"Winning" free-kicks

[Stranraer]

What do you folks think of this? A player who "wins" a free-kick by diving or going down too easily. I think it's a horrible thing to do but it seems to be getting more popular and more and more commentators are praising players for "winning" decisions for their team.

[matty_f]

It sucks, it's just cheating.

Less bothered about players who can draw a foul, that's down to the defender to be better than their opponent, but diving or throwing yourself to the ground is shan patter.

[we are hibs]

What really riles me is players who go down easily then handle the ball to try and force the referee into giving a free kick and 99 times out of 100 he gives it. Sterling does it all the time

[Souter96Mac]

Peter Pawlett, what a rat

[danhibees1875]

Whilst out and out simulation is out of order (England's Maguire, and Neymar being recent examples) I think there does become a point where people are too cynical.

If someone goes to look like they're going to kick you, you should be allowed to avoid that happening to you. Ideally, it would be followed by staying on your feet but that's not always possible - but the idea that there "has to be contact" doesn't seem right to me.

I think people also underestimate the physical toll of playing football for half an hour, and how being tired when running at full speed leads to you being put off balance quite easily.

[Smartie]

What annoys me is when a player is clearly fouled, tries to stay on his feet and the ref doesn't give anything.

It makes a legitimate case for players acting up and feigning injury.

[Callum_62]

What annoys me is when a player is clearly fouled, tries to stay on his feet and the ref doesn't give anything.

It makes a legitimate case for players acting up and feigning injury.

This.

Until refs start giving fouls without the need to throw yourself to the ground, 'winning' FKs will continue

[hibIBZ]

Whilst out and out simulation is out of order (England's Maguire, and Neymar being recent examples) I think there does become a point where people are too cynical.

If someone goes to look like they're going to kick you, you should be allowed to avoid that happening to you. Ideally, it would be followed by staying on your feet but that's not always possible - but the idea that there "has to be contact" doesn't seem right to me.

I think people also underestimate the physical toll of playing football for half an hour, and how being tired when running at full speed leads to you being put off balance quite easily.
I agree that there doesn’t have to be contact, if a defender is cleary going to try bring you down, you avoid it but lose the ball/fall over it is a foul imo

[AZhibee]

Allow for post-match cautions, and ejections for simulation. Issue yellows for any act that appears to be simulation or exaggeration, 1 match ban for clear simulation, and increased penalties for repeat offenders. Unless this strategy begins to be more costly than beneficial it will continue. Could even see players try not to fall down to avoid apparent simulation.

[Bam]

What annoys me is when a player is clearly fouled, tries to stay on his feet and the ref doesn't give anything.

It makes a legitimate case for players acting up and feigning injury.

Does my nut in when after something like this the commentator says "he has a right to go down" :brickwall

[Viva_Palmeiras]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jul/04/cloud-hanging-world-cup-fifa-england-colombia

[BILLYHIBS]

Kyle Lafferty

[frazeHFC]

What really riles me is players who go down easily then handle the ball to try and force the referee into giving a free kick and 99 times out of 100 he gives it. Sterling does it all the time

Hate this too. Was good the other night seeing a ref give a hand ball for it instead, think it was a Croatia player.

[BILLYHIBS]

What really riles me is players who go down easily then handle the ball to try and force the referee into giving a free kick and 99 times out of 100 he gives it. Sterling does it all the time
SJM :wink:

[500miles]

If the defender is stupid enough to get suckered in, more fool him. I'm more concerned about the sort of player that goes out to do real damage to others. We seem to glorify that kind of thug sometimes.

[Brunswickbill]

Kyle Lafferty

Whenever he is tackled anywhere near the penalty box he just falls down. If he doesn’t get a foul he just gets up and nothing is said. But he plays the odds that he’ll get one or two decisions in his favour and that does definitely happen.

[BILLYHIBS]

SJM :wink:
To be fair SJM usually does it in the middle of the park uses his bum to protect the ball then when surrounded by opposition players falls down on the ball and grabs it forcing the referee to give a free kick that and his other trick of putting his head down and running into channels containing three opposition players. Oh don’t forget his final trick of scoring cracking goals against the ugly sisters.Gonna miss you SJM. Thanks for the memories.

:not worth

[hibspayne]

As players need to go down to get the foul it will always be there, during the WC this year I have seen a few "bad" tackles where the players stayed on their feet and got nothing and lost out in the attack as they were off balance. As soon as one ref has the balls to give a penalty when its a foul but the player doesnt go down then the rest might follow....but thats a big MIGHT.

[Mikey09]

Kamberi does it... Very well. In fact Lennon stated it was one of his strengths being able to draw/win a free kick and get the team right up the park.

[CyberSauzee]

It sucks, it's just cheating.

Less bothered about players who can draw a foul, that's down to the defender to be better than their opponent, but diving or throwing yourself to the ground is shan patter.

It's only been considered 'cheating' the last 15? years or so because our western European morality said it was cheating. "Those diving continentals - those diving south Americans..." we would hear growing up watching them 'dive'.

I used to think it was 'cheating' until I read Jimmy Burns biography on Maradona, 'The Hand Of God'. In it, Burns gives us an insight into South American culture. Trying to win a free kick for your team by deceiving the referee is looked at as a positive thing. To them, taking the man with the ball as we were taught growing up is cheating.

It's all about how one culture perceives what is cheating.

If we're going to call diving cheating, are we going to call out all players who are claiming for throw-ins and corners when it's clearly not theirs as cheating?

For me, if a Hibs player went down and won us a direct free kick from which we won the game; I'll be out celebrating, as will most Hibees.

[Dunfyhibee]

Kamberi does it... Very well. In fact Lennon stated it was one of his strengths being able to draw/win a free kick and get the team right up the park.

Agree with this, done it get well against Celtic getting is breathers and time to get on the ball. There's a difference between winning free kicks with clever play and diving.

[where'stheslope]

Tonight game Belgium V Brazil, Neymar goes down with a despicable dive, it goes to VAR no penalty but also no booking????
In this world cup I've not seen any player booked for simulation, (admittedly I've not watched every game) but I've seen plenty diving?????

[3pm]

I hope we win some free kicks now Super Stevie is on board.

[Hi Heid Yin]

It was satisfying to see Brazil go out to Belgium - a touch of instant karma - as a clear penalty for Brazil was denied them - due, I'm sure, to the ref being aware of Brazil's previous games shenanigans: diving and play-acting, with Neymar being one of the main culprits.

[snooky]

Agree with this, done it get well against Celtic getting is breathers and time to get on the ball. There's a difference between winning free kicks with clever play and diving.

Eric Stevenson was the no. 1 expert at playing for, and getting, legit penalties.

[BILLYHIBS]

Eric Stevenson was the no. 1 expert at playing for, and getting, legit penalties.
The Rebel was my hero.Always had the full back in his back pocket. Fantastic to watch. Old fashioned touch line hugging tanner ba playing winger.It did not matter where he was fouled he always landed in the box. The perfect foil for Joe Davis’s penalties.Both sadly gone now.RIP

:not worth:not worth