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Sporting Tragics may recall the farcical scenes at the 2010 World Cup. Players sprawling on the ground. Balls kicked out of play unnecessarily. Players rushing at the referee in an attempt to exert influence.
The beautiful game was all too regularly halted by the sad scourge of diving.
Fast-forward three and a half years. Nothing has been done in response to the scourge in the way of meaningful action and consequence.
Having referees administer yellow cards when they think they’ve sighted the scourge has not worked. Nor has leaving referees to decide whether the player lying limp on the ground is truly injured and to call a stop to the game.
In recent days some of football’s biggest names have voiced their frustrations about the scourge.
Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, and FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, have both urged referees to take a tougher stance.
The game happens fast, much too fast for a referee to correctly identify the scourge on every occasion.
The pressure should be taken off the referee. The scourge needs to be dealt with by a post game review committee. Each instance of the scourge, as discerned by the committee, should be dealt with harshly – possibly with a three-game ban, as players do who receive a straight red card.
Let’s face it – diving is cheating. It is a player acting deceitfully, trying to convince the referee that something terrible occurred, when it actually did not.
If everyday Sporting Tragics went about behaving in such a deceitful manner at their jobs or with their loved ones, they would not receive a slap on the wrist in the way that players who dive receive a yellow card. The Tragics would surely feel the full brunt of a very harsh punishment – such as a night on the couch.
With only five months to go until the World Cup in Brazil, Sporting Tragics everywhere will be praying that the tournament will not be plagued by the scourge of diving.
Rather, they will be praying that players get on with what they do best – playing the beautiful game.
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