Do Not Cheat - Do Not Dive

Diving is a huge cause for concern in football and should be treated like it. Referees do the best they can and should not be blamed, the problem is bigger than them.

How can you dive as a player? A sold out arena, with tv broadcasts around the world, is watching and you decide to cheat. How can you live with yourself?

Some writers suggest that diving is the last defense strikers have against defenders that play ugly, pulling shirts, unpleasant pinches and so forth. But you know what? Bite back. I'd rather see free kicks for shirts getting ripped off a player than diving.

And the only real solution is to ban these diving players post action.

There will always be grey areas, of course, if a wider ban on diving was imposed. But rather that than to see (almost) every cheater go clear of situations that surely should be a yellow card rather than a penalty kick.

Some say that the fourth official should be in a booth, reviewing the game live and have the power to ban players instantly. I disagree about that. As a quick solution, it might work. But we would be watching games more similar to American football than the European one. Banning divers hard post game would frighten players of diving in general, not only when the referee might be watching.

And yes, there is a large difference between banning players for diving compared to holding players back. Diving will generally have more dramatic consequences and should therefore be treated differently. Just like tackles from behind are judged harder that other ones.

And of course, violent play should be open for appeal as well. There is no difference there really. A violent tackle, injuring a player for some time can have just as dramatic consequences to the league table as a dive resulting in a penalty and three points.

Then of course there is the moral point here. I can't for my life understand how a player would try and cheat their way to victory, but I've said that already. Football is a way of life these days and if kids get away with cheating on the pitch, why shouldn't they try and cheat off the pitch as well?

It's just stupid to allow cheating in football as it will surely have some form of effect on society, these players who do this should have their football shirts taken off their backs and not allowed to wear them, We ban players for taking performance enhancing drugs, don't we? What's the real difference here?

By: footballfan

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

John is the joint owner of Soccer Box with his wife Jackie, we employ five other people who all care about the customers of Soccer Box, to order your favourite football shirt please visit www.soccerbox.com