Women’s’ Football is Proven to be Tougher than Men’s

The modern society is relentless in its fight against gender discrimination. However, the barrier between the sexes is difficult to eliminate in the patriarchal setup that we are accustomed to. Men are still considered to be stronger and better suited to professions that require more physical stamina even though women are out there proving their abilities every day.

Sports, especially football, is still a male-dominated field and women’s football is looked down upon by a large portion of the population. The common opinion is that women are too weak to play a tough game of football that can be enjoyed by viewers. However, it is now proven that women’s football is tougher.

The study

A new research has turned these faulty prejudices on their head by claiming that women’s football is often tougher than men’s football. Conservative football fans may never agree, but science says that women often play rougher on the field because they are driven by an urge to prove themselves to be as tough as men. The study found that female players can tolerate more pain than male players on the field.

According to experts, the reason behind this discrepancy is rooted in psychology rather than biology. The genders tend to process pain differently. Scientists found that women footballs often continue playing on the field in spite of meeting very harsh pain thresholds. They get the same injuries as men but struggle through the game nonetheless.

The psychological difference occurs because women think that they need to toughen up so that the world thinks them capable of playing the game.

A team of researchers from the University of the West of England conducted interviews in order to understand this theory better. They interviewed players from the England Women’s football team, a college team, a football academy team and an FA Centre of Excellence. The study was led by John Bird who found that women and girls had a tendency of minimizing the extent of their injuries when talking about them. Football has been associated with masculinity since time immemorial, and women feel overwhelmed when they try to make a place for themselves. As a result, they learn to become more tolerant of pain than men to be a step ahead.

A quick history

Discrimination against women’s football is rooted in history. A women’s football game that was held in 1920 had an audience of 53000 spectators, but the FA went ahead with their decision to ban women from the sport citing them as unfit. There was a tremendous backlash to this decision, but it was only years later in 1969 that 44 clubs created the Women’s Football Association. The ban was lifted in 1971, but women players were still not accepted by the conservatives who felt that they robbed the masculinity of the game. Women players are insulted on a regular basis and sexualized rampantly on the field. However, in spite of the challenged, women’s football has emerged victorious. This study is a testament to the perseverance of women who just want to play their favorite sport.