Players diving

[Keepthefaith93]

Players diving are ruining the game, what has happened to players having respect for each other? I think video evidence should be used and players like Dooher,Roper,Clancy should be suspended. I know winning is everything but how do these men watch themselves on tv, have they no shame? You dont see much of it in hurling.

[Hardy]

You're right - this deserves a thread of its own and a full debate, so I'll re-post what I've just posted on the Dan Gordon thread:

When are we going to tackle this play-acting poison in the game? If we can use video evidence to hang a lad for losing his temper, why can't we use it to punish severely these cowardly, cynical cheats who are doing the exact opposite and acting in a calculated, pre-meditated way to cheat their opponents and the rest of us?

Injury-feigning, face-clutching, exaggerated collapsing and other such nancy-boy histrionics are far worse offences against the spirit and purpose of sport than a slap thrown in anger, and even worse again than an accidental collision or a mistimed tackle. Yet every minor physical transgression is ruthlessly pursued while the cheats get away with it every time.

We have our priorities arseways.

[Abble]

yeah, nows the time to act on this carry-on and get them dealt with. it's only a matter of time before we start to see these dive merchants throwing in 2 or 3 rolls as well !

[Maximus Marillius]

Ye all have a point....and a very good one, but what about these players who go around hitting people off the ball even if it is to the mid rift. If you stand up and dont fall down to bring attention to it, they will get away with it and it will spread. This was the stuff that was prevelant in the past where off the ball hitting was part of the game. The reason why players started to fall like they were shot is because umpires, linesmen and refs would not deal with....forwards got bullied and as soon as they started to try and deal with it themselves sure enough the umpire, lines men or ref would book both....so most of it is generally by forwrads who react because they had no other alternative. Its just no that simple. There is no Dooher man a the best of it on saturday but the bottom line is the man struck him, because he di not strike him in the head...is that OK then. If Dooher had no of went down would the ref have dealt with it. Ropers was very different he literally was just BRUSHed by the players hand and he dropped, not needed at all because he had the ball and was in a very strong position to do what he wanted with the ball.

[Hardy]

The reason why players started to fall like they were shot is because umpires, linesmen and refs would not deal with .... they had no other alternative.

Sorry, but this is the sort of creeping tolerance that allows this stuff to get a foothold in the game.

The reason why players started to fall like they were shot is NOT because umpires, linesmen and refs would not deal with it. It's because they are cheats who have no regard for the spirit of sport.

And nobody is suggesting that it's OK to hit someone. Given the huge to-do this summer alone about video trials for fairly innocuous physical stuff, I don't think we need be worried too much that people are getting away with hitting.

[Maximus Marillius]

The reason why players started to fall like they were shot is NOT because umpires, linesmen and refs would not deal with it. It's because they are cheats who have no regard for the spirit of sport.

Hardy I understand what your saying, but tell me...go back 10 years or before and how many times have you watched a defender thump and dig at a full forward whilst the umpires stand like dummies. I have watched till the cows come home. So for the guy who is giving the dig...where exactly is that 'in the spirit if the game'

Given the huge to-do this summer alone about video trials for fairly innocuous physical stuff, I don't think we need be worried too much that people are getting away with hitting.

If Dooher had not of went down would the refs attention been brought to it by a sending off or just a booking. Please dont say it was only a booking...the WM player punched!

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Agree this is becoming a huge problem, not only the serious stuff where a player tries to get another player sent off but the amount of diving to win frees (Glennon of W'Meath went down as soon as a Tyrone player came near him).  A lot of diving in the Ferm Arm game as well.  For once I agree with Tommy Lyons , name and shame them on the Sunday Game and get the GPA to make a statment...after all they are supposed to be elite athletes??

[behind the wire]

agree with max. although there is no excuse for the diving and play acting ie roper/clancy i can see why dooher went down. he was hit a fairly decent thump and unless he went down there would have been nothing done about it. however had he hit the west meath player back he would have been sent to the line. although i def wouldnt be a fan of doohers ( he usually goes down far too easy) i can see where hes coming from in this instance.

we had the example a couple of years ago of the umpire standing watching paddy campbell of donegal grab enda muldoon, enda didnt go down but instead thumped campbell, result red card for muldoon. had he gone down the result may have been quite the opposite.

if we are to stamp out the play acting we need consistency from referees an officials as well.

[lynchbhoy]

I suppose this gives creedence towards us using after-match video evidence.

Players who strike should get cited and banned (depending on the level of their physical interference)
players who dive should also get cited and banned.

this may eventually stop off the ball hitting and players diving where they should remain on their feet.

Personally would like to see players get tougher and stop diving and take action themselves as used to happen. I am sure most were taught never to retaliate immetiately, but to pick and choose their moment for retaliation when and where possible.
As an old manager we had said- 'you will have to take it that you will never get some of the guys you want to get back' .
thats football,
but all this namby pamby falling over diving and wee tappy slaps rubbish is an embarrassment to the game and to the players who made this a mans game previously.

[AZOffaly]

Hardy, as Grampa Simpson said, I think it's a little from column A, a little from column B.

God knows I hate diving, I hate it with a passion. In my mind there is two distinct types of diving, diving to win soft frees, and diving or feigning injury to get opponents sent off. Although I hate all diving, including that odious practice of trapping a defender's arm and pulling him down to win a free, the latter category is far more sinister and completely against what the GAA is supposed to be about.

Just as hitting lads dirty digs off the ball is a no-no in many people's eyes, the practice of embellishing belts, or downright feigning contact is sickening. I would love to see a monday evening disciplinary committee to view video evidence for all categories of foul play. Not just trying to identify lads who strike, but also identifying lads who have dived, which is also fould play in my book.


However, I do think the diving to win frees, especially, has crept into the game because of the fact that forwards, especially, felt that pulling and dragging, kidney punches and all the other little niggly stuff wasn't being punished, and the approach became, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. So now we have jersey pulling and the like not being penalised, and fair tackling being penalised by diving to win frees.

I cannot find any mitigation for the practice of diving to get opponents booked or sent off however.

[nrico2006]

And nobody is suggesting that it's OK to hit someone. Given the huge to-do this summer alone about video trials for fairly innocuous physical stuff, I don't think we need be worried too much that people are getting away with hitting.

What good is a video trial after a game?  There is a big difference between diving and the Dooher case for example - Dooher was punched and the only man who knows of how painful it was is Dooher himself, not the rest of the tough nuts sitting punching their keyboards!

[screenexile]

And nobody is suggesting that it's OK to hit someone. Given the huge to-do this summer alone about video trials for fairly innocuous physical stuff, I don't think we need be worried too much that people are getting away with hitting.

What good is a video trial after a game?  There is a big difference b etween diving and the Dooher case for example - Dooher was punched and the only man who knows of how painful it was is Dooher himself, not the rest of the tough nuts sitting punching their keyboards!

[AZOffaly]

I don't think Dooher dived. If there was video evidence, I don't think Dooher could be called up. He got a punch into the stomach, plain and simple. As you say, you don't know how hard a punch is unless you are giving it or taking it, and a good slap in the stomach, unexpected, after getting winded a minute earlier could easily knock you.

[AZOffaly]

sorry, I meant to add, the 'good' of lads looking at this on Monday would be for those incidents where lads hold their faces when they get a shoulder in the chest, or go down with no contact at all. Or even the 'push' in the face which is treated as a punch by the recipient.

All play acting, where play acting can clearly be seen.

Dooher's couldn't be called play acting from watching a video. Only himself and Harte know if he went down easy.

[Keepthefaith93]

I think Dooher went down very easy cant imagine Paudie O'Shea, Brian Mullins or Brian Mc Gilligian going down with the same contact.