Editors Roundtable: Should Diving Be Part Of The Game?

Zac Lee Rigg: You're arguing that it is in the game to stay, Allen. But even you aren't claiming that it's "necessary."

Ramsey: Indeed. I'm not saying that I like it, but I can appreciate when a guy gets clipped and could've either fought to stay up, or gone to ground, and he decides to go to ground.

Canales: What is interesting, is that at times, people now expect a player to make that move on behalf of his team, though. I was in the LA pressbox when an esteemed writer - Greg Lalas - complained when a player fought through a tackle - Landon Donovan. Greg's point was, that the Galaxy have an incredible freekick taker in David Beckham and that LD was wasting an opportunity for his team.

Ramsey: I mean, there really is no reward for staying on your feet most of the time. Refs don't do a good enough job of calling fouls when players are on their feet. So you try to fight through it and get no call, or you go to ground and get the call. It's part of the game, people. And Greg was right. You have Beckham, you hit the turf. You give you team a chance for a cheap goal.

Rigg: Refs also don't do a good enough job of booking players when they flop.

Ramsey: I agree with that as well. There are times when I'm confused because a play was either A: A foul and a penalty, or B: a dive and a card. Yet neither are given.

Canales: But the potential pitfall is that if referees believe you go down too lightly, they will swallow their whistles in revenge in the future. Like Didier Drogba getting carded on Evans' tackle.

Evans: Well you have to see how he reacted. His reputation preceded him.

Ramsey: Isn't it funny, though, that the biggest "divers" in the game are also some of the best players? Say Ronaldo, Drogba, even in MLS with Blanco and Ljungberg?

Canales: It's been that way in history. Remember Jurgen Klinsmann celebrating his goals with a swan dive? Because of his rep?

Rigg: When players go down too easily, referees shouldn't swallow their whistles, they should blow them and book the dive.

Ramsey: Maybe those guys just know how to take that little touch and draw a foul.

Evans: Cause they know they'll get the call, most likely. In Drogba's case, it was the kid who cried wolf scenario. For once he is finally fouled, he gets the card. Just desserts if you ask me.

Canales: The timing is tricky, though. Good players can anticipate contact. And going down at the first contact also protects them physically. Ngog basically was too early. If he'd been more experienced, he might have waited a little longer and gotten a soft fall instead of a dive rep. You can actually see good players, like Blanco, hold the ball and bait the foul.

Evans: Like Bent - Bent played his penalty perfectly.

Ramsey: Come on Shane. Are you telling me that a guy with Drogba's size and pace doesn't get hacked more than say, Andy Johnson? Of course he does, defenders have to do something to slow him down.

Evans: Yeah, but he's one of the biggest divers in the game. Everyone knows that. He gets hacked, for sure, but he also is soft at times and goes down at the slightest thing.

Ramsey: Absolutely he does. He's got Lampard ripping free kicks behind him. Why wouldn't he? And he can hit them as well. It sets up goals.

Evans: Thus, his reputation. I'm not saying Evans was right in the foul, but sometimes when you roll around on the floor like you're having a seizure, the ref is going to think it's made up.

Rigg: Can we just make Drogba and Ronaldo take construction jobs for Lack Of Moral Fortitude and be done with it? (No offense to construction workers, some of the nicest people I know.)

Ramsey: That part I don't like.  The laying on the ground and crying like a five year old. You took the hit, went to ground, now get up and get on with it. Life is not over, your leg is not broken. Just get on with the game.

Canales: Ah, but that's not "selling it". Refs are susceptible to the sell.

Ramsey: Refs are susceptible to being refs and not having a clue about what's going on half of the time.

Evans: Again, in Bent's case.He sold the penalty and was given it. Then he missed, just desserts.

Canales: I wonder if "righteous" pk attempts go in more often than outrageous ones. Not that there's any way to objectively judge that, which is why I don't come down so hard on the refs. It's basically one guy out there. The NBA has three.

Ramsey: I'm not coming down hard on them. They are what they are.

Evans: What about linesman? They make calls too.

Ramsey: They can't always have the right angle to see the play.

Canales: They're not allowed on to the field. I think a ref in a skybox would have a better angle than the linesman, usually.

Ramsey: That's what I mean by having no clue what's going on. They're guessing, while we watch the video replay and yell about it being "clearly a dive" or "without question a penalty".

Canales: If we want refs to always be right, we should give them access to video. Otherwise, we accept human error.

Ramsey: Exactly, and as long as we do players will go to ground easily.

Rigg: Great, so we're decided: the game needs video replay.

Canales: Or less repetitive outrage.

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