With the World Cup, the globe’s most-watched sporting event, just a day away, it’s a good time to reflect on an activity that strikes some as funny, others as reprehensible, and still others as simply part of the game. That activity, of course, is diving.
For you soccer addicts who will be watching matches constantly from June 12 to July 13 as the 2014 World Cup from Brazil dominates the global sports consciousness, you no doubt have formed your opinions on diving. I’m curious. Do you think diving is:
Just another tactic, not a question of right or wrong. It’s like the “professional foul.”
Always wrong. It cheapens the sport, disrespects the game and the opponents, and is unethical.
Funny, at least when my team isn’t involved.
If you are not a soccer fan (or even if you are a fan and want to be amused or irritated), here is an example of the basic dive in many of its variations. As you’ll see, the dive doesn’t necessarily require the presence of a soccer ball, as the first example in the link demonstrates. Of course, as you might expect, it is not often that a player demonstrates the creativity to hit himself with his opponent’s hand, as we see at the 2:05 mark of the linked presentation.
At its core, of course, diving is an attempt to deceive the referee by either exaggerating minimal contact or by simply inventing a phony reaction to non-existent contact. Diving is especially dramatic when the effort takes place in the opponent’s penalty box. If successful, a penalty kick will be awarded, a potentially game-changing decision.
If you’re not a soccer fan, perhaps a good analogy is the flopping that sometimes takes place in the NBA. But, consider the crucial difference between basketball and soccer: shot attempts. NBA teams typically take over 80 shots per game (not counting attempts on which a player is fouled). So while the basketball team that loses a close game will always look to the one play on which the official made a terrible call (at least in their opinion), the fact is that there were plenty of other plays that also entered the equation.
Contrast that with soccer, where depending on the style of play utilized by each team, the weather, the condition of the field, and many other factors, a team may not even have one legitimate scoring opportunity. Flopping successfully in the penalty box (that is, fooling the referee into awarding a penalty kick) can be the difference between winning and losing, since the vast majority of penalty kicks are successfully taken. Of course, not all flopping occurs in the penalty box, but that is the area where the referee’s decision can have particularly significant impact.
There are subtle differences in diving, for example:
A player might encounter zero physical contact from his opponent, and totally manufacture a reaction to the mystery contact. Here is an example of such phantom contact. I include it because it involves Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world’s top players and someone the USA will somehow need to control in its June 22 match in Brazil. For a more complete review of Ronaldo’s considerable diving repertoire, check this out, complete with titles for the various maneuvers. Full disclosure: I am not objective regarding Ronaldo. Short of a bone sticking out of his leg I will assume he has faked his fall to the ground every time.
My personal favorite? This one. What was the official thinking?
But as comical as some of these examples might be, let’s remember that the World Cup is the most important sporting event globally, with more viewers than the Super Bowl or the Olympics. A player who dives in the World Cup risks tarnishing his reputation forever, but also could help his team to a historical win. A referee who misses a dive and penalizes the defender likewise takes a huge hit to his personal and professional reputation. An improperly awarded penalty kick resulting in a goal could result in riots and even suicides in the losing country.
I’m not a fan of diving (or flopping), but for another perspective, please see this article, “How to Take a Dive in Soccer.” Let me quote from this article: “One fact about soccer that every player should know is that diving is not cheating. In fact, it’s a part of the game that can protect players and help referees make the right call.” And this: “Basically, a good dive merely emphasizes the contact, and doesn’t create the appearance of contact when there was none.”
What do you think? Do you agree with the writer’s analysis?
Finally, at what age is it appropriate for a coach to discuss the art of diving with players? Or, is it never appropriate to do so? Do we really want to see players in youth leagues taking dives?
I welcome your comments. Thanks, and GO USA!
