Arsene Wenger: Arsenal boss wants independent diving panel Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants an independent panel created with the power to issue retrospective suspensions for diving. The issue has been prominent after a number of high-profile incidents involving Chelsea players. Wenger, 65, says the panel should be made up of people with "experience in the game" to punish "obvious cases". "I am against diving, but the only way players will stop doing it is if they can get punished," Wenger said. Might work but it would depend who was on the panel. My cynical side says the FA would never let it be independent.
I've suggested this before, but we should also do what they do in Hockey (that's FIELD hockey to you Yanks) and rugby, whereby the players are not allowed to raise their hands in hopes the call would go their way, to bring respect to the game and to the Refs. So whenever a player fall over in the penalty area, if he raises his hand in hopes to get a call, regardless of whether it was a legitimate penalty, the call goes the other way. It'll make diving obsolete, it'll make speaking back obsolete, and would help this said panel, if there ever was one created for diving, or not require a panel at all. That goes for all calls, whether its a handball, the odd ricochet, or even an offside - the Refs should have to be totally protected in their call and be made immune to such acting-wish-call nonsense. No player should ever be able to claim a call to influence the Ref or linesmen.
Whether you like Wenger or not this is an excellent idea. It's nearly always really obvious in replays if someone has dived and even a non 'independent' panel would have little choice but to come to the correct decisions. Immediate 1 match bans for a dive identified retrospectively (or otherwise) would stop the practice overnight.
How about something much simpler - managers tell their players that anyone diving will be fined a weeks wages and dropped for the next game? No, it won't happen because the managers are all cheats too.
