Blatter urges referee action on diving

The Fifa president believes that those who try to con officials by faking contact or feigning injury are cheating the game and deserve harsher sanctions than they are receivingFifa president Sepp Blatter has called on referees to use thefull extent of their powers to punish players guilty ofsimulation.The issue has come into the spotlight in the Premier League overthe festive period, with Jose Mourinho backing Martin Atkinson’sdecision to book Oscar in Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Southamptonjust days after accusing Luis Suarez of diving in the Blues’ winover Liverpool.The incident was the latest in a string of cases of simulation inthe top flight this season, which has seen 13 bookings being dishedout for the offence, including three for Manchester Unitedyoungster Adnan Januzaj, and Blatter feels that the guilty partiesare setting a bad example for aspiring footballers.’Cutting out this kind of cheating is a matter of respect towardsopponents and fans – and ultimately one of self-respect as aprofessional and role model,’ he wrote in his Fifa Weeklycolumn.’The longest breaks in the game nowadays are almost exclusively theresult of dives, simulation and play-acting to feign injury.’This kind of thing is treated with scorn in other sportingdisciplines but it has become a normal and accepted part offootball nowadays. Even though simulation is incredibly unfair andlooks preposterous when viewed in a replay, some people regard itas smart or, in the worst case, as a harmless misdemeanour.’I find this deeply irritating, especially when the [supposedly]half-dead player comes back to life as soon as they have left thepitch.’Blatter has placed responsibility for policing the problem in thehands of officials, whom he believes have the necessary powers tosufficiently punish players.’The ball is in the referees’ court,’ he continued. ‘Theinstructions are now clear on this matter: If a player is lying onthe floor, the opposing team are not required to put the ball intotouch.’The referee should only intervene if he believes a serious injuryhas occurred.’