FIFA To Appeal To Player Conscience To Stop Practice Of Diving

With the World Cup looming and the stakes higher than ever, FIFA is hoping that it can appeal to the conscience of the players to stamp out the practice of diving, "which many feel is ruining the game," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. FIFA Head of Refereeing Massimo Busacca said, "We need fair play. You cannot win the game with simulation, what are you to tell your children when you go home? Will you say, 'I won the game by simulation, it was cheating'? It should be an honor to win a game on merit." Busacca's comments "may sound idealistic, especially in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a World Cup, but he was hopeful that players would listen." Busacca: "We stress that we want fair play, we want to see football, spectators want to enjoy football, so you have to win the game correctly. If we continue to say that, in my opinion we can achieve results" (REUTERS, 11/25).