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FIFA should introduce retroactive yellow cards

Arjen Robben takes a hit for the Netherlands in the World Cup (Photo: AP)
Roar Guru
11th July, 2014
28

Brazil 2014 has been a terrific World Cup. There have been exciting matches, great crowd participation and minimal referring blunders.

One thing that has irked me severely is the disturbing amount of diving and general carry on that occurs whenever a player is so much as nudged.

Argentina versus Netherlands did it for me. It wasn’t Arjen Robben’s ridiculous flop after having his arm tugged, more the four minute stoppage from Javier Mascherano after having his head bumped with less force then I could flick my finger.

Seriously they brought out the stretcher? A few years ago FIFA as a governing body, and particularly the English Premier League, had a severe crack down on diving. There were yellow cards, fines and attacks on divers from players, fans and the media alike. This tapered off eventually and now here we are again, watching footballers try their best at Olympic diving and synchronised swimming.

I am yet to see a card pulled out this World Cup for diving players. Yes fines exist for blatant dives, but do any of these players even care when most of them are earning several million dollars a season?

There should be a diving review committee to completely eradicate it. Thiago Silva missed Brazil’s semi-final and their defence resembled a turnstile on the way to Germany’s 7-1 massacre. If players knew they would risk being slapped with a yellow card for an instance of overly dramatic and quite simply unsportsman like conduct, or repeated occurrences of diving then I can guarantee you we would see less floundering and more football.

It would also give the world game greater credence with casual football fans, who are often put off by the dramatic actions of the game’s stars. It adds nothing to the spectacle and is one of the key reasons I enjoy watching the A-League – good, hard football with minimum fuss.

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