A&H

Diving

J

Jacob Walukiewicz

Active Member
I was playing yesterday (U16) and one of our lads got penalised and carded for simulation. For me it wasn't simulation but also not a penalty if you know what I mean.

Anyway I was wondering how people differentiate a dive from a fall and when and when not to penalise a dive.
 
The Referee Store
Simulation Isn't an easy one. First: Is there contact. This would be the big one - if no, caution for simulation. You need to be sure so a good position is paramount.

Is the contact a foul punishable by a direct free kick? Yes, penalty

Otherwise nothing. This catches all the grey area/not sure stuff from the other 2 questions
 
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I find that a lot of spectators often make the assumption that it's either a foul or simulation, but for me the middle ground is the hardest to deal with. The tackles where there was contact, it wasn't a foul and you're there deciding whether the contact was enough to take him down and whether it was simulation. If I'm unsure whether or not the contact was enough to take a player down, and aren't awarding a foul, I'll play on and not go in for simulation. I'm not a mind reader but unfortunately people are starting to want us to be when it comes to simulation.

I recently read a psychological study aimed at PGMOL officials about body language to indicate a player has dived, stuff like the unnatural arms in the air.
 
A lesson I learnt the hard way earlier this season is that just because somebody does go down easily, doesn't necessarily mean it's simulation.

Imagine a player goes down easily/under no contact, gets straight back up and gets on with it without saying a word.

Then imagine the same incident where the player gets up screaming for a penalty.

For me the second is definitely simulation, the first not, despite there being little or no contact in either.

I had a situation earlier this season where I was right on top on a challenge, player goes down with no contact whatsoever, a team mate shouts for free kick. I award IDFK against player who went down and caution him, although a few seconds after I realised he had actually just dived out of the way and was not trying to deceive me. He made no appeal as he went down or got up, but I was too sharp on the whistle.

15 minutes later he commits a reckless challenge and is shown a second yellow, then red card.

Took me a short while during my post match self analysis after the game to realise where the cause of my mistake came - it was turning into a heated game and I was trying to kill it but I was over-eager to do so and rushed myself into a poor decision.

Just something to think about before reaching for the card.
 
@Jacob Walukiewicz

What was the scenario where your team mate was cautioned? That might assist by adding some context, otherwise we're on sweeping generalisations.

And for the pedants - You disagreed but were just a player. In the opinion of the referee... ;)
 
Tealeaf said:
@Jacob Walukiewicz

What was the scenario where your team mate was cautioned? That might assist by adding some context, otherwise we're on sweeping generalisations.

And for the pedants - You disagreed but were just a player. In the opinion of the referee... ;)
Click to expand...
Score 1-1, striker drives from the left hand side, CB dives in and doesn't get the ball( from where I am there is no way of seeing what happened but I believe the ref was in a good position) player goes down. As you'd expect everyone screams for a penalty, parents were on that left hand side, and the ball I think goes either to the keeper or for a goal kick. Ref then blows and awards the caution.
 
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