The Great Sporting Debate

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Where would we be without sporting debate? How would we wile away long days in the pub with our mates, or pass on periods time with nothing to do without talking sport? Insert more hype here. So, here we go. The great sporting debate, on diving, or 'simulation'. God, I hate that term.

Alright, a lot has been made in the press recently on the subject of diving, or 'simulation', and a lot has been directed at Chelsea.

On the one hand, diving is cheating, no two ways about it. Secondly, Chelsea players do seem to be doing their fair share of diving, and we all know what's gone off in the press since the weekend with regards Didier Drogba's quote on Match of the Day (back to that in a minute). Then there's the fact that some Chelsea players you wouldn't normally associate with diving have been partaking in this activity recently, like SWP – look at his dive under a 'challenge' from Robbie Elliott, a dive Elliot feels may have cost him his Newcastle career. Elliott was sent off for a second bookable offence for the 'foul' and fears that with some Newcastle defenders coming back from injury/suspension soon his first team chances may become limited and his contract expires at the end of the season.

Anyway, back to the Drogba thing, Drogba had this to say in a post match interview on Match of the Day:

"Sometimes I dive, sometimes I step over you know. I don't care about this."

Later however, Drogba seemed to change his mind, issuing this message:

"Unfortunately in the emotion of winning the game, my comments have come across partly in the wrong way. I want to make it clear that I don't dive. This was the intention of my answer."

There were some claims that he had originally simply mis-understood the question being asked him by the Match of the Day interviewer (if it had been Garth Crooks, it might be a more believable excuse).

However, there is the other side of the argument. Firstly, diving has been a part of the game for years, it's something that hundreds of players have done thousands of times worldwide and its become not accepted, but certainly there hasn't been a major up-roar before, just the odd 'grumbling', so why all the fuss now? Secondly, is it fair that Chelsea seem to be having most of the abuse aimed at them? They aren't the only team that has players that dive, and maybe there is something to the argument that the press and others are only getting on their case because of the 'champions hate factor' and a general dislike of the team.

To again quote the person at the centre of this issue, Didier Drogba, “The people who are criticising me should maybe come on the pitch and we'll see if they dive or not.”

Personally, I've always hated diving, its such a cheap way to cheat in a football match, and it is something that needs to be clamped down on (but how?), and Chelsea certainly are guilty of this 'simulation' quite a lot. However, I can't help but feel that maybe a lot of the criticism of Chelsea does stem from this general dislike of the club from the media, as Mr Drogba points out “Everyone wants to make something bad about Chelsea. It's because we are the best.” There has seemed to be a blinkered 'not in our country' attitude from the media, that diving is something that happens abroad, not here, when it is something that happens in football wherever, Britain included. Its maybe only now that its becoming more 'concentrated' or rather more in the public eyes that we're getting this backlash to it as people realise that is is happening in the UK. Its a football wide issue, but not one that a single club can be blamed for and the targeting of Chelsea is unfair. However much they piss me off sometimes....

Discuss if you wish....

[Grounded Wingman]

Even in days of old, players used to clip their own heels together to wins penalties, so it's not a new phenomenon. It's just more prevalent because there are cameras at every game showing things from eleventy-billion different angles.

As a player myself I despise diving, and it's frowned upon big time in the amateur game. It fits below spitting and the waving of imaginery cards in my "Things guaranteed to piss me off when I'm playing football" list, but I imagine I'd get sent off if somebody won a penalty for diving against me because I'd be likely to kick the culprit while he was rolling about. I would easily justify it by telling the ref "If he's going to get a penalty anyway it might as well be for that!"

I like Wenger's idea that a panel sits and can award cautions using video evidence, even after the game is finished, although I wouldn't book those found guilty - I'd suspend the cheating bastards.

[Guest muddatrucker]

I think diving makes you look like a pussy, regardless of who you are, even players for our own teams do it or have done it.

The way I see it, theres no incentive for you to stay on your feet if you're kicked to pieces because a referee won't do anything about it, to win the freekick you deserve you need to go down and thats bad.

The only real solution to me without getting video referees will be by issuing harsher penalties but since you get fined like £400 for racist chants in todays game, its asking too much.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Drogba's a big guy so to see him sprawling like a little skinny girl is frankly disgusting.

Diving WAS much less prevalent a few years back but now everyone seems to be trying it on.

Who knows. I don't like it but it'd be hard to police.

[fineintent]

You can get fined and banned post-match for violent conduct, the same should go for diving. Good to see Chelsea fans booing Drogba as well - its fairly annoying, his first goal showed just how good he can be, his second (and clutching his face later) just made him look a cunt.

[The LBTN Express]

I despise diving and agree what Mark Hughes (and it seems a lot of people did) said about it. If you see someone diving, even if it's the team you support you should boo them off the park. A lot of people seem to have taken notice with Drogba getting booed by his own fans at the weekend and booed again when he was announced as man of the match.

It had got into a routine where even the fans would get into a fury when they weren't given a penalty when it was clear the person in question dived.

As for the Chelsea thing I think they've been highlighted more than most because of Drogba and his theatrics and over the top diving. Like that one the other where he did a pirouette before going down.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Man of the week: Stuart Pearce

His response and interview after the match was highly professional. A credit to football.

[Guest Ringmaster The Living Legend]

Drogba, to me, has probably become the most contemptible player in the game.

The MLS and USL (like the really, really shitty second division of the MLS) have post match commitees in charge of stopping illegitimate activities like diving, handballing and violence, it's been working well so far in that diving seems to have dissappeared to some extent. They don't really fine players so much as have this point system that bans them after several attempts, which has been working well.

Although the issue is also that a sort of excessive Phil Neville like violent tackles have develloped within the game and that has probably lead to the increase of dives. While there are fags like Drogba and Pires who dive non-stop, the amount of reckless challenges has probably caused players that you didn't see dive in the past (SWP) to start doing it. Now I like this excessive brutality as much as the next guy and diving makes you look like a fucking pussy, but to some extent, reckless and violent defending should be diminished if diving is to be stopped.

Although I would simply prefer the divers be suspended for 5 games and be made an example of

[Timmoru Suzuki]

There needs to be some form of system implemented to try and clamp down on things like this. The only way I can think of is to make an example of players that do dive and are obviouisly caught doing so, like a short suspension. The committe seems like a good idea, that reviewed match footage after the games, but who'd sit on the committe? A mix of ref's, maybe ex-pro's and some other official types would seem the most sensible way, but then how are disagreements sorted out?

Its an interesting potential solution, but it could take a lot of working out.

Generally anyway, diving is getting stupid. There are other things that could be done, as Ringmaster says, clamping down on reckless challenges could help, if coupled with letting little bits of contact go (like the good 'ol days......) but thats slightly flawed in itself. Maybe a lot of little things need to be changed.

[therockbox]

I think teams should be punished when there players dive. Maybe a warning for the first offence, but when people like Drogba are doing it every week then start taking points off the teams - because a fine isn't going to hurt Chelsea or the players when they're earning what they earn.

[Guest Ringmaster The Living Legend]

What I find particularly bad is that players who didn't dive in the past do it now. SWP only did it once, fair enough, but Ronaldinho and Eto'o do it every game or two now. It's pathetic when the players ranked 1 and 3 in the world have to resort to diving.

[Colly]

I like Wenger's idea that a panel sits and can award cautions using video evidence, even after the game is finished, although I wouldn't book those found guilty - I'd suspend the cheating bastards.

[TheArsenal]

Drogba is simply an out-an-out cheater. He is constantly going down in pathetically obvious over-dramatic style that is simply nothing more than an attempt to get his opponents booked or sent off. He's not even going it for the free kicks or penalties half the time because he does it in areas of the pitch where there are no real tactical advantages from getting a free kick.

It's called "Upsorting Behaviour" and is a bookable offence.

[Liam]

Drogba is simply an out-an-out cheater. He is constantly going down in pathetically obvious over-dramatic style that is simply nothing more than an attempt to get his opponents booked or sent off. He's not even going it for the free kicks or penalties half the time because he does it in areas of the pitch where there are no real tactical advantages from getting a free kick.

It's called "Upsorting Behaviour" and is a bookable offence.

Plus the fact that he does get fouled/kicked a lot of the time as well, which people tend to ignore.

I don't condone diving, at all, but I agree with what Mudda said, in that it is sad that it takes a player going to ground to get any sort of reward for the shit that some opponents pull. Its all nice you standing up to a bloke who elbows/punches/kicks you, but it won't get you anywhere, so sometimes it is just easier to go to ground, no doubt about it in my mind. I had a bloke kick me in the face once, I stayed up, he got away with it......it happens too often, and is stupid.

EDIT: For reference, I hate crowding the ref or waving phantom cards wayyy more than diving.

Edited March 27, 2006 by HGwannabe

[Summers]

Besides, I like Drogba.

[Toe]

You guys should play hockey. Our refs call EVERYTHING!

Diving is weak in any sport. It started to sprout in hockey before the lockout - but now the team and player and get fined and it gets called almost every time. I've seen a player get called for tripping and the guy he tripped was still called for diving!