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“Foul play” refers to suspected wrongdoing, whether in business, sports, or criminal activity. Police use the term when investigating suspicious deaths. Financial and off-field foul play can also occur. The opposite is “fair play,” used in sports and business contexts. UEFA and MLS have introduced financial fair play rules. If no wrongdoing is suspected, police will say “no suspicion of foul play.”
To suspect “foul play” is to suspect that something bad has happened. This has traditionally meant the literal or moral violation of rules within aspects of society such as business and sport. It is also used when criminal activity is suspected to have taken place, such as in homicide. Foul play is a 16th-century idiom and non-literal phrase of unknown provenance that was first recorded in William Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labors Lost” in the 16th century.
When they report crimes, police in English-speaking nations, such as America and Great Britain, will report to the press that they suspect “foul play.” This means that it is possible that the person was killed, that someone burned down the house on purpose, or that a car was tampered with. Suspicious deaths are usually thoroughly investigated and sent to a pathologist for autopsy.
Financial foul play can take many forms. Before it is proven, any wrongdoing is only suspected, because a definite statement of faith can lead to a lawsuit. In sport there are two types of foul play. The first time, to use soccer analogies, is in play and the other is off the pitch.
Play fouls come in many different forms, from clear infractions of the rules to misbehavior like starting a fight or bad-mouthing the umpire/referee. Some cases, such as ball tampering in cricket, are merely suspicious, while others are plain to see. Off the field foul play ranges from performance-enhancing drugs to bribing officials. It is often harder to prove and remains a suspect, and has been associated with people who lack honor and put victory above all else. Many other cases, suspected or real, fall into two broad categories: intentional and accidental.
The opposite of foul play is fair play. Fair play is used in sporting and sometimes business contexts. The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has introduced financial fair play rules, meaning football clubs can only spend the money they raise, rather than relying on super-rich benefactors. There are strict rules in Major League Soccer (MLS) in America as well, to ensure financial fair play. Cops who don’t suspect a crime when something breaks, burns, or someone dies don’t say “suspected fair play,” but instead say “no suspicion of foul play.”
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