12 May 2012

Are Diving Football Players Cheats ?

I’m sure for many football fans the sight of players blatantly diving, rolling around and generally play acting as well as running up to referees brandishing imaginary cards to try and get fellow professionals sent off is nauseating. It also sets such a bad example for all the young players who play the game. It is something the “beautiful game” should be well rid of.

But these things are still happening, week after week. The football authorities have managed to impose a rule that players are now automatically booked for taking off their shirt when they celebrate a goal! But fail to act on blatant cheating, gamesmanship and poor sporting behaviour.

I think there is a very simple solution. Just like the rule for booking players for taking off their shirt, there should be a rule that says, every time a player tries to influence the referee to get a player sent off, they should receive a yellow card. If, in the referees view a player is guilty of diving, then they should be booked. Yes, some referees do this now, but not all of them and not with any consistency.

In addition, any player that is booked during the game for diving or attempting to influence the referee, should also receive an automatic two match ban and a one week salary fine, with the money going to charity

If this came into effect, let’s see how many players dive and try and influence the referee!!