It’s high time governing bodies take drastic measures to stop diving
By Gary Pearson
With the Golden Globes recently awarding the world’s best actors for their captivating work, it’s high time we talk about the dramatic performances that are tarnishing the beautiful game, which manifest in the form of diving.
Like an airborne contagion, diving has become an all-pervading disease blighting an otherwise glorious sport. While diving has always been a part of football, never has this form of cheating been so prevalent and nefarious.
More from Premier League
- Manchester City suffer but come away with win over West Ham
- Premier League match preview: Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
- Jadon Sancho refutes Erik Ten Hag’s comments
- Arsenal win in added time drama as United suffer last-minute agony
- Rudderless Chelsea lose to Nottingham Forest
The advantages of taking a fall currently far outweigh the risks, a convoluted truth that needs to be addressed if football’s governing bodies are to ever eradicate simulation.
In a sport of fine margins, one embellishment can – and often does – make the difference between victory and defeat.
The debate whether Harry Kane took a tumble against Chelsea in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal to put Spurs ahead rages on.
Even with the help of Video Assistant Referee (VAR), referee Michael Oliver couldn’t find the proof required to overturn his original decision. There was clear contact on the play, so no matter which side of debate you fall, there was more than enough to warrant a penalty.
While worth a serious discussion, those type of contentious decisions are not what’s on trial here. It’s the flagrant, blatant dives that must be held to account.
A more severe punishment required
Receiving a yellow card is simply not enough of a deterrent to curtail transgressors. The lack of a punishment is, in its own right, the key to finding a cure for the diving disease.
If the punishment were more severe, players would think twice about easily going to ground. To effectively spearhead an omnipresent cultural change, seemingly extreme measures are needed.
Doling out an immediate red card – akin to the punishment for violent conduct – would stop simulation quicker than the time it took for Paul Pogba to find his best form after Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United exodus.
Some might feel the prospect of a two or three-game suspension is too harsh a penalty to pay for flopping like a fish out of water. But diving is tantamount to cheating, which has a more compounding and long-term pernicious effect on the sport.
Some of the worst culprits – including Ashley Young, Mo Salah, Raheem Sterling – would be forced to stay on their feet and find a more resolute, innovative and lawful solution.
VAR isn't the problem, the offside law is. dark. Next
Honesty used to be a coveted trait for footballers, and this solution, like a newfound inoculation, would cure the afflicted, restoring integrity and honour to a sport that once had both in excess.