The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Simulation has its place, but Ryall needs to be punished for diving

15th February, 2015
Advertisement
Frank Lowy will step down as FFA chairman in November. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Expert
15th February, 2015
170
3133 Reads

Another week, another A-League refereeing blunder. Everyone is aware that the officiating in Australian football is far from ideal, but it’s also nothing new. FFA need to help rectify the dilemma, and hopefully that arrives following the announcement of the National Plan for the Whole of Football.

Funding from the new television deal will also hopefully provide better training and support for our under-fire officials, as mistakes continue to cost teams points.

I’ve been vocal on The Roar previously about officiating in Australia needing improvement, recommending a move to full-time pay, an assessment of the match review panel and pushing for former players to take up the whistle.

While referees are understandably going to attract most of the flak for poor decisions, it’s also important to give them the tools for success. It’s equally essential to realise that human error will always play a role in football, and will never be entirely eradicated.

But the latest incident in the A-League to cause consternation – Sydney FC’s penalty in the Big Blue after Sebastian Ryall collapsed from non-existent contact – brings up a more pressing agenda for Australian football. Ryall’s fall to the ground from a ghost challenge was unacceptable, and needs to be punished as much as Strebre Delovski’s call.

Simulation has long been a stalling point for our contact-focused society to wrap their heads around. What is seen as an art form in parts of the world, is seen as an embarrassing blight on the game Down Under.

It’s a hairy topic, diving, and one that can split fans like no other affair. The problem is that it’s not a black and white matter much of the time. There is no clear distinction between a dive and a non-dive in world football, as different cultures view it differently.

Unfortunately the debate isn’t helped by those with a non-football background who immediately cry cheat and won’t see reason. It is interesting that the same naysayers don’t seem to chastise flopping in the NBA with similar vitriol.

Advertisement

I sit firmly on the fence when it comes to simulation. At times it is warranted, in other moments it’s blatant cheating. The way it polarises opinion in Australia was best highlighted when Alessandro Del Piero was accused of cheating for going down too easily.

We had sensational calls suggesting that Del Piero’s antics were unwanted in the A-League, and that his behaviour in manipulating referees was disgusting. The Italian maestro was simply playing the game.

If there’s contact the player has a right to go down. If the player anticipates contact and falls, but isn’t actually kicked, it’s a dive. We saw that with Aaron Hunt in the Bundesliga a few years ago, thankfully the player admitted that he hadn’t been touched.

Like it or not, football is a non-contact sport – aside from shoulder-to-shoulder challenges. If you, as a defender, kick the player instead of the ball, you’re doing it wrong.

Besart Berisha’s infamous ‘dive’ in the A-League grand final of 2008 was a legitimate foul. As was Fabio Grosso’s elaborate fall in the 2006 World Cup. Lucas Neill should have stayed on his feet, simple as that.

However, there are occasions where there can be little doubt of simulation, and Ryall’s run-in with gravity is a clear example. These are the acts that must be ironed out, and it’s a simple case of utilising the match review panel.

Advertisement

Thankfully, there have been examples of retrospective action when it comes to diving in the A-League. The match review panel took action against Patricio Perez and Michael Baird after reviewing footage in Season 6 of the A-League, issuing each of them two-match bans for simulation.

Since then, however, there’s been a lack of action, and those rulings were also too heavy-handed.

If the FFA are to reintroduce such charges with the match review panel, then it can’t go too hard into it, and I doubt they will. We don’t want to dissuade foreign talents brought up in different football environments from coming to Australia, and we also can’t change the game’s rules. We’re not the top dog in football, we follow on a leash.

But the FFA can make a stand together with referees in looking back at clear incidents and punishing the guilty culprits. This should start with Seb Ryall.

Match outcomes shouldn’t come into the equation, there should be a uniform punishment. A referee would normally issue a yellow card in the case of simulation, so that should be the standard ruling. If a player received another yellow card during the same match, then it should act as a red card.

Referees could also start issuing more cards in cases of clear simulation, though this may open the poor buggers up to more scrutiny, and unnecessary pressure. There shouldn’t exactly be a directive for referees to punish diving, but they should be aware that it is a yellow card offence.

I will never understand when a referee waves play on after an incident in the box, and indicates for the flailing and complaining player to get to his feet. The player is calling for a penalty, but the referee believes he hasn’t been touched, so that’s a dive, no? Again, it’s not black and white, but if it’s not a penalty, what’s the ruling? He may have tripped, but if the player has fallen over without contact and is calling foul, hand out a card.

Advertisement

Simulation has a place in the game, that’s just how it is. But only when there’s contact.

The rest of the garbage has to go. It will be hard to determine, but I don’t see why it can’t work. Anyone with eyes could see that Ryall took an unassisted tumble, the FFA should make a statement that it’s not acceptable.

close