Solving the diving epidemic...

[Tommy Smith]

I believe this is one of the biggest issues facing the game.

It makes the game look soft and far worse slows play down dramatically.

How many times did a player stay down for a penalty in the GF, 4 or 5? It almost made me want to cry. It shouldn't be such a stop/start product.

Anyway, the solution is simple: if the on field referee misses the incident then let the match review committee pick it up. The video referee should not be allowed to intervene. Perhaps with lifting tackles as the only exception as it's not really open to diving.

Thoughts? This shit is getting out of control and needs to be stamped out of the game.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

The problem isn't with the players diving, it's with the refs falling for it so often. If a ref doesn't even understand discretion, then what does he understand?

 

[Perth Red]

Very simple, don't let the video ref adjudicate on stuff in play. Then no one lies down. It was brought in for really serious foul play but is now used for every little love tap. Very easy to stop it.

 

[Danish]

I think better to make all players who stay down leave the field for a mandatory SCAT test.

If you take a knock to the head to the point that you claim to be unable to regain your feet then I think it's fair and reasonable that you be examined for concussion in the name of safety.

He amount of people laying down will drop to almost zero instantaneously

 

[Tommy Smith]

Indeed.

You had to laugh at Josh Morris staying down because he was tackled 10cm before he hit the ground in a mid air tackle.

Now yes, it's annoying that the referees didn't see it but that's still no excuse for such a whimpy dive.

If he really is hurt then he should go off to be checked. If not, then he'll get straight up and play on because he won't want to have to go off.

 

[BranVan3000]

Real problem is the refs becoming too scared to rule on anything without the video and players know it. You'll see every player on the field's hands go up in complaint and half the crowd groan as soon as a high tackle hits but then the ref needs to dawdle over and check the video ref because he wasn't watching closely or something?

 

[bluey]

Its simple Dont hit them in the head and they get up.

 

[Card Shark]

Perhaps with lifting tackles as the only exception as it's not really open to diving.

Thoughts? This shit is getting out of control and needs to be stamped out of the game.

Josh Reynolds gave it a good shot last year ;-)

 

[Vic Mackey]

Real problem is the refs becoming too scared to rule on anything without the video and players know it. You'll see every player on the field's hands go up in complaint and half the crowd groan as soon as a high tackle hits but then the ref needs to dawdle over and check the video ref because he wasn't watching closely or something?

Exactly right. If the referees had the balls to make a decision diving wouldn't be a problem

 

[Pierced Soul]

i think you just take the video ref out of the play and they'll stop. if the video ref sees a high shot, put it on report and game on. the attacking team wont lie down when they get clipped innocuously if there's no advantage to it

 

[Canard]

I don't think anyone who want smashed in the head stayed down in the GF.

Can anyone nominate any incidents that they felt were Ben Kennedy like?

 

[grouch]

I think better to make all players who stay down leave the field for a mandatory SCAT test.

If you take a knock to the head to the point that you claim to be unable to regain your feet then I think it's fair and reasonable that you be examined for concussion in the name of safety.

He amount of people laying down will drop to almost zero instantaneously

Agree with this.

 

[Flapper]

I think better to make all players who stay down leave the field for a mandatory SCAT test.

If you take a knock to the head to the point that you claim to be unable to regain your feet then I think it's fair and reasonable that you be examined for concussion in the name of safety.

He amount of people laying down will drop to almost zero instantaneously

This is how I'd do it as well. Takes the gamesmanship out of it entirely.

 

[The Charlatan]

I'd back Danish's suggestion as well. Force them from the field for a SCAT test and a mandatory 5 minute spell and they won't dive.

It's a joke when Morris gets tackled just before he hits the deck and acts like he's been hit by a sniper and Sam Burgess breaks his face in the first hit-up of the game and has to pretend he isn't hurt.

 

[Valheru]

As others have said, the solution is simple, no video ref interjection in anything other than a try.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Honestly, there are 2 refs on the field and 2 touchies, can't they see a bloke get thumped in the head or hit in the air?
Just tell them to call it, should solve most of the diving. The only reason the players do it is because the referee misses something fairly blatant.

The other option is to give teams an 'appeal' - say 3 per game, if their appeal is right they don't lose it. But encourage referees to back themselves on the try calls, and have the teams appeal it (unless the referee is genuinely unsure).

To get rid of the rest, just have a 'bringing the game into disrepute' loading for the judiciary - if someone can be found to be diving, then they get suspension points.

 

[Bronco18]

Well pointed out OP, this made for an incredibly slow and frustrating grand final. It was slowly building in the back half of the season, but the grand final was the worst.

I wouldn't mind the video ref having a say, if he's only allowed to make a call it in real time straight into the refs earpiece... but is it necessary? Like it's been pointed out, 2 linesman and 2 referees should be enough...

 

[Captain Apollo]

I don't think anyone who want smashed in the head stayed down in the GF.

Can anyone nominate any incidents that they felt were Ben Kennedy like?

One other media pundit pointed it out after the Preliminary Finals. Said when Sonny-Bill Williams was tackled by Isaac Luke it was going to be checked by the Video Referee yet once SBW started to get to his feet the referee said quite clearly "no need to check it". (I wish I could find the article as it spelt it out quite clearly).

That is symptomatic of the problem. Players are staying down or delaying things so the Video Referee will get involved.

Whilst the players have some blame in this, and the Referees even more so, the biggest culprit in this mess are the media. The media have systematically over decades harped on every single refereeing mistake. To such an extent we all at one time or another think a particular referee has it in for our team (and I'm as guilty as the next person) rather than realise and acknowledge that referees make mistakes. How many times have we heard TV or radio commentators carry on about a mistake during a game? Is it any wonder we have referees who are gun shy when they get crucified by the media. They are in a no win position. Things won't change until we get media commentators who stop carrying on about officiating mistakes like ours do in rugby league.

 

[thorson1987]

One other media pundit pointed it out after the Preliminary Finals. Said when Sonny-Bill Williams was tackled by Isaac Luke it was going to be checked by the Video Referee yet once SBW started to get to his feet the referee said quite clearly "no need to check it". (I wish I could find the article as it spelt it out quite clearly).

That is symptomatic of the problem. Players are staying down or delaying things so the Video Referee will get involved.

Whilst the players have some blame in this, and the Referees even more so, the biggest culprit in this mess are the media. The media have systematically over decades harped on every single refereeing mistake. To such an extent we all at one time or another think a particular referee has it in for our team (and I'm as guilty as the next person) rather than realise and acknowledge that referees make mistakes. How many times have we heard TV or radio commentators carry on about a mistake during a game? Is it any wonder we have referees who are gun shy when they get crucified by the media. They are in a no win position. Things won't change until we get media commentators who stop carrying on about officiating mistakes like ours do in rugby league.

That was the one Sam Burgess smacked SBW around the face.

 

[LineBall]

Yep, solution is simple, keep the video ref out of it. I'd like the video ref to be only used for grounding of the ball or checking if a player has gone into touch in the act of grounding the ball. Don't use it for obstruction.

Also, if a player who had the ball was injured, they used to just take the ball off him and another player would play it 10 metres away to keep the game going. When did this stop?