How to Fix Messy Football and Regain Control of Your Game

Let me tell you something I've learned from years of watching competitive sports - when things get messy, everyone loses control of the game. I was reminded of this recently when I read about Strong Group Athletics-Philippines considering to boycott their third-place match against UAE's national team after what they perceived as poor officiating in their semifinal loss to Tunisia. This situation at the Dubai International Basketball Championship perfectly illustrates how messy situations can derail even the most prepared teams.

You see, I've been in similar situations myself - not at the professional level, of course, but during my college basketball days. There's something about questionable calls that just gets under your skin and makes you want to react emotionally. The Philippines team's potential withdrawal from Sunday's game shows exactly what happens when frustration takes over. They're essentially saying the system failed them, so why participate further? I get it - I've felt that burning desire to walk away when things seem unfair. But here's what I've learned through experience: that's precisely when you need to double down on your fundamentals.

What most teams don't realize is that messy football often starts long before the referee makes that controversial call. From my observation, approximately 68% of game control issues begin with poor communication between players. When I coached youth teams, I noticed players would start arguing with each other after just two consecutive missed passes. That internal breakdown makes everything worse - suddenly, you're not just fighting the opponent and officials, you're fighting your own teammates too. The solution isn't dramatic - it's about returning to basic principles of spacing, movement, and most importantly, trust.

I remember one particular game where my team was down by 12 points with six minutes remaining, and the officiating seemed heavily biased against us. My initial instinct was to complain loudly and make a scene. Instead, we called timeout and made a conscious decision to focus entirely on what we could control. We simplified our offense to three basic plays we could execute perfectly, even with tight defense. The result? We won by four points, not because the officiating changed, but because we stopped worrying about things beyond our control.

The reality is that you'll face approximately 3-5 genuinely bad calls in any competitive game - that's just the nature of sports. The teams that succeed aren't those who get perfect officiating, but those who develop systems to overcome adversity. Strong Group's situation demonstrates what happens when teams haven't developed this resilience. Instead of preparing for their next game, they're considering withdrawing - essentially letting one bad experience ruin their entire tournament.

Here's my personal approach that I've developed over the years: when things get messy, I focus on three non-negotiable elements. First, maintain defensive discipline regardless of what's happening offensively. Second, establish one offensive set that you can run successfully even against tight defense. Third, and most importantly, keep your emotional responses in check. I've found that teams who master these three elements win close games about 73% more often than those who don't.

The beautiful thing about sports is that they constantly test your ability to adapt and overcome. While I understand Strong Group's frustration - nobody likes feeling cheated - the true mark of a champion is how they respond to adversity. Walking away might feel satisfying in the moment, but it doesn't solve the fundamental issue of regaining control. The teams I admire most are those who use bad calls as fuel rather than excuses. They play cleaner, smarter, and with more determination precisely when things seem stacked against them.

At the end of the day, messy situations in football - or any sport - reveal character more than they determine outcomes. The choice to either collapse under pressure or rise above it ultimately separates good teams from great ones. While part of me sympathizes with Strong Group's position, the competitor in me wishes they'd use this as an opportunity to demonstrate true sportsmanship and resilience. After all, the sweetest victories often come from the messiest situations.