The FA have revealed new rules to be introduced for the 2017-18 season that means players who dive or feign injury will receive a retrospective ban of up to two games.
The new rules
Diving in football has become endemic since the days when Jurgen Klinsmann comically mocked himself diving after scoring a goal for Spurs in the 1994-95 season. It has reached such proportions that theatrical diving to be awarded a penalty or feigning injury to get a player dismissed have become part and parcel of the modern game. The FA, however, have now decided enough is enough and a panel will review footage from the weekend's games on a Monday to seek out examples of simulation.
The panel will comprise of an ex-player, an ex-match official and an ex-manager. In simple terms, the new law will seek to punish players for "successful deception of a match official" and will be punishable by a ban of two games. The player who received either a red or yellow card as a result of the deception can also have the card rescinded.
Reactions
Burnley manager Sean Dyche stated in December in an interview that he thought diving would be "eradicated within six months" if it was introduced. A similar scheme already exists in Scotland where players can be issued with a disciplinary notice if found guilty.
Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce is not so sure of the potential success of the plan claiming that it could punish players who are booked when they don't dive.
He has dismissed the rules as "utter rubbish" in an interview. He does, though, favour rules that exist in rugby union such as the introduction of a "sin bin" and subsequent dismissal of a player for 10 minutes.
A player's reaction
It is not yet clear what the majority of players think of the new ruling but Leicester City's defender Robert Huth quickly took to Twitter to express his views.
He says that the move is a positive one and he fully supports it. In his tweet, he stated "Great news, add pretending to be injured.." and on a more sarcastic note "..and crying when you lose and we are getting somewhere."
Top divers 2016-17
This season's top three divers who have been booked for simulation are Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez, Man United's Paul Pogba and Man City's Raheem Sterling.
The FA seem to be making steps towards making the game more attractive to fans. It remains to be seen whether or not this will have an impact on the cheating and simulation that have become all too common in the game and is slowly but surely ruining it. Next season should prove very interesting indeed.
