The official FIFA World Cup 2018 thread

[dmash]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

I genuinely feel that the way the referees manage the game has a lot to do with diving (to use our equivalent of “flopping”).

The problem is, over a very long time, referees have tended to not award free kicks for fouls if players stay on their feet, even if the foul causes the player to be impeded or lose possession. You do see fouls given when a player doesn’t go down, but it’s rare.

So over time, like professionals in all sports, the players have learned to game the system to their maximum advantage and in this case, that means exaggerating the effect of contact. There are two types. The first is a player who goes down following no contact or contact that is so minimal as to be insignificant. Everybody considers this to be cheating. The second is players who are impeded illegally, who possibly could stay on their feet but choose to go down in order to “win” the free kick. Some purists in England still consider this cheating. Most others now consider this part of the game.

If refs actually gave fouls regardless of whether or not a player goes down, the latter types of “flop” would be reduced.

As for why some players roll around clutching their faces as if they’ve been sniped from the crowd or are being tased by the referee, I have no clue. Very unmanly.

Yup, anybody that has watched the game for a bit, understands this. It's almost dumb not to exaggerate it when you know you're more than likely not getting the free kick otherwise and have no shot at goal.

Now do some players act like an idiot grabbing their leg, then their stomach, then their face, for getting kicked in the arm? Yes.