http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19711530# Liverpool are moaning that Suarez is being unfairly treated by referees. I'm not sure I agree about Suarez but diving does seem to be becoming part and parcel of today's game. I've seen several blatant dives in the area in the last few weeks where penalties haven't been awarded but also no card has been shown. What sort of example are we setting to youngsters if this type of thing becomes even more prevalent? Diving is cheating and should be punished by referees shouldn't it?
Can be hard to discern some dives. Running at pace means you can be tripped by a light touch. Going over like a leaping salmon can be a bit of a clue.
Suarez has brought it on himself, like Ronaldo did. Never got a free-kick or a penalty before he went to Real because the refs knew that most of the time he was trying it on. I know this is going to be controversial but I think Lambert went down very easily on a couple of occasions against Villa and I hope he and others aren't going to make a habit of it, or the same fate will befall them. As for punishment, it is sometimes hard to tell conclusively if a player is 'diving' or has fallen over involuntarily. But in obvious cases, then they should be given retrospective bans. It's the only way to stop it.
Suarez had a bit of a reputation before about diving before he even came to Liverpool........I have no doubt that that is part of his game and should be booked more often for it. Since Liverpool have been struggling they have become the moaning mini's for quite a while now. Oh the poor hard done by club. How nice it is to be brought back to earth with a bump. The 96's family have got a genuine grief as has the fans of Liverpool. Unfortunately they have done themselves no favours in the recent past by all the moans and groans. It seems as if because they were given a bad name for Heysel and Hillsborough and have been exonerated about Hillsborough. That they can moan and groan and everyone one will say poor Liverpool and agree to it all. Oh how the mighty have fallen........
It's difficult though. Can't remember who it was (might have been Aguero..), but one of the games this weekend a player was fouled in the area but stayed on his feet and no foul was given. The commentators made a fair comment that if he had gone down a penalty would have been given. Is it diving if you are fouled and could stay on your feet but go down to ensure you are rewarded with the penalty that the foul deserved?
Yeah it was. I am sure in hindsight Mike Dean will think he should have given the penalty (perhaps his assistant could also have offered his view). But when there is a decision to make in the penalty area, the referee has about one second to ask himself "was that a foul, a fair tackle or a dive". He's not going to cross reference that against his internal list of serial divers. In summary I think they get most of them right.
I won't get on my high horse as we do it too. Refs should be more consistent in making it a bookable offence though. Understandable that it sometimes goes unnoticed as some players are very good at it. They'll do it as long as they can get away with it, so it won't be stamped out completely. Retrospective action against repeat offenders could help.
That's a good point Itchen.the FA take action if there is an off the ball incident missed by the ref like an elbow so why can't they do the same where it's a blatant dive? I accept some-times it's unclear especially at pace but recently we've seen some 10's!
I think if we got three points because a player dived, Adkins would be pleased with the three points but not happy with the means. Pretty sure he would have a word with the player. However, as I said above can be hard to discern some dives. Tall heavy players go over easier than short players with a low centre of gravity, for example Lambert. Heskey used to get penalties and free kicks but don't think he was a diver...he was top heavy and went over easier than say a Michael Owen-type player.
I hate to point this out but Lambert dived a bit against Villa. I didn't think he was that type of player but perhaps he thinks it has to be done since other teams have been doing it to us
There's a difference between going down easily when fouled and complete simulation (like Wellbeck and Suarez). Also don't think Lambert got much protection in the Championship....5 fouls on Ricky = 1 foul given.
That's part of my point. It's approaching epidemic proportions. I seem to remember Adam doing it against Pompey last year. Just think when it's blindingly obvious officials need to take action.
Yeah, they would. I can't stand all that diving. If they wanna dive, become divers and participate in the Olympics.
It's very difficult for the referee to spot diving at the time so I think the system of booking a player is right for when they're fairly sure a player dived. A yellow card is pretty meaningless compared to the chance to win your team the game though and the only way to deter players would be to retrospectively react to the most blatant dives and give them a game ban each time they do it. It has to only be the most blatant ones as there is some grey area around what constitutes a dive and you'll end up with players whinging about double standards for some players and appealing whether they went down after contact, etc. I'd also add in the rule that they had to appeal for the decision too.
not sure of the law, but could the FA introduce such measures without the same being done by FIFA ? Italian games would finish 5 against 8
