Just came from watching the UCL...sigh.

I'm not complaining about the outcome, it was clear Barca were the better team, but I am going to complain about a tactic that both teams used to great effect all game long. Between watching the women's friendly world cup send-off games and MLS for the last two weeks (aka, no Euro soccer) the UCL final brought my attention back to diving.

Look, I get that you want that call. But flopping around like a fish is just poor class. Exhibit A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWgFthufKi8

But this morphs into something else that is even more annoying. Since referee's make a call when a player goes down, even actual fouls are turned into faking a broken leg. "We all KNOW that was a foul, but hell, if I fake like my tibia is broken, he might get a yellow card! AHAHAHA"

That is stupid. And players get away with conning the referee game after game because there is NO accountability whatsoever. Once in a blue moon we see a yellow card for diving. Even that wouldn't dissuade the attacker, because forwards rarely get yellow cards to begin with, so it's not like it will make a difference.

There needs to be some kind of accountability system, a fine, suspension, I don't care. Just get diving out of the game I love, so I don't have to watch a European final with at least 5-10 minutes out of the 90 watching certain players acting like they should spend the next month in a hospital. One my friends broke his foot and twisted his ankle in the same tackle, and he made less of a meal of it than half the players on the pitch today.

I hate diving.

I would go as far to argue that diving has become systematic enough that it is unfair to blame the players who do it, because they all do it. Messi, Ronaldo, Costa, Benteke, Rooney, every player has committed some type of dive over their careers, simply because it will help their team win and they won't be punished.

Because of this, it is also unfair to blame the refs. They're being set up to fail. Don't call the dive, and sometimes you'll miss an actual foul. Call the dive, and give away pk's to those who don't deserve them. It's a no win scenario, and in both cases, the referee will impact the outcome of the game, exactly what he isn't supposed to do

If both the refs and players can't fix it, discipline has got to come from somewhere higher.

I agree with all of you that diving is pretty sad. The peek-a-boo from Sergio Busquet show however how much nobody care, I mean, the guy clearly is clearly faking, everybody cheking the play back can see it, why isn't he given any punishment, because nobody seem to care about diving. Everybody seem to do it anyway, it really kinda sad and I think that one day, we will see a diving stat in football video game.

I think even if retroactive punishments were given players would still sometimes dive. Sometimes 3 pts is just priceless and they would gladly exchange punishments and fines for a win. And fans would hail them for it too, I think. Suarez, for example, is still lauded for his hand ball heroics in the world cup.

It doesn't need to stop it completely, all it needs to do is make them think twice, and then the moment is gone. Besides, we can assume that the officiating would be better, because dives would be so rare, it would (theoretically) be easy to spot them.

That Dani Alves dive in El Clasico is all time classic for me. He went to the sidelines with stretchers =DD but anyways, even without contact that was blatant red card. And actually - had he not dived (& pulled the leg off), he would've been injured.

@tuan_jinn By all means I include any players especially Chelsea one's. I didn't thought of Luiz when typing but yes David Luiz's dive with the Chelsea jersey is disgusting as well.

I think any dive in the penalty box has to be given a red card and 1 match ban. For dives outside the box it should be a yellow card and a one match ban. If the referee doesn't catch it then the perpetrator has to be given match bans after the actual game after reviewing the footage material. The problem is there is no risk in going for a dive and that has to change. Diving is cheating... football is like the only sport that doesn't take cheaters seriously. Cheating now equals a skill for some of these players!

Since it is really hard to call for the ref, maybe the football associations should consider using video proof for close calls, like penalties/handballs/dives etc. Just as a backup for the ref if he's not entirely sure. Or make it like in Tennis where players can appeal to use the hawk eye a certain amount of times. It would slow down the game though. Personally, I don't really like that idea too much because more technology will always reduce the emotional side of football, but I can see how it would be a big step for the sake of fairness.

As some of you said, introducing some harsher punishment for diving could also be a good way to reduce these antics. Some may argue it would be too harsh if your striker got sent off for a wrongly called dive. But players also often get wrongly sent off as a result of diving/acting, so I guess it's only fair.

@Sterndessuedens I understand where you are coming from and I agree, only thing I see which could be done is having official reviewing footage and letting them give punishment based on that, I mean, they did that for Diego Costa after he put his hand into another player face. I don't know why this couldn't work against diving.

I understand the frustration but I am one of those who's against the technological influences in football. That makes the sport become the best and that also keep the debate going.

It's unfair sometimes, but life is unfair.

With that being said, goal line, penalty review or red-card (Once a game or in knockout stage or title decisive games), should be introduced.