- Diving (football)
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In association football, diving (or simulation, the term used by FIFA) is an attempt by a player to gain an unfair advantage by diving to the ground and possibly feigning an injury, to appear as if a foul has been committed. Dives are often used to exaggerate the amount of contact present in a challenge. Deciding on whether a player has dived is often very subjective, and one of the most controversial aspects of football discussion. Players do this so they can receive free kicks or penalty kicks, which can provide scoring opportunities, or so the opposing player receives a yellow or red card, giving their own team an advantage.
Contents
Detection
A 2008 study found that there are recognizable traits that can often be observed when a player is diving. They are:
- a separation in time between the impact and the simulation,
- a lack of ballistic continuity (the player moves further than would be expected from the momentum of the tackle) and
- lack of contact consistency (the player nurses a body part other than where the impact occurred, such as contact to the chest causing the player to fly to the ground, holding his face).
In addition the "Archers bow" pose, where the head is tilted back, chest thrust forward, arms raised and both legs bent at the knee to lift both feet off the ground to the rear), is recognised as a characteristic sign of simulation, as the action is counter to normal reflex mechanisms to protect the body in a fall. [1]
Punishment
Referees and FIFA are now trying to prevent diving with more frequent punishments as part of their ongoing target to stop all kinds of simulation in football.[citation needed] The game's rules now state that "Any simulating action anywhere on the field, which is intended to deceive the referee, must be sanctioned as unsporting behaviour" which is misconduct punishable by a yellow card.[2] The rule changes are in response to an increasing trend of diving and simulation.
MLS in the United States, for the 2011 season, began implementing fines and suspensions for simulation in football through its Disciplinary Committee, which has the right to review plays after the match. On 24 June 2011, MLS penalised D. C. United forward Charlie Davies with a $1,000 (USD) fine as the Disciplinary Committee ruled he "intentionally deceived the officials and gained an unfair advantage which directly impacted the match" in a simulation that occurred in the 83rd minute of the match against Real Salt Lake 18 June 2011. [3]
On 29 July 2011, the Disciplinary Committee suspended Real Salt Lake forward Álvaro Saborío one game and fined him $1,000 (USD) for a simulation in a game against the San Jose Earthquakes on 23 July 2011. Officials noted the simulation resulted in Earthquakes defenseman Bobby Burling being sent off on the simulation, and the warning from MLS that fines and suspensions will increase for simulation being detected by the Disciplinary Committee. [4]
See also
- Unsportsmanlike conduct
- Sportsmanship
- Gamesmanship
- Timewasting
- Running out the clock
- Flop (basketball)
- Diving (ice hockey)
References
- ^ Morris, Paul; Lewis, David (March 2010). "Tackling Diving: The Perception of Deceptive Intentions in Association football". Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour 34 (1): 1–13. doi:0.1007/s10919-009-0075-0. ISSN 0191-5886. http://www.springerlink.com/content/k6341643l8p47720/. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ Laws of the Game, Law 12, Decision 5
- ^ MLS Disciplinary Committee fines Davies for dive vs. Real Salt Lake
- ^ Saborío fined, suspended for dive vs. Quakes
External links
- "Reuters Soccer Blog: Diving". Reuters. http://blogs.reuters.com/soccer/tag/diving/.
- "Simulation And The UEFA Ruling On Eduardo". US Soccer Federation Referee Program. September 2, 2009. http://www.askasoccerreferee.com/?cat=72. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
- Barclay, Patrick (August 24, 2009). "Feigning injury corrupts as much as fake blood". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/patrick_barclay/article6807020.ece.
- Elliot, Debbie (July 8, 2006). "Fake or Foul? A Soccer Ref Holds Forth". All Things Considered (NPR). http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5543563.
- Hughes, Rob (September 1, 2009). "Hunt for Cheats Has Political Hue". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/sports/soccer/02iht-SOCCER.html.
- Torres, Cesar R. (September 17, 2009). "On Diving: Soccer’s Integrity Is at Stake". New York Times. http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/on-diving-soccers-integrity-is-at-stake/.
Categories:- Association football terminology
- Association football tactics and skills
- Laws of association football
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