The FA, at long last, are to introduce retrospective punishment for players who dive or feign injury by reviewing incidents post-game and enforcing punishments.
In a statement released on their website, they say:
A new offence of ‘Successful Deception of a Match Official’ will be in force from the start of the 2017-18 season, after the regulation change was approved by The FA Council today [18 May] and following a period of consultation with stakeholders over the past few months.
Where there is clear and overwhelming evidence to suggest a match official has been deceived by an act of simulation, and as a direct result, the offending player’s team has been awarded a penalty and/or an opposing player has been dismissed, The FA will be able to act retrospectively under its Fast Track system.
The incidents will be reviewed by a three man panel consisting of an ex-referee, an ex-manager and an ex-player, and if found unanimously guilty, the player will face a two game ban.
They explain:
In accepted and/or proven cases of simulation and/or feigning injury, the offending player would receive a two-match suspension.
Although attempts to deceive the referee by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled is a cautionable offence for unsporting behaviour, the fact that the act of simulation has succeeded in deceiving a match official and, therefore, led to a penalty and/or dismissal, justifies a more severe penalty which would act as a deterrent.
This also allows players who have been booked or sent off for what was deemed a foul in ‘real time’ to have those cards rescinded.
It’s certainly going to be an interesting few months as players get used to the new system, but anything that becomes a deterrent to the kind of gamesmanship we have to put up with now is to be applauded.
There are bound to be some high profile casualties along the way until players get used to it, which should make for some fun footage.
Thankfully at Arsenal all our players are fine gentlemen who uphold the highest standards of comportment and would never behave in the outrageous manner we see from the blaggards, oiks and ruffians at other clubs. So we should be perfectly all right.
*cough*
Will Dele All ever play again?
Or, you know you could just introduce a video replay system for the 4th official to decide in the matter of say 30 seconds. And thereby if said player dives and wins a penalty and the opposing team lose 1 nil bcos of said penalty, at least that team doesnt lose the points. Which today is worth more to clubs and potential league places and cup progression. Theyx just string it out with this petty shite. Just make as easy as possible for the officials, what is wrong with people! Goal like technology should have happened 10 years ago…when will… Read more »
Agree 100%. What is the point in taking retrospective action against cheating, when the technology exists to expose the cheats in real time? It’s an improvement, but football should look to embrace technology if it is quick, effective and accurate.
or what if your player gets a red card for the other guy diving? How does that help during the game?
What about point deductions for serial divers? That way the whole team will tell Ashley Young to stay on his feet.
I think the issue would be if it’s too tough a call. You have evidence that supports both a foul and a dive. Knowing our luck we’ll have one of those decisions against us.
On the top of my head maybe something like one of those situations where the striker sticks his leg out to draw contact. You can’t be 100% sure some time.
Immediate action removes the appeal process. Not saying the FA would be shady or anything….
I think FIFA will introduce video replay at the next world cup if goals, pk or red cards are involved. Taking a two-game ban to avoid relegation of your club is almost an heroic act therefore players will still do it on purpose. Video is the solution.
Exactly! Retrospective should be reserved for behaviour like stepping on a player’s foot when the referee isn’t looking, pushing a player off when he is mid air and for disciplinary stuff that is missed by referee! Penalties and red cards should be real-time!
Yes he will. And they’ll always cover him up with excuses. Like there was a bit of contac . And they’ll ban Sanchez and say the contact wasn’t enough.
As if this rule will ever be properly enforced – just like arms around your opponent in the box this year. Took the refs maybe 5 games into the season to forget all about it.
I don’t think this covers where it is a foul but the player feigns an injury to waste time? I wish it would. Pisses me off.
True – but our players are hardly innocent. I’m thinking of a certain Alexis Sanchez … Nacho Monreal …
This doesn’t really solve any problem. All their decisions are made to make football more entertaining for the viewers watching on tv and to give the stupid pundits something to talk about. I have an idea, why not follow every other major sport and introduce video highlights so the ref can make the right decision on the spot instead of allowing him to continuously be deceived then act on cases which suit your interest. Fuck I hate the FA, just a bunch of old cunts that have no place in football!
Gotta say, trying to remove my red and white tinted glasses for a moment.
Whilst we have had a few of our own guilty of this. I really do believe over the course, we would have seen more benefit this than not.
Am I that cynical, or have we had more than a fair share of dives go against us? Still annoyed from the Harry Kane one a few weeks back.
There have definitely been one or two over the last couple of seasons that made me cringe a little bit. I think one was from Santi who went over in the far corner of the box and perhaps another from Alexis more recently? I do think, though, that it’s hard to say other teams do it more as a whole, but certain individuals are definitely more guilty than others. Fortunately, I think Wenger is pretty adamant in trying to coach that sort of thing out of his players and always comes out strongly against that sort of behavior, even when… Read more »
Im sure they have taken that into account thats why the “deterrant” wording was added to the explanation. I think it’s a good step forward specially because this sort of behavior is becoming more and more common. I hope they add hand goals like the Crouch one to the list of “succesful referee deception”.
Yeah, punish Harry Kane for that dive, but before that, whilst hes still playing, go after Rooney for cheating to end our 49 game unbeaten run.
And that sound you’re hearing is Ashley Young getting transfer listed…………..
Any idea if players who get booked for diving will have their yellow cards taken away if they did actually get fouled? Just a thought 🙂
That Rooney dive still annoys the piss out of me.
I remember going ballistic. It was such an obvious dive but of course the ref didn’t see it.
Mike ‘Cunting’ Reilly – the Cunt.
BOTH of them still annoy me. Cnut!
GAAHHHH
That son of a van nisteriley didn’t send off Ferdinand for bringing down ljungberg early in the game when he was clean through on goal.
Over there in England you call it “letting the game flow ” or “not spoiling the game with an early red ” but over here , I’ll never forgive/forget how that cunting Riley screwed us
love the use of the rooney pic. still makes me angry after all this time!!! diving prick!!
One step closer to my dream, which is: If a player is caught diving/simulating the sentence will be the following: * The player will be banned without pay for 36 months * The player will be fined six months wages * Once the player returns after 36 months he/she will have to wear an armband for the rest of his/her career which says “I AM A CHEATING C**T” * The team will loose 25 points * The team will loose the game in which the incident occurred with 0-3 If that does not sort out the cheating c***s like your… Read more »
I don’t reckon Mike will be happy with you dropping him.
I like the way you think. Robben will never set foot on a pitch again and Barcelona will become mid-table mediocrity.
Blimey, you are of a mood
Would Kane’s penalty ‘win’ against Arsenal count?? He blatantly moved his leg sideways to ensure there was contact to fall down. I hate that, and the leg drag over the keeper and the thing I hate most about it is that in order to be able to pull it off successfully you would definitely need to practice it. Therefore, there are players who are practicing being cheats, these highly paid professional sportsmen are actually practicing being cheats.
It makes me sick, whether it’s our players or others the sooner this is eradicated from the game, the better.
I agree that Kane and, especially, Vardy have made an art of veering slightly to initiate contact with a keeper or defender. But I don’t think it will be the sort of thing that gets punished retrospectively because of “the clear and overwhelming evidence” required by the FA. And, I suppose, that is right–if it’s genuinely debatable, then the referee’s decision should stand.
Hazard is another one. Push the ball to the left, then step to the right and make contact with the defender. These should be seen for what they are. Cheating.
Doubt that will be punished, particularly since pundits can’t even agree if those types of actions should be penalties or not. So often you hear someone blame the defender for leaving the leg out where it can be kicked, thus “causing” the flop. While I think this is a step in the right direction, to really clean this up they need to take this farther: * If the player on offense initiates the contact through an unnatural movement (e.g. sticking the leg out and tripping themselves) it should not be a penalty. To me, that should be included in simulation.… Read more »
why not free kicks too, maureens got a take 1 for the team speech lined up i can feel it
Breaking News 2pm: FA decides on new rule
Breaking News 2:15pm: Diego Costa signs deal in China
😛
Good measure but we also need real-time video help for referees. Honestly, it doesn’t take much time to review questionable decisions and it will help our thoroughly abject referees as well. Cough Mike Dean.
Didn’t FIFA trial it in a friendly last year? What has happened of it afterwards?
They found it too effective.
I am a house-level football referee and a national-level baseball umpire, and I would absolutely LOVE to have the benefit of instant replay.
And so what? If you’ve got a penalty against you, you still got a penalty against you and is it consoling to know the guilty one has a fine for that after you drop points?
Will be very hard to define what is a dive, and it goes both ways:
-Is a dive considered non-contact and player goes over? What if the player avoided a very dangerous tackle but could not keep balance on landing?
-What if there is contact? What if the attacker sticks out a leg to ensure there is contact and then goes down? What if the contact is there but is so minimal but it is at speed?
Hmm, wil be interesting to see how Sp*rs cope when Dele Alli is only eligible to play 5 games a season
Why cant they just go with video referals in real time. How does it benefit the team later when a card is rescinded. A dive today is more eyed upon than a career threatning tackle. Ever since the eduardo incident i wished it would be a fine punishment for player making that kind of tackle to be suspended as long as the injured player recovers or makes a comeback.
Ander Herrara is all kinds of fucked
18 May: “FA TO INTRODUCE RETROSPECTIVE PUNISHMENT FOR DIVING/FEIGNING INJURY”
14 August: “FA ban Alexis for two games for diving”.
21 August: “FA conveniently forgets its new offence like it did with clamping down on dissent last season”.
This new offence by the FA is for the good of the game, but it doesn’t go far enough as far as I am concerned.
In my book, where a penalty has been awarded & scored as the result of
a player successfully deceiving the match officials, the retrospective
panel should also have the power to strike off any goal that is scored as a
result of any such deception(s) taking place.
Justice means justice, and successful deceptions should not be allowed to
affect the final result of the game.
I get what you mean but it won’t work. Say you are 1-0 up with 5 min to go. Someone dives, gets a penalty and it’s now 2-0. The other team kind of gives up and the match ends.
There’s no point striking that goal off.
The damage is already done.
Allardyce thinks retrospective punishment for diving is “utter rubbish” wow. Unbelievable someone like him got to be England manager
his point was that it didn’t help the other team during the game. I don’t like Big Sam, but you have to agree that it should be reviewed by the fourth official via video during the game and not after.
I must admit to being more than a little sceptical. How many times have we seen certain players diving and throwing themselves about only for the tv pundits, usually their England team mates, to dismiss it as clever or just giggle and pass it all off as lower 6th high jinks? Unless it is perpetrated by some dirty Johnny Foreigner. And as well all know cheating was brought into the country by those foreign types. Notably the likes of Francis Lee (typical Italian prima donna), Johnny Giles (father of Goikotxea who went on to cripple Maradona) and Billy Bremner (well… Read more »
Do the FA understand football? If Kane dives against Arsenal wins a penalty which is scored and the scum win 1 nil, Then is banned for the next 2 games against Liverpool and Chelsea (or other title contenders) how do Arsenal or the team the cheating occurred against benefit? Why not accept that real time video referee’s should be the way forward. Address situations immediately. The British refereeing system is dodgy (we are the only nation to use the system which was responsible for the corruption in Italy). This still give the FA and PGMOL the ability to control /… Read more »
Because then he will stop doing it.what does real time video referee mean? It would have to be after the fact because they would have to watch a replay before making a decision
This has been trialled but to be honest I’m a little sceptical it would break the flow of the game.
Aye, that’s my major gripe with it too. It should be all encompassing for a start.
It’s a step forward but why are the authorities doing everything to avoid the obvious.
The refs need real time playback Bluetooth technology implemented not just for goal line instances but also for penalties, offsides, play acting and violent conduct.
Retrospective punishment doesn’t get you back lost points for your team.
Because it is bent. the PGMOL (referee’s) are a limited company, that self regulates and answers to know one.
In a Billionaire quid industry…. let that sink in…. Gambling firms sponsor everything…. Sky… etc. the media reports….
If it smells like shit, looks like shit – 99 times out of 100 it is shit.
Good move
The moment any Gooner says this is a good idea on a mainstream news site, they will surely be met with assorted comments about Pires vs Portsmouth.
If he dived, which I’m not sure whether he did, it doesn’t escape the fact it was in TWO THOUSAND AND FUCKING THREE. Bitter cunts.
Yep, this will be in force against Arsenal, but as soon as a Rooney or a Kane dive it will be quietly forgotten.
I’m good with this, retroactively, as opposed to video review during a match. I’d like it even more to have the footage used publicly to show how the FA came to their decision, and as an act to shame these fuckers. Cunts like Vardy that mastered that leg sweep to earn a pen, will either stop cold …. or spend most of their season benched. Yeah, I know we are not angels – but the most obvious offenders we have very well may not be with us next season either.
so how/when do the commentators stop talking about “there was definitely CONTACT there so it’s a pen” – it has to be a foul, of course there will be ‘contact’ in a penalty area. And what about players who see where a defender is and stick out a trailing leg so they fall over the defender and get a penalty (eg astute cheating from Suarez in CL vs PSG) – will the penalty be rescinded and the game replayed? If this is to work as well as deter cheats, it has to be done in real time using video technology.… Read more »
FA focusing on specific aspects again. What about shirt tugging? What about collectively surrounding ref? What about time wasting? What happened to all these? Focusing on the minor aspects. Players who scythe down and ruin the careers of others get away with it if the ref saw it and gave nothing or just a yellow. Players elbowing get a yellow if spotted but a red retrospectively if not spotted. Yellow card for not moving away, same punishment for a bad foul. What if player threw his leg out or didn’t attempt to move when keeper came out? Is that constructively… Read more »
Football associations are introducing all these retrospective rules based on video clips… Hello? What about introducing actual video refereeing? What is this, the 19th century?
I’m all for it. Shame it’s coming at the end of Rooney’s career.
Also, someone needs to slip a copy of this under Monreal’s door. Don’t hate, you know it’s true. 😉
So Wayne Rooney will have to hand back every appearance bonus he’s picked up in his career as, retrospectively, he should have been suspended for those matches.
Also, take away his scoring record.
Shame this isn’t going on at the UEFA level, as Barca would never again be able to field a full first team squad.
And Van Nistelrooy has been declared bankrupt from all the fines, and now has zero professional appearances to his name.
Bayern as well
I find the news that “The incidents will be reviewed by a three man panel consisting of an ex-referee, an ex-manager and an ex-player, and if found unanimously guilty, the player will face a two game ban.” Slightly disturbing, who would these ex-player and ex manager be? Michael Owen and Graeme Souness? If so we’d be fucked! Watch Mike Dean retire from reffing on the field and take that little number on.
So yes to goal line tech/video assist and no to this flawed strategy.
But Bale……oh he’s playing in laliga….fu**** no !
It will be interesting to see if they apply the same punishment to English players as they do for Foreign players
love this decision. sure, it’ll be tough to call sometimes, but even if it stops it from happening just 50% of the time, I’m all for it.
Just some food for thought: As an avid fan of the NFL and MLB, I just want to say that I don’t think video replay (during play) has increased my enjoyment of the sports in question. 1) video referees still get it wrong, a lot; 2) gameplay slows down (no matter how much they swear it won’t) and the experience of viewing is degraded; 3) the event becomes too invested in adjudicating controversial decisions at the expense of the game; 4) it stresses the business end of sport, not its escapism; and 5) broadcasters/commentators endlessly debate the likely outcomes of… Read more »