Spot-fixing
Encyclopedia
Spot-fixing refers to illegal activity in a sport where a specific part of a game is fixed. Examples include something as minor as timing a no ball or wide delivery in cricket or timing the first throw-in or corner in association football. Spot-fixing attempts to defraud bookmakers illegally by means of a player agreeing to perform to order by pre-arrangement. As such spot-fixing differs from match fixing
, where a whole match is fixed, or point shaving
, a specific type of match fixing in which corrupt players (or officials) attempt to limit the margin of victory of the favoured team. Spot-fixing is more difficult to detect than match fixing or point shaving. Spot-fixing is most associated with the betting markets of the Indian subcontinent where bets can be placed on individual deliveries in a cricket match. The advent of Twenty20 cricket
is said to have made spot-fixing more difficult to detect as has the growth of Internet gambling and spread betting
.
Le Tissier was forced to quickly kick the ball from play to prevent himself losing money on the bet but neither won nor lost money after managing to kick the ball out after 70 seconds. He stated that he felt so silly about the incident that he never did it again.
Jamie Bell, when playing for Sheffield International in the Sheffield & District Fair Play League won £1,000 when he famously kicked the ball immediately out of play from a kick off in the 91st minute of the clubs match against Sheffield Trinity. Bell, celebrated by entering a recording studio and recording a version of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division in homage to Ryan Giggs. Bell hopes to secure the coveted Christmas Number 1 with his take on the classic song.
, it was alleged Pakistani players Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir bowled no-balls at specific points as part of a conspiracy involving captain Salman Butt
to defraud bookmakers. As a result, Salman Butt has been banned for ten years, Asif for seven years and Amir for five years. The matter became a criminal investigation that resulted in custodial sentences for four people involved.
In November 2011, Butt was sentenced to 30-months' imprisonment, with Asif being imprisoned for one year and Amir jailed for six months.
In England, allegations of spot-fixing have been made against two Essex players, the Pakistani Test bowler Danish Kaneria
and Mervyn Westfield
.
player Ryan Tandy
was found guilty of spot-fixing during a 2010 National Rugby League
season match between North Queensland
and Canterbury-Bankstown. Tandy, playing for Canterbury-Bankstown, was involved in spot-fixing the first score of the match to be a North Queensland penalty goal. Observers noted that there had been an unusually high proportion of bets taken on the penalty goal option for the game. Then, in the opening minutes of the game, Tandy was found to have deliberately conceded a knock-on
from the match's kick-off and then a penalty for slowing down the play-the-ball in the Cowboys' first attacking set in front of the goalposts, giving North Queensland a chance to kick an easy penalty goal. As it happened, the spot-fixing attempt was unsuccessful, as North Queensland passed up its penalty goal opportunity and scored a try instead.
Tandy was found guilty of "attempting to dishonestly obtain a financial advantage" on 6 October 2011. Former player John Elias
, Tandy's manager Sam Ayoub, and property manager Greg Tait, have also been arrested in connection with the incident,Morrie, M., Dale, A., The Daily Telegraph, "Police arrest two men over NRL betting investigation and lay further charges in court", Retrieved March 3rd 2011. but their cases have not yet progressed through the court system. Tandy is expected to appeal. The NRL has not yet applied its own penalties, indicating that it will wait until all legal proceedings, including appeals, have been exhausted, but has made it clear that anyone ultimately found guilty will be banned from the sport for life.
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
, where a whole match is fixed, or point shaving
Point shaving
In organized sports, point shaving is a type of match fixing where the perpetrators try to prevent a team from covering a published point spread. Unlike other forms of match fixing, sports betting invariably motivates point shaving. A point shaving scheme generally involves a sports gambler and one...
, a specific type of match fixing in which corrupt players (or officials) attempt to limit the margin of victory of the favoured team. Spot-fixing is more difficult to detect than match fixing or point shaving. Spot-fixing is most associated with the betting markets of the Indian subcontinent where bets can be placed on individual deliveries in a cricket match. The advent of Twenty20 cricket
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
is said to have made spot-fixing more difficult to detect as has the growth of Internet gambling and spread betting
Spread betting
Spread betting is any of various types of wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple "win or lose" outcome, such as fixed-odds betting or parimutuel betting. A spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome...
.
Football
Matt Le Tissier bet on the timing of the first throw-in in a match he played for Southampton against Wimbledon in 1995. The plan failed when a team mate who was unaware of the scam managed to keep his underhit pass on the pitch.Le Tissier was forced to quickly kick the ball from play to prevent himself losing money on the bet but neither won nor lost money after managing to kick the ball out after 70 seconds. He stated that he felt so silly about the incident that he never did it again.
Jamie Bell, when playing for Sheffield International in the Sheffield & District Fair Play League won £1,000 when he famously kicked the ball immediately out of play from a kick off in the 91st minute of the clubs match against Sheffield Trinity. Bell, celebrated by entering a recording studio and recording a version of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division in homage to Ryan Giggs. Bell hopes to secure the coveted Christmas Number 1 with his take on the classic song.
Cricket
In the 2010 Pakistan tour of EnglandPakistani cricket team in England in 2010
The Pakistan cricket team toured England from 29 July to 22 September 2010. The tour consisted of four Tests, two Twenty20s and five One Day Internationals .-1st Test:-2nd Test:-3rd Test:-4th Test:...
, it was alleged Pakistani players Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir bowled no-balls at specific points as part of a conspiracy involving captain Salman Butt
Salman Butt
Salman Butt is a former Pakistani cricketer who was a regular Test and ODI left-handed opening batsman. He made his Test debut on 3 September 2003 in the third Test against Bangladesh, and a year later made his ODI debut against West Indies on 22 September 2004. He was appointed captain of the...
to defraud bookmakers. As a result, Salman Butt has been banned for ten years, Asif for seven years and Amir for five years. The matter became a criminal investigation that resulted in custodial sentences for four people involved.
In November 2011, Butt was sentenced to 30-months' imprisonment, with Asif being imprisoned for one year and Amir jailed for six months.
In England, allegations of spot-fixing have been made against two Essex players, the Pakistani Test bowler Danish Kaneria
Danish Kaneria
Danish Prabha Shanker Kaneria is a Pakistani cricketer . Danish Kaneria has continued the tradition of great Pakistani leg spin bowlers and possesses a very well disguised googly...
and Mervyn Westfield
Mervyn Westfield
Mervyn Simon Westfield is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler who until September 2010 played for Essex County Cricket Club.-Essex career:...
.
Rugby League
Australian rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player Ryan Tandy
Ryan Tandy
Ryan Tandy is an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He played as both a prop and second-row .-Playing career:...
was found guilty of spot-fixing during a 2010 National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
season match between North Queensland
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
and Canterbury-Bankstown. Tandy, playing for Canterbury-Bankstown, was involved in spot-fixing the first score of the match to be a North Queensland penalty goal. Observers noted that there had been an unusually high proportion of bets taken on the penalty goal option for the game. Then, in the opening minutes of the game, Tandy was found to have deliberately conceded a knock-on
Knock-on
Knock-on may refer to:* Knock-on electron* Knock-on effect* Knock-on, an error by the player in possession of the ball in rugby league football.* Knock-on, an event where the ball is knocked forward in rugby union....
from the match's kick-off and then a penalty for slowing down the play-the-ball in the Cowboys' first attacking set in front of the goalposts, giving North Queensland a chance to kick an easy penalty goal. As it happened, the spot-fixing attempt was unsuccessful, as North Queensland passed up its penalty goal opportunity and scored a try instead.
Tandy was found guilty of "attempting to dishonestly obtain a financial advantage" on 6 October 2011. Former player John Elias
John Elias (rugby league)
John Elias is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. During the 1980s and 90s he played for clubs in Sydney, Brisbane, England and France where he also coached, and also played and coached for the Lebanon national team.-Biography:...
, Tandy's manager Sam Ayoub, and property manager Greg Tait, have also been arrested in connection with the incident,Morrie, M., Dale, A., The Daily Telegraph, "Police arrest two men over NRL betting investigation and lay further charges in court", Retrieved March 3rd 2011. but their cases have not yet progressed through the court system. Tandy is expected to appeal. The NRL has not yet applied its own penalties, indicating that it will wait until all legal proceedings, including appeals, have been exhausted, but has made it clear that anyone ultimately found guilty will be banned from the sport for life.