I don't understand why the authorities are so gutless about this. As several of you have said, simply dish out retrospective suspensions. There are cameras all over the pitch these days in Prem games. If it's a clear dive - no contact - a three-match ban, simple as that. If it's not clear, give the striker the benefit of the doubt - for now. If the diving continues despite suspensions, toughen it up, and give uncertain cases a one-match ban. But I think it would all stop almost instantly after a few people have three matches on the bench. OK, the lower leagues would have less video evidence. But their players tend to copy the Prem players anyway because they watch them on TV. I think the problem would fade away. It might also mean that kids no longer learn how to dive at 12.
Manchester United have had these big decisions going for them all season! Just recently, Fullham denied a stonewall penalty, QPR player sent off and a penalty and now this! I don't think all Man U players are cheats, but Young certainly is! Disgrace.
Good point Vectis. Also, why should I expect any football authority to be decent or even capable? Football admin is a sick joke from the top down, starting with 'Let's put her in tight shorts' Blatter.
Just watched it in slo-mo.Clark definitely stands on Young's toes in exactly the same way as Tevez' were at Carrow Rd. Media all shouted "Stonewall" for that.What is the difference? Tevez went down like he had been shot just as Young did so why isn't he being criticised?
That's not how I saw it. It looks to me as though Young drags his leg across, and he is the one who makes contact with Clark.
The media really doesn't help with comments such as "he had every right to go down", "there was contact" so throwing yourself to the floor is fine then? I thought it was a contact sport but comments like this suggest otherwise. The worst of all is "he was very clever there to win the penalty". Really hate it when they come up with these ridiculous statements.
I blame the media 100%, ****ing stupid comments, like being "professional", "slight contact", "every right to go down" NO NO NO NO NO NO, IT'S ****ING CHEATING, IT IS NOT FOOTBALL, where in the rules does it say that? One of the United so called fans I work with said this morning, that the referee can give a penalty for "intent"??????? What the **** does that mean, I think the defender "intended" to pull his leg away from Young and suceeded, so therefore Young should have been booked for intending to fall over!! How can you have referee's making decisions based on intent, it's just plain stupid. Players like Ashely Young are now making it impossible for goalkeepers, if there's a one on one with the keeper, he might as well just turn his back and walk away, otherwise if he makes any attempt to get the ball the Youngs of this world will dive and get him sent off, this is despite players like Young saying that they "never" go onto the pitch with the intention of getting a opposing player sent off. Not only are they cheats but they're LIARS as well. ILD OTBC
As a referee who officiates at grassroots level I know from experience that the issue of "diving" is the most difficult one that we have to deal with. I just admit that if I am in any doubt that contact has been made then I just get on with play, A player would have to be shot dead in the penalty area for me to give a penalty!
A beautiful rant, and I completely agree. JWM I agree diving is making the refs job almost impossible. You have to feel sorry for them. When a manager comes out and criticises the ref for giving a pen from a dive it can be hard to empathise with them as they themselves have players who would do exactly the same thing given the chance. The talk about refs bottling it by not giving a dive and sometimes it is obvious, however if the gave one which actually should have been a pen they would be criticised even more. RE: Goalkeepers, as one myself it seems much fairer to give a yellow and a pen if a keeper has genuinely gone for the ball. Surely that is punishment enough? Sending them off for a genuine challenge just ruins the game and often contact is very minimal anyway. The rules are stacked up by far to benefit the attackers which is just wrong. It is becoming harder to defend
Unfortunately, i think the way football has gone forward with the minimal contact is a free kick is to blame. I'm not saying that somebody has to have a broken leg to win a penalty, but football is a contact sport, so contact will be made! nowadays a free kick can be given even if the ball is played first, which to my mind is crazy.
Yeah the rule saying you cant tackle with too much force is beyond ridiculous. How do you measure that? The law re intent is also stupid. I understand if someone goes to punch someone in the fact and misses, however how to you know if someone intended to foul someone when they make little of no contact?
Referees will usually give "easy free kicks" in open play outside the penalty area BUT if the same "foul" is made in the penalty area the referee will wave play on! I was always told when training to be a ref that the benefit of doubt must always be with the team defending.
Agreed, and the decision has to be made in a split second. Intent for a headbutt is easy enough but impossible for a a tackle.
Agree this should be the case but I would say is often not employed in professional football. However it is hard for refs, the sooner they are aided with technology of some sort the better
I remember playing Debenham away, and this mouthy prick came on and the first 50/50 tackle he went in on me you could see that he was going to clean me out, so i made sure that i got ball and then him in one good solid tackle! well after a bit or hows yer father with most of their team, the ref just said well to be honest he got the ball and your bloke was going to do him so if he is injured it might make him think twice! common sense refereeing at its best. i suppose what i'm trying to say is tackling hard and fair is as much a part of the game as a fantastic 50 yard pass, or dribbling past 5 players and by taking it out of the game the governing bodies have just increased the art of diving and made it acceptable.
Although technology could be good in some instances it still doesn't make up for a lack of common sense which some referees fail to act on! Not wishing to reopen old wounds but take the Delaney sending off against your lot last season! I would still like to know how from the halfway line with a covering defender could the referee honestly believe that Delaney was denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity! This is not sour grapes but just an enquiry! What rubbed it in even more is that Holt was very, very lucky to still be on the pitch after his reckless knee high challenge on Colback in the first 5 mins! The referee that day got so much wrong for both teams And yes you did deserve the victory that day!
Agree 100%. I feel maybe a lot of arm chair fans just want to see goals and lots of attacking. But for true supporters of the game a good hard but fair challenge is much appreciated. Often a good challenge can get the crowd going as much as anything else.
