It’s time to change what penalty kicks can be awarded for in football. The single biggest issue that football has had to overcome when growing the game in Australia is the perception that it’s full of diving pretty boys.
In a country where we routinely see blokes play through torturous injuries in other sports, it’s hard not to cringe when players fall all over themselves in an attempt to win a penalty kick in the round ball game.
The issue of diving in football is long and storied, with controversial penalties awarded in the 18-yard box deciding countless big games.
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Gaining an advantage over your opponent by bending the rules is a part of every game but there are few sports that have had to come up with rules to punish an attacking player for simulation of a foul.
The current World Cup, being no different to any previous World Cup, has not been without its share of controversial moments from the penalty spot.
It started in the first game of the cup, when the host nation Brazil were awarded a soft spot kick that catapulted them to victory over Croatia. Then the Greeks got the right call from the official and were gifted a free kick that saw them fall into a victory over Côte d’Ivoire and into the group stages.
Most recently, the Netherlands progressed past Mexico in the knockout stages when Arjen Robben was deemed to have been fouled in the penalty area.
The Mexican coach has already expressed his dissatisfaction with the call, claiming the penalty was “invented”.
Some will argue that Robben is entitled to affect some gamesmanship and that the threat of a yellow card for simulation acts as an appropriate risk against attempting to con the referee.
That’s ridiculous.
In a time where strikers are taught to fold like an accordion at the slightest hint of contact, it’s time to change what penalty kicks can be awarded for and remove this stain on the game.
Football needs to adopt something akin to the basketball’s principle for fouls. If a player isn’t in the act of attempting a shot then there is a foul called but no free-throws given.
In these situations the team committing the foul is punished for the infringement but their opponent does not receive the direct, unimpeded opportunity to score points. The punishment fits the crime.
In football, this could translate to a situation where if a player is in the 18-yard box but not attacking the goal or in the act of shooting, then the spot kick is replaced by a free kick on the edge of the area.
Take the recent Robben penalty for example. He’s facing towards his own goal and in no position to score when the foul occurs. Surely a more appropriate response to a foul like this would be a free kick from the edge of the 18 yard box?
The same principle could be applied for players who take a touch away from goal and towards the byline. If they’re brought down, sure it’s a foul, but a spot kick is hardly the appropriate punishment when the player is no longer an imminent goalscoring threat.
As intense and exciting as penalty shoot-outs can be, no one watches football to see a player put the ball in the back of the net from the penalty spot. We watch the game to see the fluid brilliance and spectacular skill that exists in open play.
No one worships Diego Maradona because of his proficiency from the penalty spot, they worship him because of what he could do with the ball at his feet at the halfway line.
Football needs to get back to its roots.
The highlight reels should be full of amazing goals from open play, not players falling to the turf in faux-agony inside the 18-yard box.
FIFA need to look beyond simply punishing players for simulation and completely remove the incentive to play for free kicks within the penalty area.
Leigh
Guest
Love the idea. Would also welcome a straight red for any really obvious simulation.
Robbie
Guest
The discussion here as to whether it was a penalty or not is the answer to video ref.. It would NOT work. If after watching many times over we as viewers are still debating it, how could a ref call on it within the 15-20 seconds he would have to review.
Dasilva
Guest
I have to say the Alexander song red card was one of the bizarre what was he thinking moment that made me thought that maybe this player was deliberately getting himself send off and made me suspicious about the match seeing it. Although Song is a Barcalona player and you would think he would be financially well off for him to fix the match
pat malone
Guest
Fuss, people just don't get it. Football is the greatest, all other sports are inferior and every thing bad that happens in football is nothing compared to these no talent sports. SMELL THE FEAR. anyone who doesn't prefer football to their insignificant little code is a bogan
Anthony Ferguson
Guest
Coulter - the only thing worse than an ignorant right wing bigot is an ignorant right wing bigot who hates soccer as well.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
But the only reason it is the biggest game in the world is because it is bigger than all other sports....... :)
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
No rule change and no interference from replays too make decisions thanks Brin
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Batou I totally agree. The fact this is emerging 10 days after the event suggests monitoring processes are working & now we'll let the investigators see if the allegations are real, or spurious. I'm no expert on match fixing, but having watched all 270 minutes where Cameroon was playing I would not say there was anything untoward. Croatia were a damn good team, who pushed Brasil. They were simply much better than Cameroon, who also had several goal-scoring chances. The RC was not unusual. It was silly, but not unusual Mandžukić was putting in some pretty meaty challenges & the Cameroon player simply had enough. At the time of the RC, the score was only 1-0 and the match was in the balance. At this stage Cameroon was still alive in the tournament.
Football Chap
Roar Rookie
3 reasons why the solution proposed in the article, although thoughtful, might not work: 1. As previously implied earlier, it's very difficult to judge intent. Take handball. 2. Would we be punishing the majority of well intentioned players who are attacking in the box for a small minority of divers. I am not convinced the problem is as big as many people claim 3. Encouraging penalties is good entertainment and a good leveler. Football is life and it's not perfect. Also, is Robben a chum or a chump for being honest?
Cugel
Roar Rookie
Agreed, it seems every week there's an new innocuous tackle outlawed, but there's still a long way down to the level of soccer culture.
Batou
Guest
Fuss, there is nothing tame about this. I don't want to see it blight what has been a wonderful world cup so far, but match fixing is the greatest single threat to sport globally. It is not unique to football by any means but being the largest sport on the planet with participants from all corners of the globe means that we have to be more careful than any other to ensure the integrity of the results.
Batou
Guest
The convicted *Singaporean* match fixer...
Punter
Guest
Haha. I love it when they add this is why this game will never take off because of ....it's already the biggest game in the world
Batou
Guest
I think that you are both right in a way. He was fouled and he dived as well. The fall to the ground was barely related in any way to the foul, but the foul was there and the ref got it right I think. How he escaped a card for the previous one (68' or there abouts) though is beyond me. Definitely should have been awarded a penalty for the one in the 45th minute as well. I think the ref didn't give it because he was a long way away and at first watch at normal speed it didn't really seem like Robben was in a great position. The HD, slow motion replays clearly show two fouls though.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Perhaps more than two codes of 'football' doesn't help ;-)
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Given the current scandalous news stories dominating NRL & AFL .. alleged match fixing of a football match involving an African national team seems pretty tame to me. AUS football is being given a helping hand from the unlikeliest sources.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
The way we argue about the term "football" makes me wonder as to when Australian tennis and golf are going to get in on the act.
langou
Roar Guru
Griffo, I think one of the differences between the U.S and Australia regarding the soccer vs football debate is that we have been arguing between ourselves for years about what to call "football" with the northern states unable to agree with the Southern states. On the other hand the U.S seems to have already reached a consensus.
AR
Guest
And if I recall correctly, you were asked why given the World Cup is a global event without peer, why all your energies and "prognostications" referenced (tacitly or directly) the AFL. I guess he's been consistent on that front.
langou
Roar Guru
Mid, We have been through this, your finger-nail deep analysis of google results is utter nonsense I suggest you do this. Google A-League and with or without a pen and paper have a look at what results come up. You will clearly see that after the first few pages, they increasingly have nothing to do with soccer in Australia and everything to do with any site that's uses the term "a -league" And yes don't tell the world, in fact don't continually post it on an internet site because it is meaningless.