Diving (football)
Encyclopedia
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 kick
s or penalty kick
s, which can provide scoring opportunities, or so the opposing player receives a yellow or red card
, giving their own team an advantage.
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.
are now trying to prevent diving with more frequent punishments as part of their ongoing target to stop all kinds of simulation in football. 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. 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.
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.
The researchers watched hundreds of hours of matches across 6 European professional leagues and found that diving is more likely to occur a) near the offensive goal and b) when the match is tied. None of the 169 dives seen in the study were punished.
It was also found that diving was more common in leagues where it was rewarded most - meaning that the more often players were likely to get free kicks or penalties out of a dive, the more often they dived. This suggests that the benefits of diving are far outweighing the costs, and the only way to reduce diving in soccer is by increasing the ability of referees to detect dives and by increasing the punishment associated with them.
“Some progressive professional leagues, such as the Australian A-League
and the American MLS
have already started handing down punishments for players found guilty of diving. This is the best way to decrease the incentive for diving,” says Dr Robbie Wilson of the soccerscience lab that conducted the study.
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
) is an attempt by a player to gain an unfair advantage by diving to the ground and possibly feigning an injury
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
, to appear as if a foul
Foul (football)
A foul in association football is an unfair act by a player which is deemed by the referee to contravene Law 12 of the Laws of the Game.For an act to be a foul it must:...
has been committed. Dives are often used to exaggerate the amount of contact present in a challenge
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
. 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 kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
s or penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s, which can provide scoring opportunities, or so the opposing player receives a yellow or red card
Misconduct (football)
Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the...
, giving their own team an advantage.
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.
Punishment
Referees and FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
are now trying to prevent diving with more frequent punishments as part of their ongoing target to stop all kinds of simulation in football. 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
Misconduct (football)
Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the...
punishable by a yellow card. The rule changes are in response to an increasing trend of diving and simulation.
MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
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.
On 29 July 2011, the Disciplinary Committee suspended Real Salt Lake forward Álvaro Saborío
Álvaro Saborío
Álvaro Alberto Saborío Chacón is a Costa Rican footballer, who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the Costa Rica national football team.-Deportivo Saprissa:...
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.
Diving as deceptive behaviour
Recently, researchers studying signalling in animals examined diving in the context of communication theory, which suggests that deceptive behaviour should occur when the potential payoffs outweigh the potential costs (or punishments). Their aim was was to discern when and where diving is likely to occur, with the aims of identifying ways to stop it.The researchers watched hundreds of hours of matches across 6 European professional leagues and found that diving is more likely to occur a) near the offensive goal and b) when the match is tied. None of the 169 dives seen in the study were punished.
It was also found that diving was more common in leagues where it was rewarded most - meaning that the more often players were likely to get free kicks or penalties out of a dive, the more often they dived. This suggests that the benefits of diving are far outweighing the costs, and the only way to reduce diving in soccer is by increasing the ability of referees to detect dives and by increasing the punishment associated with them.
“Some progressive professional leagues, such as the Australian A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
and the American MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
have already started handing down punishments for players found guilty of diving. This is the best way to decrease the incentive for diving,” says Dr Robbie Wilson of the soccerscience lab that conducted the study.
See also
- Unsportsmanlike conductUnsportsmanlike conductUnsportsmanlike conduct is a foul or offense in many sports that is not necessarily a violation of the respective sport's rules of play, but violates the sport's generally accepted rules of sportsmanship and/or participant conduct...
- SportsmanshipSportsmanshipSportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors...
- GamesmanshipGamesmanshipGamesmanship is the use of dubious methods to win a game. It has been described as "Pushing the rules to the limit without getting caught, using whatever dubious methods possible to achieve the desired end"...
- TimewastingTimewastingTimewasting in the context of sports refers to the actions of one team which expend time, but do not otherwise have a tactical purpose. This is usually done by a team that is winning by a slim margin near the end of a game, in order to reduce the time available for the opposing team to score...
- Running out the clockRunning out the clockIn sports, running out the clock refers to the practice of a winning team allowing the clock to expire through a series of pre-selected plays, either to preserve a lead or hasten the end of a one-sided contest.- American football :...
- Flop (basketball)Flop (basketball)In basketball, flop is a pejorative term that refers to a defensive player intentionally falling backward to the floor upon physical contact with an offensive player. The hope is that it will appear to the official that the defensive player was knocked off of his feet by the offensive player's...
- Diving (ice hockey)