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How The Overage Player Rule Tarnishes The Olympic Tournament

by: AntoniodaSilva
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China is now less than a month away from hosting the Games of the 29th Olympiad and at the same time, being the host country for the Olympic football tournament, the second biggest international tournament after the World Cup. In fact, this tournament gives an indication of how teams are placed for the following 2 World Cups, and as a result, it is not a tournament that is taken lightly. Who doesn't want to win a gold medal at the Olympics? One thing that many people are not aware of is that the Olympic tournament preceded the World Cup and it inspired FIFA to organise its world tournament. Hence, it is a tournament with a very rich history.

The establishment of the World Cup led to the Olympic tournament falling in importance and prestige, and this wasn't helped by FIFA deciding to keep the tournament exclusive to amateurs among other restrictions.

Today, the Olympic football tournament is restricted to players under the age of 23, which is ideal given that it fits in well with other FIFA under age tournaments such as the U/20s and U/17s. However, teams are also allowed to include up to 3 overage players in their teams and this is something that many, if not all teams, choose to exploit. This rule is, according to many, including this author, unnecessary and actually prohibitive to the purpose of the football tournament.

Now, before everyone starts writing their responses to this article, let?s analyse the reasons behind the creation of this rule as well as what it (supposedly) contributes and what it has (supposedly) contributed.

Both the overage player rule and the under 23 rule were implemented at the same time in a move to give all teams the chance to compete on an equal footing. The amateurs only rule meant that the best players in the world did not have any chance of participating. Nevertheless, the overage player rule has generated a lot of controversy, so the benefits of such a rule must be analysed.

The financial windfall of allowing overage players to participate is significant. There no doubt that FIFA would want football to grab headlines in an event such as the Olympic Games and the presence of world-renowned players such as Riquelme and Ronaldinho assures that. Coaches and players are also favourable when it comes to the overage player rule, as the presence of older more experienced players in a team can only assist the younger players and help the team to perform better.

However, increased coverage and pleasing national football coaches has taken precedence at FIFA when planning youth tournaments. It may be ridiculous to consider the Olympic tournament a youth tournament but when put aside the World Cup, it certainly does possess such characteristics.

The fundamental feature of any youth tournament is the idea that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, meaning that if you don't grab it the first time, you'll never again have the chance to try again. Both the Under 17 and 20 world championships are just like that and all players know they've got one chances to participate in such a tournament. On the other hand, when it comes to the Olympics, players will take the attitude that they will always have the opportunity to play in the tournament regardless of age. This attitude is not one to be encouraged in football. The Olympic tournament is and cannot be treated with such disdain and therefore the overage rule must be condemned to history.

About the Author

Author Antonio da Silva is the main writer of SportsNewsFootball.com, a leading sports news football website renowned for its daring and critical analysis of the major issues affecting the beloved game of football.

How The Overage Player Rule Tarnishes The Olympic Tournament

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