FIFA President Sepp Blatter "is fed up with 'preposterous' simulation and 'extravagant' diving by players and has said it is up to referees to solve the problem," according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. In the Jan. 3 edition of FIFA Weekly, Blatter wrote, "This kind of thing is treated with scorn in other sporting disciplines but it has become a normal and accepted part of football nowadays. Even though simulation is incredibly unfair and looks preposterous when viewed in a replay, some people regard it as smart or in the worst case as a harmless misdemeanour." He added, "I find this deeply irritating, especially when the (supposedly) half-dead player comes back to life as soon as they have left the pitch. The touchline appears to have acquired powers of revival which even leading medical specialists cannot explain" (REUTERS, 1/2). In L.A., Kevin Baxter reported Blatter "urged referees to make those players wait for an extended time on the baseline, forcing their teams to play shorthanded in the hope that would act as a deterrent." Blatter added in FIFA Weekly, "In practical terms this amounts to a time penalty -- and it could cause play-actors to rethink" (L.A. TIMES, 1/3). The BBC reported former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher "agrees simulation is an issue in the game, but feels penalising players in Blatter's proposed way may not be feasible." Gallagher: "You're going to need a very, very brave referee to say a players wasn't really injured, I'm not sure it's a real solution." Blatter is "intent on ridding the game of simulation," which has prompted 13 yellow cards in the Premier League this season. Gallagher: "The longest breaks in the game nowadays are almost exclusively the result of dives, simulation and play-acting to feign injury." FIFA VP Jim Boyce has "previously proposed the use of video evidence to help take retrospective action against divers, a move which Gallagher would still welcome" (BBC, 1/3).
