Weve discussed this several times in the past

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Posted by Matsu on August 21, 2000 at 06:52:56:

In Reply to: Re: Ariel Ortega in the Argentina-Paraguay Match posted by matias on August 20, 2000 at 15:33:05:

:: I find that if its a fifty fifty call for the ref then perhaps he should just let play go on, but if it really is an obvious dive especially one looking for a penalty it should be treated like a tackle from behind and a red card should be awarded.
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The problem lies in the instructions referees receive and the natural tendency of people to react to events more readily, the more important they are (that is to say, when a player goes down in the penalty area late in the match, the ref is predisposed to do SOMETHING).

Referees in Europe are generally instructed to play on if they feel there is no foul. There are only a few leagues (Including to some extent England and Germany) where referees occasionally award the yellow card for diving. As I have noted once before, in Asia the referee's instructions are quite different. If a player goes down without contact in the penalty area, the instruction is to award a yellow card for unsportsmanlike play unless the ref feels that there was enough contact to cause the player to fall down, but not enough to justify awarding a PK. At their discretion, the ref may award a red card if they believe the player was attempting to alter the outcome of the match by his actions (same reason as pulling down the opponent from behind on a breakaway).

This seems to work very effectively in both Japan and Korea, where yellow cards are seen rather frequently in such situations. There is very little diving compared to Europe, and what little you do see is just as likely to backfire on the player who dives (three red cards were awarded for diving in the JLeague last season, though none yet this season)

I personally think that the instruction should be even clearer. If a player leaves their feet in the penalty area, the ref's instructions should be to immediately decide which of two options to award -- either a PK or a yellow card. The only exception to this rule being in the case of a clean tackle of the ball, that knocks the attacking player down. A player who dives in the final 15 minutes of a match should receive a mandatory red card, with the red card option being available to the ref at any time he thinks the dive is too flagrant. Given such instructions, referees will look much more closely at situations where players go down in the area. With help from the linesmen, it shouldnt be too hard to decide which to award -- the card or the PK. There might be a few missed calls at first, but surely no more than there are now.

Of course this would result in a torrent of cards for the first three or four months but I believe it would work. Like I said the last time we discussed this matter, players may not mind so much the danger of being stigmatised as a diver if the only people complaining are the opposing team and their fans. However, a player who costs his own team a match by diving will think long and hard before doing it again. A player who piles up three or four ejections for diving would NEVER find his way onto a national team and even club coaches will think twice before putting them in the match. I cant imagine that many players would carry on diving if the penalties for getting caught were made clear enough and severe enough.

Follow Ups:

No way! Ariel Ortega 12:54:50 8/21/00 (2)
- If your are going to make strong accusations such as these why not have the guts to post under a real handle..., matias 14:32:27 8/21/00 (1)
  - Re: If your are going to make strong accusations such as these why not have the guts to post under a real handle..., Ariel 05:51:58 8/22/00 (0)

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: :: I find that if its a fifty fifty call for the ref then perhaps he should just let play go on, but if it really is an obvious dive especially one looking for a penalty it should be treated like a tackle from behind and a red card should be awarded. : ---------------- : The problem lies in the instructions referees receive and the natural tendency of people to react to events more readily, the more important they are (that is to say, when a player goes down in the penalty area late in the match, the ref is predisposed to do SOMETHING). : Referees in Europe are generally instructed to play on if they feel there is no foul. There are only a few leagues (Including to some extent England and Germany) where referees occasionally award the yellow card for diving. As I have noted once before, in Asia the referee's instructions are quite different. If a player goes down without contact in the penalty area, the instruction is to award a yellow card for unsportsmanlike play unless the ref feels that there was enough contact to cause the player to fall down, but not enough to justify awarding a PK. At their discretion, the ref may award a red card if they believe the player was attempting to alter the outcome of the match by his actions (same reason as pulling down the opponent from behind on a breakaway). : This seems to work very effectively in both Japan and Korea, where yellow cards are seen rather frequently in such situations. There is very little diving compared to Europe, and what little you do see is just as likely to backfire on the player who dives (three red cards were awarded for diving in the JLeague last season, though none yet this season) : I personally think that the instruction should be even clearer. If a player leaves their feet in the penalty area, the ref's instructions should be to immediately decide which of two options to award -- either a PK or a yellow card. The only exception to this rule being in the case of a clean tackle of the ball, that knocks the attacking player down. A player who dives in the final 15 minutes of a match should receive a mandatory red card, with the red card option being available to the ref at any time he thinks the dive is too flagrant. Given such instructions, referees will look much more closely at situations where players go down in the area. With help from the linesmen, it shouldnt be too hard to decide which to award -- the card or the PK. There might be a few missed calls at first, but surely no more than there are now. : Of course this would result in a torrent of cards for the first three or four months but I believe it would work. Like I said the last time we discussed this matter, players may not mind so much the danger of being stigmatised as a diver if the only people complaining are the opposing team and their fans. However, a player who costs his own team a match by diving will think long and hard before doing it again. A player who piles up three or four ejections for diving would NEVER find his way onto a national team and even club coaches will think twice before putting them in the match. I cant imagine that many players would carry on diving if the penalties for getting caught were made clear enough and severe enough.

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