Diving, Simulation, Schwalbe...

(possibly a misleading picture given that this is how homo sapiens fall naturally)

Diving: it's a highly regarded national obsession during the Olympics in August, yet as soon as the football season kicks off a week or so later, there's national disparagement... no wonder certain Premier League amoebae are confused.

The consensus amongst the UK public (or so The Sun says) has always been that diving, as well as other disgraceful facets of the modern game such as passing, defending, and finishing, was imported by the influx of foreign players into the national game; and that occurrences still concentrate around certain nationalities. I appreciate that this is true to an extent *cough, cough, Portugal cough, cough*, but before we get all high and mighty and begin harping on about The Empire, recent events indicate that the plague has spread; PG Tips promoter Gareth Bale, penalty extraordinaire Ashley Young, and Bambi impersonator Danny Welbeck, all involved in high profile cases of alleged cheating. Furthermore, former footballer Michael Owen (some of you may remember him) has openly admitted going to ground easily on two separate occasions. In his recent interview, Owen states that, "I have been guilty [of going to ground] as well. I played at the 1998 World Cup [for England] against Argentina and I was running flat out, got a nudge, went down. Could I have stayed up? Probably". In addition, Owen remarks on the adjacent World Cup of 2002, saying, "Then four years later Collina gave me a penalty against Argentina. Again, I could have stayed on my feet".

(I hope and pray I will be too)

I doubt in light of Owen's comments that he will be vilified in South America the same way Simeone was in the English segment of the UK, following THE Beckham incident; yet the respective crimes are comparable. Moreover, I don't expect any major national out pour of emotion, or any overzealous headlines (see right for an example), following Owen's revelations; especially given the importance of the resulting goals to the English population... cue xenophobic chanting.

And it's the double standard that these Owen admissions evidence, that has marred the clean up campaign. The BBC write up, attached below, praises Owen and revels in the national team's result. Perhaps if the fans, press, and associated players, turned against the offender rather than congratulating him, or refused to celebrate any subsequent penalty conversion, then diving would soon be irradiated. But can you really imagine this happening? After all, a hollow victory is still a victory! (Ask any Celtic fan in May 2013 OR see Liverpool vs Chelsea, Champions League 2005).

Given what's at stake, both financially and in terms of accolade, the pressures to achieve at any cost are mounting. The difference between success and failure is minuscule, and any competitive advantage that can be gained may result in disproportional benefit. Reverting to Owen's exposure (which has nothing on Erica Roe's), the attached article highlights the importance of the result that his 'dive' generated: - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/matches_wallchart/argentina_v_england/default.stm

If players are being externally influenced, then responsibility must rest on the club officials and football's governing bodies to stamp out the phenomena. Referees are clearly the first line of defence, but given that professional football is played at such an intense pace, by full time athletes, largely in their 20's, it is no surprise that referees, who are one Harley Davidson away from a mid-life crisis, make occasional (frequent) mistakes.

To be fair, the standard of refereeing in the top flight of the English game is generally high. HOWEVER there is still blame to be apportioned to the on-field officials; after all, by their very nature, dives are supposed to be seen by the officials (as amusing as it would be, there aren't going to be many off-the-ball dives), and yet time and again the wrong assessments are made.

I am not going to concentrate on these incorrect decisions in this blog though; as aforementioned, in real time, the incidents can be indistinct. What I do wish to touch on however, is the tendency to award free-kicks or penalties only in the event a player hits the turf. Conversely, it's the failure to punish the offence when a player stays on his feet, what we now call "being too honest", that may have progressed the issue of diving further. Simply put, it's a natural succession for players that believe they must go to ground, to fall if they feel impeded; or even to anticipate the contact and throw themselves (see left).

(Replays subsequently showed that
a blade of grass had been left uncut)

It may therefore be advantageous in the fight against 'simulation' to implement the advantage rule in a fashion similar to that of rugby (better known as 'egg-chasing' - for those overseas: it's like American Football only for men). The rugby model allows play to develop following an infringement, and should no significant advantage be gained, then affairs are pulled back for the original offence. In this instance, the incentive is always for players to stay on their feet and seek an end product; knowing full well that any subsequent failure will bring play back - thus effectively giving the player two chances. Again, pressure will fall on a referee to acknowledge the foul, despite a player maintaining his footing, as well as to interpret the rules and events correctly; but it could lead to improvements.

Though any application of new law, such as that detailed above, could be contentious, the revision of the severity of punishments for those caught diving would have mass appeal. As things stand, the offence is penalized by a free-kick to the opposition and the brandishing of a yellow card - possibly the biggest let-off since OJ Simpson (allegedly)! What's more, this proverbial slapped wrist only applies to those players that are sighted at the time!

(an 'off-the-ball' incident involving
Carlos Valderrama (oh.. apparently a very
conservative side parting...))

Many experts in the field (pun intended) have therefore suggested the use of video replay and resulting action. The referee's report and subsequent FA reviews have been instrumental in the reduction of violent offences carried out when the referee's back is turned (see right), and the scope of these responsibilities could easily be widened to incorporate simulation. Catching the offenders more regularly may curb behaviour alone, but when used in union with fitting punishment, would surely generate a beneficial outcome...

Clubs and players are no longer deterred by fines, given their financial muscle, whereas retrospective bans in line with those for violent conduct, could affect them significantly; especially given the influence a number of serial offenders have on their club sides: - the likes of Suarez, Nani, Torres, and Daley. This post match penalisation could even be extended to points deductions for repeat offenders, in an attempt to internalise the pressures further.

As a parting thought, contrary to my previous advice, and founded mainly on nostalgia; the FA/UEFA match reviews could always be scrapped entirely... The removal of these 'eyes in the sky', would allow the laws of talion to prevail once again (Don Revie could finally rest in peace); "an eye for an eye". If each team's 'Joey Barton' was able to seek retribution, either in the middle, or in the tunnel, following displays of cheating, then these 'go-down-if-someone-in-the-stand-has-flatulence merchants' would soon think twice... it worked in the 70's and 80's! In addition, the return of the good old fashioned off the ball scuffle would disperse the activity over a greater area of the pitch, thus improving allocative efficiency, and increasing entertainment in general... motion forwarded?

Clearly the statements above are simplistic overviews of a complex issue but certain facts still remain: -
1. diving in professional football is prevalent.
2. present punishments are not acting as a deterrent.
3. given the importance of football financially, culturally, and historically, cheating should not be tolerated.
4. facilities are in place to tackle the problem but they are not being utilised effectively.
5. continuous feigning of injury could cause a genuine medical issue to be overlooked.
6. there was once a footballer named Michael Owen.
7. Tom Daley's 'budgie smugglers' are far too skimpy.
It is my opinion therefore, that it is imperative the FA, in conjunction with UEFA, are proactive in eradicating this unsavoury side to the beautiful game by introducing fresh measures... (just Tweet me Mr Bernstein).

Here are a few examples of 'ALLEGED' diving for those who are completely lost (It's a mystery how Matthew McConaughey keeps getting roles when there's talent like this out there... (in fact it's a mystery full stop)): -

(Above: Gamst Pedersen)

(Above: Busquets - one of her many many offences! #BarcelonaFCmaskmyinability)

(Above: Rivaldo - Hakan Unsal, football salutes you)

(just one more time...)

Do you agree that further action is required? and if so, what would you like to see implemented? Let me know your thoughts via Twitter, Facebook or leave a message at the foot of this blog... FYI logical and irrational ideas will be treated with equal disdain.

In addition, please contribute your favourite/least favourite acts of simulation.

Thanks for reading... please share the article if you endured it.

BC
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