A comparison of diving statistics reveals that in November 2012, there had been 19 incidents of diving whereas this year the number has dropped to 6′
Referees’ chief Mike Riley said “We mustn’t lose the moral argument because that is what puts the onus on players not to do it.
A look at vintage footage of some fine practitioners of the art.
To keep the bad guys in check refs now have to be fitter than ever.Riley has stats to show that they now undertake an average of 176 ‘high energy runs’ per game, including 50 sprints – more than the players .
“What we want is for the referees to be in the right place, which is normally at an angle of 45 degrees from any contact,” he added.
“Referees have had to change way they train. It used to be about how far you could run but now it’s more sprinting, keeping track with players.”