Two A-League Footballers Banned for Diving

Big diving controversy in Australia this week, which I found out about while reading David’s post on the A-League Offside blog. Patricio Perez of the Central Coast Mariners and Michael Baird of Perth Glory both won penalties over the weekend with suspicious looking falls to the floor. Not so strange, because that happens in every football league in the world. What is a little strange is that Football Federation Australia stepped in on Monday and punished both players with two game bans for simulation.

Huzzah, you might say. Because diving is evil. But the controversy isn’t so much about the players being punished as it is about how the punishments were handed down. There was no opportunity for either Perez or Baird to argue their case, and neither has any right to appeal the FFA’s decision. Patricio Perez has kept quiet, but Baird has pointed out that “even murderers get the chance to appeal”, and Australian Professional Footballers Association chief exec Brendan Schwab believes that there’s been “a fundamental denial of natural justice, we think that FFA does not lawfully have the power to do it. If the rules were challenged in court the challenge would succeed.”

See both incidents below:

Patricio Perez‘ dive for CCM against Sydeney FC:

The game finished 1-1, but Sydney keeper Liam Reddy’s red card has now been overturned by the FFA.

Michael Baird’s dive for Perth Glory vs Melbourne Heart:

Robbie Fowler converted the spot kick (his first goal for Perth) and the game finished 2-2.

I can definitely understand Baird’s complaint, and it seems unnecessary to deny players any right to appeal or at least argue their case in some way. But. Diving. Bad. Even if the FFA’s decision is unorthodox, I can’t help thinking it’s great to see a governing body finally crack down on hard on diving. So I vote for expanding the FFA’s authority worldwide and allowing them to hand out suspensions to players in any league around the world and for incidents in any game past or present. I suggest they start by looking closely at The Offside Diving Hall of Fame.

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Category: Australia