Simulation in football.

[Andy808]

Watching MOTD and it's been highlighted with two Man U players going down like they have had their legs taken out from under them when they haven't even got close to being tagged by the other player.
I know they are not the only ones who are doing it but are they practicing it in training?
Why aren't the refs picking it up better?
And should the FA start handing out cards for this after the match?

 

[williamalex1]

Why can't the professional footballers association make a stand on this. Because it's spoiling the game seeing one pro footballer diving and getting a fellow pro sent off.

 

[beggsy]

Blame it on the fa bosses the players can't even go in for a fair hard challenge now without getting booked

 

[Andy808]

Blame it on the fa bosses the players can't even go in for a fair hard challenge now without getting booked

I can understand that to some degree with players getting seriously hurt from a "fair" challenge but there seems to be a blind eye turned towards players diving. The FA can't be bothered doing anything after a match and the players carry on thinking they can get away with it. You see players going down in the box after less contact than a fly brushing across them and they go down but the ref doesn't give a penalty or book the player for simulation. Surely it has to be one or the other, if the player is brought down it's a penalty, if the player has dived it's a card.

 

[Liverbirdie]

You see players going down in the box after less contact than a fly brushing across them and they go down but the ref doesn't give a penalty or book the player for simulation. Surely it has to be one or the other, if the player is brought down it's a penalty, if the player has dived it's a card.

No it doesn't, there are many shades of grey inbetween. Not all contact in the box is a penalty, I can't believe that people still believe this,especially in British football. Have you never said - "he bought that one", "he went down a bit soft" etc.

 

[JCW]

What if that were to happen at golf , you can have that putt then say my hole as I never gave you that putt , moving , coughing on backswing , moving behind you as you on your down swing , lots of other dirty tricks to win at all cost including cheating .................I would give up and play another sport ......................eyg

 

[Pin-seeker]

Gary Neville as been tweeting :
@GNev2: If Collins follows through and Januzaj doesn't jump then he gets whacked! Maybe hurt badly! That's why this isn't black and white!

@GNev2: “@DanKeley: @GNev2 defending diving? Unbelievable”. I've always been consistent. It's not black and white. I bet Ramsay wished he'd jumped!

@GNev2: So Januzaj Dived - Collins pulled out! A point Ronaldo made years ago- How do I know a big clumsy def will pull out- What if he doesn't?

 

[CMAC]

how do you prove a dive over a real incident? tricky for refs

 

[Deleted member 15344]

how do you prove a dive over a real incident? tricky for refs

That's the problem - it's also proving intent afterwards also.

 

[Khamelion]

How many times do you see a player go down in the box looking for the penalty where as if he stayed on his feet he would probably score?

Watching MOTD last night, Januzaj dived, it was a clear dive, so he was 'anticipating contact' and went down before he was touched, just bad form, but then if you saw the Newcastle game Ben Arfa got clipped or pushed and tried to stay on his feet, the ball ending up with Gouffran who shot an hit the post. Had Ben Arfa gone down he may have got the penalty, but the point is he tried to stay on his feet.

Gareth Bale, Ashley Young, Suarez, Januzaj are all divers, there are probably others but those are 4 that immediately come to mind. If the ref stops the game and goes to book a player for diving, that player should be sent off, no if's or buts, straight red and early bath.

 

[Khamelion]

how do you prove a dive over a real incident? tricky for refs

Video replays, we have the technology, so why not use it. The step into using technology has been taken with Hawkeye and the ball over the line decisions.

A 5th official in the stand with instant replay ability would be able to tell the ref if it was a bad tackle or simulation within seconds. The ref will have already blown for a free kick so the game will be stopped anyway and therefore no longer delay than there would be anyway.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You can't red card someone for diving - that's a bit silly. Yellow card yes but red card is not right

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Video replays, we have the technology, so why not use it. The step into using technology has been taken with Hawkeye and the ball over the line decisions.

A 5th official in the stand with instant replay ability would be able to tell the ref if it was a bad tackle or simulation within seconds. The ref will have already blown for a free kick so the game will be stopped anyway and therefore no longer delay than there would be anyway.

But what if the ref hasn't blown for anything and allowed the game to move on

 

[Liverbirdie]

There is a difference between avoiding a tackle and blatant diving. 90% of the time you can avoid a tackle and re-plant at least one foot on the ground. It is when both feet are left to drag,fall independently when no contact is made that it is a blatant dive. It is normally also compounded by an appeal from the player, who even knows there has been no contact. Take Januzaj yesterday, Young most weeks, and Suarez against Stoke last year as prime examples.

 

[Birchy]

A review panel needs to sit and watch back games/incidents each week and call players to the FA to explain their actions. Repeat offenders get banned and the ban gets bigger the more they do it. A bit like the rugby review panel where players dont just have to dupe the ref on the day to get away with it, they are accountable for their actions in every minute of every game.

 

[Fyldewhite]

Three points for me here.
1. Just because there is no contact doesn't mean it's not a foull and I can't ever remember watching a match in the pub or live where there isn't a cry of "he never touched him....." after a scything challenge where the attacker (just) manage to avoid having his legs broken. Commentators, including ex players, don't help here and are probably the least conversant with the rules of any mainstream sports coverage. Gary Neville (though it pains me to say it lol) is very impressive and certainly one of the best.
2. That said, the notion of "he felt contact so he went down" is an absolute joke. The game is about trying to stay on your feet and beat your opponents. The problem may be that referees don't tend to give a foul unless a player goes to ground which may be making the issue worse. Phrases such as "he's entitled to go down there" from managers/players just show how endemic the notion that "if you get fouled, make sure you get the free kick" is engrained.
3. So called "theatrical" dives mostly just make it worse for the player concerned. They are an extention of 2 above and when it's a blatant attempt to cheat then should be a red card...no question...with retrospective TV evidence etc too. The downside of that would be you'd have 10 Simon Dyson type enquiries a week to deal with.

 

[shewy]

The only way to stop it comes from the top,FIFA need to use video technology and have a tally,3 strikes and then it's a points deduction.
That would stop it tomorrow

 

[Deleted member 15344]

They have already tried to charge Eduardo for diving buts near on impossible to prove intent hence why he won his appeal

 

[Imurg]

Yes, the lad dived. No question.
But was he looking for a free kick or getting out of the way or a kick.
The defender pulled out of the tackle so no contact would have been made.
The lad dived to avoid the anticipated contact, and bearing in mind the treatment handed out to him over the last few weeks I'm not surprised.
I think you can tell, 99% of the time, if the dive is trying to fool the ref or taking evasive action.
It's what happens afterwards.
Was there an appeal for a foul or a card from him..?
If there was I didn't see it.

It has gone too far though.
Most dives are purely to fool the ref into giving a free kick or brandishing a card.
Some are to avoid the crunching tackle....can you penalise that..?

 

[MegaSteve]

I'd sooner see more 'energy' being put into eradicating the 'wrestling' that occurs in the penalty box at set pieces...