions to carry out plays. Themes such as sportsmanship and fair play piece together parts of sports which allows those who have never played soccer to act as though they understand. This act of taking familiar ideas and advancing them into interrelated discourses is also thought of as transferring knowledge between Discourses. Although there are relationships between Discourses that allow for transfer between one another, some of these relationships are Discourse-specific.
In soccer, there are common practices that only people who play find themselves doing. An article titled, ‘32 Things Only Soccer Players Would Understand,’ sheds light on this idea. A soccer player taping up his or hers worn out cleats is typically common in the United States. This general practice of taping one’s cleats often signifies the player’s engagement in the sport. Most players will hold onto their cleats for as long as possible and this small, seemingly casual task easily marks members of the Discourse.
The importance of a player’s cleats is much more than what meets the eye. To an extremely invested soccer player, the cleats represent individuality and sometimes even level of ability or knowledge. Worn down, taped up cleats display the involvement of a player in the sport because the wear and tear shows experience.
New members of the Discourse, or even those who are not yet in it often times choose flashy cleats to stand out. Many long-term members know that it is not about the brightness of the cleat, it is about the longevity of the use of the cleat and sometimes the brand. To people in the Discourses of other sports, the cleats may be much less important. This proves that some relationships are more specific than others between Discourses that may even have some of the same basic principles.
To someone involved in the Discourse of soccer things seem straightforward while outsiders may find it all to be very complicated to understand. It involves knowledge of specific rules, positions, and foul play calls. The makeup of soccer, including its specific building tasks, configure and define who is familiar and who is not. Those who are familiar and fully fluent can identify themselves within the Discourse while those who are unaccustomed will essentially be denied access because of inexperience and unfamiliarity. It is the difference in identities, significance, and understanding that differentiates soccer from other sports.
