If Richie McCaw illegally slows the ball down in a ruck in a game of rugby, but is not penalised for it, he is considered a clever rugby player. Yet if Arjen Robben dives to win his team a penalty on the football pitch, as he did in the last 16 of the World Cup last year, he is branded a cheat. Two contrasting attitudes, but are these two incidents so different?
Gamesmanship has always been a part of sport, with each team or individual looking for any way possible to gain an advantage over their opponent. But where is the line between lawful gamesmanship and unlawful cheating?
One of the earliest examples of diving in football I can remember is from Manchester United v Arsenal in 2004. Arsenal were going for an unprecedented 50th consecutive Premier League game unbeaten, and it was billed as a repeat of the ‘Battle of Old Trafford’ from the previous season.
Manchester United were victorious by two goals to nil, but the incident that I recall came midway through the second half. Wayne Rooney was played the ball just inside the box and appeared to be fouled by Sol Campbell, thus winning his team a penalty.
Upon closer inspection, however, it could be seen that although Campbell did initially stick out his foot to challenge Rooney, he withdrew it before any contact could be made. Despite this, Rooney threw himself to the floor convincingly enough to persuade referee Mike Riley to award a penalty.
Naturally, the Arsenal supporters were incensed, and the Manchester United supporters were quite happy to ignore the fact that Rooney had dived to win the penalty (and arguably should have received a yellow card himself).
But perhaps, instead of being called a cheat or a diver, should Rooney be applauded for clever play? He saw Campbell poke a foot out, and so he went to ground. He managed to fool both the referee and the linesman, and as a result, he and his side were able to break Arsenal’s unbeaten run.
I am not saying that all footballers should dive. I hate seeing players theatrically throwing themselves to the floor and pretending to be injured. I am merely suggesting that when executed so perfectly, diving can be classed not as cheating but as a skill, and a skill worth having in your armoury as a football player.
Just as intentionally breaking the rules in rugby can be considered clever if well-executed, should we feel the same way about diving in football?
Football has changed over the last number of years, and diving is now a part of the game. Therefore we should start to appreciate the skills required to execute the perfect dive.
Of course, it is not a skill that could be overused. Players such as Ashley Young or Luis Suarez have developed reputations as divers and referees are inclined to think twice before awarding a penalty if they go to ground.
Just as McCaw does not compete for the ball in every ruck, it would be crucial to pick and choose the correct moment to dive. But, if there was a player who was clever enough to know where the referee and linesman were, and choose to dive accordingly, I would want him in my team.
It would take a rare and special player, just like McCaw, to be able to pull this off, but, in the same way McCaw is celebrated as one of the greatest rugby players of all time, a football player able to dive and win a penalty for his side should be applauded, not ridiculed.
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