1.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 00:44:08
I think it's a serious move in the right direction. It should have come in to play at the point where it started affecting games, such an obvious, easy fix.

Hard to say who will top it because I think all teams are guilty of it at times. I reckon ed025 is on the money though, city is a good shout. They should bring in a further clause though where Zaha and Sterling exclusively get a 3-match instant ban for every time they hit the deck and scrunch their faces up as if the challenge on them is worthy of a red card. They'd be out for the season after one match. Seriously cooks my swede every weekend.

On a side note, Chelsea in the 15/ 16 season were hard to watch at times, always seemed to be hampering the ref to give out cards as if they were coached to do it by Moanrinho. Glad they stopped all that this season.

2.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 04:20:07
I think it is a great move by the league. The diving has gotten a bit ridiculous over the past season from players. I would also like the league to start punishing teams who have the most offenders of diving, because player suspensions will only do so much. If there are multiple players on the same team or the same player continuing to dive the FA should look at punishing the team.

Such as in the United and Swansea game when Rashford dove and earned that penalty. Let's say if United had gone on to win that game, it could have cost Swansea dearly because they were fighting relegation and that could have been the difference maker for them to stay in the top flight. They should start with heavy fines, to point penalties and transfer bans. If there is a team with depth and is not too bothered with players being suspended for two games because you have a player who can take his place, but are more desperate for the points. Just an opinion.

3.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 05:20:23
I think there's a subtle difference between those that get touched and go down and those that never get touched, or get touched after they're already going down.

I am fine there being two match ban so long as it's applied conservatively (IMO when a player is clearly going down before contact) .

{Ed001's Note - I don't think there is. Players that are not trying to stay on their feet are deliberately going down to try and win a free kick/penalty and get their opponent booked/sent off. It is cheating, just the same as a dive when there is no contact it. I would personally like to see both instances punished, then we would not have to sit through the embarrassment of players flopping to the ground when someone leans on them or breathes too heavily in their general direction. If there was less cheating, then refs would be able to give decisions like penalties and free kicks safe in the knowledge they were not being conned by a cheat. Everyone moans about refs, but the players are the main reason refs are so bad, as it is so difficult for them to tell if a player was fouled or if they are just cheating. As they cheat more than they are genuinely fouled, it is making a difficult job an impossible one.}

4.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 05:54:26
It can only be a good thing and if the decision has to be unanimous then I'm sure we will see very few players punished where there is any element of doubt.

5.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 06:29:51
But action is only taken if it gets a player sent off or wins a penalty so its not really going to fix the problem is it.

6.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 07:20:57
Hi Ed1,

I fully agree with you in principle. I think in some players defence, they feel if they don't hit the ground when they've been legitimately fouled then they won't get the pen. Couts against palace is a good example of pen not given when he stayed on his feet.

{Ed001's Note - but that is exactly my point, because so many cheat, refs are not giving them. If you cut out the cheating, then it would mean refs could give decisions when a player stays on his feet. First they have to stop being cheats.}

7.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 07:29:07
If it's going to work the refs need to have the cohones to give fouls/ penalties/ decisions when a player is fouled but doesn't go down, I. e. Couts v palace. That could of tied 4th/ 3rd up for us already!
If they get that right fine, if not players will continue to go down easily because they don't trust the ref to make the call. Big difference between going down easily and diving IMO and it will just be another source of controversy if the refs don't get it right. How much contact constitutes a foul or a dive? I agree they have a difficult job but they need to get this area right. All this said it definitely a step in the right direction.

8.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 10:15:41
I agree with what people have said above regarding how much contact is enough, and I don't mean morally enough, I mean genuinely only the player running at speed knows if he was knocked off balance. The leaving the leg behind to initiate contact should be stamped out for sure and obviously the blatant no contact dives, beyond that I'd be wary of giving out 2 game bans.
Fundamentally eds 1 is bang on, if they all stopped claiming every throw, corner, free kick, throwing themselves around like clowns when someone looks at the funny, the game would clean its self up. Time for them to start behaving like the adults they're supposed to be.

9.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 10:29:23
It is definitely a move in the right direction, once a couple of players are punished retrospectively then players will start thinking twice about diving.

I do however feel that refs need to step up now and stop bottling decisions and/ or trying to even up the odds if they feel they have made a mistake. I would also like to see refs book a player straight away if its deserved regardless if its in the first few minutes of a game, I have lost count how many times I've seen this happen and it really angers me, it's like players have got a free bad tackle in the first 5 minutes.

10.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 10:37:56
The ideal I agree would be never going down, but we're a long way from that hence why I think it's easier to make the distinction around when the fall starts i. e. before or after contact as that's objective, not subjective.

The ban should hopefully be only very rarely applied and only when obviously a dive to deceive the ref otherwise you risk the potential for bans when players are genuinely fouled and don't deserve them.

11.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 12:35:19
It's a good move and it should be taken one step further. Players don't generally get decisions if they stay on their feet - especially in the box. They would be much more inclined to stay up and try to take the shot if they knew that the ref would still give a penalty if there is no advantage due to the foul.

Hopefully this will put a stop to some of the cheating and gives the refs more confidence.

12.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 13:00:37
Not gone far enough. Why not have a video ref and a representative from each team look at the game and call things back on major incidents ONLY. It would allow for almost immediate action (Send off the offender) the cheats would lose their advantage and other teams would not be penalised. I. E Sanches gets a ban at the end of the season and misses a game where a club needs Arsenal to win to stay up.

13.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 08:25:51
They've tried to address a problem but have went the wrong way about it.
If a players dives, wins a pen and his team win the game what use is that to the team that's been cheated. They've still lost as a direct result of that cheating. Not only that but the player suspended could then be missing for a game against a rival meaning they're doubly punished.
Needs to be a video ref and the offence punished at the time.

14.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 15:18:39
Shocking ruling. Imagine a scenario where Palace have to play Liverpool, Arsenal and City in the last 3 games.

So against Liverpool Zaha dives to win a penalty which is converted and changes the result of our game.

Then, retrospectively Zaha is banned for the games against Arsenal and City granting them a slight advantage due to facing a weekend opposition.

Diving should be reviewed by a video ref on the spot and if the player is guilty, bang, red card. The team he tried to cheat benefits from the decision and not their rivals!

Under this new ruling the victim of the cheating is potentially punished twice!

Why are people applauding a soft attempt at eradicating a major issue. They've papered over the cracks and if anything, made a poor ref decision even more unfair. Go hard or go home. This decision is weak and smacks of desperation from a governing body quickly losing the faith of the fans and the players.

15.) 19 May 2017
19 May 2017 16:27:35
I think it's a great idea except for my lack of trust in the people who will be making the judgements. The continuity of judgements will be extremely difficult on such a subjective subject in so many cases. And for too long we have seen refs punish players for trying to stay up and keep going to just flick an 'off' switch and expect it to work.

Not to mention teams and players will still be able to work the law. Diving for a key win in one game, knowing you probably wouldn't play the next anyway, will still be worth the risk for so many players - especially from big clubs with big squads who get away with it most. If we are going to punish divers, we need to make sure teams really feel it.