[Football] Cheating - pretending to be injured to disrupt the opposition

[Uh_huh_him]

I have been told by a Fulham fan (on twitter) the Sky highlights this morning showed a clear elbow to the head for Paulinha.
Anyone seen it?

 

[pasty]

When a player goes down holding his head, introduce a mandatory 5 minute concussion check. If it’s a real head injury then it’s justified and if it’s not, then tough titties. If the manager wants to make a concussion sub in those 5 minutes then fair enough, but the “injured” player cannot come back on.

 

[Milano]

Any injury which requires the medical team to come on should result in said player staying off the pitch for the length of time that the medical team were on the pitch, except if it’s the result of a fouls which caused a yellow/red or the player can be subbed with no time penalty. It would stop this nonsense overnight.

 

[boik]

All of these suggestions seem to punish any team that has a genuine injury, which can't be right?

 

[Icy Gull]

All of these suggestions seem to punish any team that has a genuine injury, which can't be right?

VAR could soon sort that out…you’d think…maybe not

If it’s an obvious and genuine injury, ref just waits until the physio has checked the player over. If it’s simulation, player gets a red card. Is that too simplistic? VAR check on every head injury, they all take 3-5 mins don’t they anyway, so plenty of time to check each and every one.

 

[The Tactician]

When a player goes down holding his head, introduce a mandatory 5 minute concussion check. If it’s a real head injury then it’s justified and if it’s not, then tough titties. If the manager wants to make a concussion sub in those 5 minutes then fair enough, but the “injured” player cannot come back on.

This would punish players who suffer legitimate head injuries. There's a much much better way of doing this.

We see very little deliberate simulation anymore - since officials began handing out retrospective punishment for diving, reviewing incidents after games. That and the presence of VAR has helped essentially eradicate it.

Easiest thing in the world is to look after games, and if a player is seen to be holding their head / indicating a head injury when it clearly isn't the case, then an immediate retrospective 3-5 ban for deliberate cheating.

No reason not to do this.

 

[Easy 10]

This would punish players who suffer legitimate head injuries. There's a much much better way of doing this.

We see very little deliberate simulation anymore - since officials began handing out retrospective punishment for diving, reviewing incidents after games. That and the presence of VAR has helped essentially eradicate it.

Easiest thing in the world is to look after games, and if a player is seen to be holding their head / indicating a head injury when it clearly isn't the case, then an immediate retrospective 3-5 ban for deliberate cheating.

No reason not to do this.

Sorry, have I missed something ? Were you at the game yesterday, or at Villa / Forest ??

I'd truly love to see all the examples of retrospective action being taken on the divers. "Essentially eradicated it" ? Bloody hell. In my dreams.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Sorry, have I missed something ? Were you at the game yesterday, or at Villa / Forest ??

I'd truly love to see all the examples of retrospective action being taken on the divers.

I thought there was a law brought in for this, has anyone been punished?

 

[Titanic]

All of these suggestions seem to punish any team that has a genuine injury, which can't be right?

How is it a punishment to have rules in place which protect a player who has a head injury / concussion?

And it might just deter the fake head injuries - which is the point.

 

[osgood]

Have Fulham played Villa yet?

It'll be the Cheats World Club Championship.

Two teams built in the mould of their cntish managers Silva and Emery. A disgrace to the beautiful game.

Maybe a coincidence , worst offenders both ex Arsenal Keepers ?

 

[banjo]

If we’d have banged in one of our many chances early on then the rolling round on the floor wouldn’t have happened.

 

[swindonseagull]

I'd just like every player to stop the fakery but it ain't going to happen.
Nothing can be done about it.

5 minutes on the sidelines under an independant medical observation would stop it overnight.

 

[studio150]

You could tell this was a deliberate tactic by Fulham, as when one of their players was down holding his head, normally the medical staff would be off their seats and sprinting down the pitch to ensure they got on as quickly as possible when the ref gives them permission to come on. But this time Silva ordered hos medical team to sit back down until the ref called them on, so tht they could waste a few more seconds to ensure the longest delay possible.

Also not sure if this was a failing of the ref, but to why are the injured players not told to go to the halfway line alongside the 4th official so that when waved back on, the 4th official can let them rejoin the game. But yesterday at least one Fulham player stayed by the 18 yard line to ensure when they were waived back on they could more quickly get into their defensive position.

Personally, if any player goes down holding their head to indicate a potential head injury, then they should be off the field for a minimum of five minutes for a fuller concussion assessment to be carried out. This would to some degree stop the fakery.

 

[Easy 10]

I thought there was a law brought in for this, has anyone been punished?

Was there a Palace player a couple of seasons ago who won a penalty from a dive, and received a post-match ban for deceiving the officials ? I have a vague recollection of that. But that is very much the exception to the rule. Players routinely get away with murder with no recourse.

 

[Easy 10]

You could tell this was a deliberate tactic by Fulham, as when one of their players was down holding his head, normally the medical staff would be off their seats and sprinting down the pitch to ensure they got on as quickly as possible when the ref gives them permission to come on. But this time Silva ordered hos medical team to sit back down until the ref called them on, so tht they could waste a few more seconds to ensure the longest delay possible.

Also not sure if this was a failing of the ref, but to why are the injured players not told to go to the halfway line alongside the 4th official so that when waved back on, the 4th official can let them rejoin the game. But yesterday at least one Fulham player stayed by the 18 yard line to ensure when they were waived back on they could more quickly get into their defensive position.

Personally, if any player goes down holding their head to indicate a potential head injury, then they should be off the field for a minimum of five minutes for a fuller concussion assessment to be carried out. This would to some degree stop the fakery.

I've been banging on about this all weekend (and loudly at the game, as I discussed the Fulham buffoonery with my sister). A mandatory 5 minutes on the touchline for an assessment. The manager can choose to make a concussion sub whilst its happening, and then either take the face-clutcher off, or let him continue based on the medical advice.

Something like this HAS to happen, because too many teams are now abusing the protocols as a deliberate tactic. Sadly a footballers default position is to cheat, so we have to bring this in to counter it and stop games getting ruined by the shithousery.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I’d say because it’s a real grey area for a ref to be able to tell.

Not every injury is a serious one, sometimes players do go down because something hurt badly in that moment but after some attention it eases off, just because it’s minor and can be run off doesn’t mean it was simulation. The actual amount of times simulation is really clear is probably very small, and I’d argue they probably do punish it when they can be certain.

It reminded me a bit of the World Cup match between Netherlands and Argentina. The ref was blasted for not controlling the match and handing out so many cards. The players kept starting fights though, like if you are going to start brawling every 15 mins then what is the ref realistically going to be able to do about that other than cards?

Players are the ones responsible for their own actions here and the overall health of the game. They need to manage their behaviour, not have others stop it for them.

I've been banging on about this all weekend (and loudly at the game, as I discussed the Fulham buffoonery with my sister). A mandatory 5 minutes on the touchline for an assessment. The manager can choose to make a concussion sub whilst its happening, and then either take the face-clutcher off, or let him continue based on the medical advice.

Something like this HAS to happen, because too many teams are now abusing the protocols as a deliberate tactic. Sadly a footballers default position is to cheat, so we have to bring this in to counter it and stop games getting ruined by the shithousery.

Exactly! Something that was brought in for players welfare is now abused by being used as a tactic either under instructions or by the player themselves…ive no time for it …its not what i pay my hard earned for.

 

[timbha]

I think I’m more annoyed about this cheating than anything else. A protocol brought in for the safety of the players being exploited by the same players to gain an advantage by regularly stopping the momentum of the game.

It stinks and those culpable should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Was there a Palace player a couple of seasons ago who won a penalty from a dive, and received a post-match ban for deceiving the officials ? I have a vague recollection of that. But that is very much the exception to the rule. Players routinely get away with murder with no recourse.

Sounds about right.

Happy to be corrected, but I thought it was for all perceived dives in the box.

 

[Bodian]

I have been told by a Fulham fan (on twitter) the Sky highlights this morning showed a clear elbow to the head for Paulinha.
Anyone seen it?

Brighton 0-1 Fulham | Premier League highlights

FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Fulham's win against Brighton in the Premier League.

www.skysports.com

Must be on some extended highlights - this set doesn't show any players going down / injured.

 

[Acker79]

Use VAR? While the injured, or "injured" player is getting treatment VAR reviews the incident and if there's doubt of an injury:

1st time: restart goes to the other team, without any requirement to return it.
2nd time: restart goes to the other team, without any requirement to return it, plus yellow card for the player feigning injury
3rd time onward: restart goes to the other team, without any requirement to return it, plus red card for the player feigning injury

[Edit to clarify: Any player from the team, not that each player gets three chances. So the the first time anyone goes downfeigning injury no card, second time anyone on that team does it gets a yellow, third time gets a red. Otherwise they'll all just take turns, and it is about 'the team' benefitting, so 'the team' should be punished.]

Might need to be tweaked. Because there's always a chance for an injury to occur without contact with the opponent - perhaps somehow build in an option for a substitution to avoid the yellow card (that is, if a player goes down injured without any apparent cause, the team can sub him off, and restart will be the same as genuine injuries - ball being returned to particular team etc)

This should avoid the issue of whatever is done impacting on genuine injuries. Might also help to motivate fans to not want their own team to do it, since they don't want to have their players sent off.

Of course the flaw in this is the same flaw in the simulation law - referees are seemingly reluctant to accuse players of cheating (which a booking for simulation equates to), and this would be that, too. (Quite a few years ago I saw this raised as a reason refs were reluctant to book players for diving as often as fans would like them to, around the time Uefa made an edict that cards for diving could only be given if there was absolutely no contact).