Diving/simulation

[cmonurz]

Article in the mail says we should start feeling sorry for Gareth Bale before he leaves the Premier League and joins a league that will protect his theatrics.

Where do you stand on diving/simulation? Are referees going overboard and getting it wrong, for example in booking Bale for going down under this challenge from Gardner?



I'd sooner see referees get the odd one wrong but clamp down on simulation. Contact does not equal a foul imho.

Anyway, an absolutely beauty here from Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus, after running the length of the pitch and being put through on goal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXV4GdPFQik

[paultheroyal]

Bale yesterday = dive.

Yes there is contact but you don't go down walking along the street when someone brushes your knee. It's getting ridiculous now and post match punishment should be put in place,

[paultheroyal]

Seen that clip before but worthy of a absolutely embarrassing.

[comeonyouroyals]

Personally I feel that in situations like Bales were the Ref can neither tell if it's dive or not he goes with his gut instinct so in this case to say it was a dive but shouldn't book Bale but instead refer it to a panel who after the game can decide if it was a dive or not and then a punishment dealt out. This cuts out diving due to the threat of retrospective punishment and also saves innocent players getting penalized.

[PieEater]

Bales problem is his post dive antics, if he were to fall over naturally rather than splay his arms, arch his back and flick his legs up he'd get more sympathy.

On the subject of dives there were some terrible ones from QPR yesterday. Desperate.

[3 veesinarow]

The next time I hear someone say "I felt contact, so I was entitled to go down", I may just go postal. This "justification" proves anyone who says it is diving as they have, in a split-second, felt some contact and decided it means they can fall to the ground, so a deliberate act. If you watch some of Michael Owen's early goals (and yes, I know he's had the same flung at him) such as the goal against Argentina and the hat-trick goal against Newcastle where he rubs his hands together in celebration, he gets heavy contact at full speed from each defender who is trying to foul him (as opposed to many of Bale's challenges where they are trying hard NOT to touch him), but rides the challenges and scores.

If Bale simply stood up, carried on and and had a go at scoring, he would quickly regain the respect he's losing week by week.

[Big Foot]

That video is LOLsworthy

And I agree with the opinion that contact doesn't = foul

[paultheroyal]

But he is expecting the contact and has trained himself to do just that, go down!

His latest antics are an embarrassment and can't believe even some pundits defend it.

[REMTARDROYAL]

Yes there is contact but you don't go down walking along the street when someone brushes your knee.

You do if you're a tall, athletic sort running at absolutely top pelt, and you're not expecting the contact.

I did that running for a bus. Kid went absolutely flying.

[Geekins]

Bale is a pcunt so serves him right.

[Hoop Blah]

Totally agree that not all contact is a foul and that the likes of Bale who think it does are doing a dis-service to the game by diving to make the most of it.

It's so difficult for refs to get this right and I quite like the suggestion that these should be referred to a review panel after the game (perhaps bring in a pink card to register this at the time so that the crowd and players know it's been noted) and I'm all in favour of it being clamped down on.

Bale is diving, there's no doubt about that in my mind, because he's making out any contact to be a foul and trying to convince the ref that a foul has been commited by going to ground and accentuating every bit of contact.

The only way players are going to stop this is if a) ref's start giving free kicks and penalties for legitimate fouls even if players don't go down, and b) divers are punished retrospectively and consistently. This will take away the need to dive and add more risk to the reward of trying to cheat.

[paultheroyal]

Took a dive?

[Bandini]

If she's prone to simulation, sometimes diving's the only way to get the job done.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Defoe's one in the same game is a far more blatent dive, and he got nothing for it.

now, unfortuntely for Bale, his reputation proceeds him.

[NTRoyal]

Totally agree that not all contact is a foul and that the likes of Bale who think it does are doing a dis-service to the game by diving to make the most of it.

It's so difficult for refs to get this right and I quite like the suggestion that these should be referred to a review panel after the game (perhaps bring in a pink card to register this at the time so that the crowd and players know it's been noted) and I'm all in favour of it being clamped down on.

Bale is diving, there's no doubt about that in my mind, because he's making out any contact to be a foul and trying to convince the ref that a foul has been commited by going to ground and accentuating every bit of contact.

The only way players are going to stop this is if a) ref's start giving free kicks and penalties for legitimate fouls even if players don't go down, and b) divers are punished retrospectively and consistently. This will take away the need to dive and add more risk to the reward of trying to cheat.

I approve this message.

[Ian Royal]

Yes there is contact but you don't go down walking along the street when someone brushes your knee.

You do if you're a tall, athletic sort running at absolutely top pelt, and you're not expecting the contact.

Falling over is a much more ungainly act and usually involves some sort of stumble unless you are absolutely wiped out. Light contact on one leg, whilst it can take you down, doesn't cause both your legs to cease all effort at forward movement.

[Ian Royal]

Totally agree that not all contact is a foul and that the likes of Bale who think it does are doing a dis-service to the game by diving to make the most of it.

It's so difficult for refs to get this right and I quite like the suggestion that these should be referred to a review panel after the game (perhaps bring in a pink card to register this at the time so that the crowd and players know it's been noted) and I'm all in favour of it being clamped down on.

Bale is diving, there's no doubt about that in my mind, because he's making out any contact to be a foul and trying to convince the ref that a foul has been commited by going to ground and accentuating every bit of contact.

The only way players are going to stop this is if a) ref's start giving free kicks and penalties for legitimate fouls even if players don't go down, and b) divers are punished retrospectively and consistently. This will take away the need to dive and add more risk to the reward of trying to cheat.

Massive +1 on both a) and b).

[ZacNaloen]

Yes there is contact but you don't go down walking along the street when someone brushes your knee.

You do if you're a tall, athletic sort running at absolutely top pelt, and you're not expecting the contact.

Falling over is a much more ungainly act and usually involves some sort of stumble unless you are absolutely wiped out. Light contact on one leg, whilst it can take you down, doesn't cause both your legs to cease all effort at forward movement.

I agree, he needs to add a stumble to his repertoire to stop these yellow cards

[handbags_harris]

I have nothing else to add to this thread other than to say I entirely concur with 3 vees, paultr, Hoop Blah and lastly Ian on his opinion on the dynamics of diving.

Bale, for all the great player he is, is fast becoming a marked man. And his comment that "I've been booked three times for nothing after being touched" is shown up to be what it is with this not-so-distant episode for which he was rightly booked:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbaUhiS4lgU

[creative_username_1]

I agree, he needs to add a stumble to his repertoire to stop these yellow cards

stumble + try and play the ball whilst on your knees like that's all you care about