Forms of what could be deemed ‘sign language’ – or at least visual communication – are wide-spread in world football. With the dazzling mix of nationalities and languages at the World Cup, gesture and sign will be used by players, managers and referees in every match.
Here are ten examples of what might be termed FSL (that’s Football Sign Language) in action:
1. Alex Ferguson: ‘time’
Here Fergie reminds the referee of the time. While Man Utd are in the lead, obviously.
2. Gary Lineker: ‘watch him’
Gary famously used sign to show concern for Gazza at the World Cup in 1990
3. Rafa Benitez: ‘Change and move along’
Rafa not only controls his players with his hands but apparently the TV company too!
4. Fabio Coentrão: ‘Frustration’
Fabio wants to convey to Neymar just how annoying he finds him and if he was allowed, he’d rip his face off. Not sure what the ‘keeper is saying though.
5. Arsene Wenger: ‘diver’
Arsene shows us the international sign for diving footballer.
6. The Referee: ‘nonononono’
Referee’s deal with players and managers from around the world. Anywhere you go, this means ‘no’
7. Referee II .. er
I’m not sure what all this means.
8. Gareth Bale: ‘Sweetheart’
Gareth often shows the sign for sweetheart when he celebrates a goal
9. Joey Barton: ‘big nose’
Joey reminds Zlatan Ibrahimovic of one his physical characteristics.
10. Rafa Benitez II
Finally, Rafa again here with some complex moves. I wonder if the players actually understood?
See what I mean? I say basic football signs should be part of football coaching qualifications because forms of ‘sign language’ already exist in the game – so why not make proper use of it?
The real signs aren’t hard to learn and their use could open the door to football for thousands of deaf players who are otherwise left out of the mainstream game.
It happens in baseball .. Enjoy the World Cup.
By Andy Palmer, Deputy Editor.
Andy is Chairman of the Peterborough and District Deaf Children’s Society and teachessign language in primary schools. Contact him on twitter @LC_AndyP
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Sam
June 12, 2014
Love the first Benitez one with the telly!!
John David Walker
June 12, 2014
Great post about how gesture is regularly used in sport, especially when communicating in places where sound is not possible/useful. It may be possible that some signs, from sign language, have filtered into the mainstream. Only one gripe I have is that these gestures are not “a sign language” but a selection of gestures, some of which are specialised for that sport or the team, and others through cultural trends (e.g. heart gesture).
I know we use the term ‘language’ loosely, such as the language of bees or language of flowers, but ‘Sign Language’ indicates a ‘language proper’ (e.g. English, Mandarin, Ethiopian Sign Language, etc.). Also, gestures may spill over into sign languages and signs may be adopted in spoken languages as gestures but they generally exist alongside the language, rather than within (e.g. KEVIN wave-to-Kevin (gesture) COME-HERE WE NEED YOU come-over (gesture)). Gestures can complement signs but it doesn’t replace them, which is similar for spoken languages.
So, the title should read “footballers use gestures” and not sign language.
Editor
June 12, 2014
Hi John – it’s all in jest but I’ve added apostrophes to make it more clear that it’s not actual sign language we’re talking about – thanks, Charlie (Ed)
John David Walker
June 12, 2014
I got the jest straight away, but people have a tendency to take jests literally, especially if they don’t know anything about it. I have to say, apostrophes are useful aren’t they – I jest.
Editor
June 12, 2014
No worries, thanks John.
Ramon Woolfe
June 12, 2014
From his second video – I reckon Rafa Benitez would be far better than Thamsanqa Jantjie (a.k.a the fake interpreter)…
On the other hand – one needs to clarify that these clips above are purely gestures AND not sign language, it’s easy to confuse them both and offend the credibility of sign languages all over the world.
Cath Smith
June 12, 2014
Hi andy, thank you so much for adding a link to the BSL Football Signs Flashcards on our website http://www.DeafBooks.co.uk – there are in fact 46 signs in the pack, don’t want to mislead! But they are clearly illustrated and described and were selected with the help of Sign4Sport as the most useful signs to have. They also include the Fingerspelling Alphabet and guide to making the signs and come in a handy zip-lock bag.
Editor
June 12, 2014
Thanks Cath, I’ve just amended that. Charlie (Ed)
Tim
June 12, 2014
I find some of the comments interesting as I’ve seen quite a few people stamp their feet and insist that SSE is not a language. One of the reasons they give for this is that although SSE borrows signs from BSL, it uses English grammar.
I don’t find this argument convincing because SSE is using sign, not English and there may be other spoken languages that have similar grammar to English but still would be thought of as different languages. No, I suspect that those doing the feet stamping are motivated by something other than factual accuracy.
Hayley Jarvis
June 12, 2014
Timely article Andy with the World Cup starting today!
We have some resources that we would love to share with deaf and hearing football coaches – the NDCS BSL for Football DVD was produced as part of our Deaf Friendly Football Club project – full course can be found here for free http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLibdbQXeyr20S8vL5Qv8VhmQ27_supRLA with lots of football specific BSL vocab.
Want to know what support is available for the FA, clubs, coaches and players then visit http://www.ndcs.org.uk/football for more information
Hartmut
June 18, 2014
I suspect, Rafa Benitez has a Deaf background. He is using a sign language with matching facial expressions and grammatical directional movements. I cannot identify which country it is from. It makes me think, he is coaching a Deaf team.
Gary Lineker actually signed and spoke “I saw you”. Is he playing in the team which Rafa Benitez coaches?
The signals used in baseball are secret codes, only specific to the team, and probably changes every season, as some baseball players go to other teams and could bring those secret signals with them.
A story how a deaf team took advantage of the general ignorance about deaf sign language.
One football coach who coached a football team from a large Deaf school fingerspelled to the quarterback “fake” at the fourth play with a lot of yardage to go, and shouted at the same time “kick” for the benefit of the opposing hearing team. The fake was successful. The Deaf team scored a touch-down.