FA clamp down on diving

PLAYERS found guilty of the new offence of “successful deception of a match official” will face retrospective two-match suspensions from the start of this season, as part of a Football Association crackdown on diving, that authorities hope will prove a deterrent that finally begins to force it out of the game.

Aware of an increasing appetite from managers’ meetings to do something about diving, the FA have noticed a “sea change” in feedback over the last 12 months, whereby more and more of those in the game wanted to introduce something that would make players actually think twice about going down in the first place.

The authorities will thereby seek to punish incidents that involve clear and overwhelming evidence of simulation, and that had significant consequence on the outcome of a match.

It is thereby seen as worthy of a greater punishment than a player actually getting caught by the referee in a match, since the former is successful and the second is attempted.

The new offence is based on a law that has already worked successfully in Scotland, but the FA have added an extra threshold of adjudication, as they are aware of how emotive the subject can be.

Whereas the Scottish FA has a compliance officer for such decisions, any conspicuous incidents in England will be analysed by a three-person panel consisting of an ex-player, an ex-manager and an ex-referee. – The Independent