London, May 18, (GNA/dpa) – Players who try to con the referee by diving could be banned for two matches from next season in the Premier League and across all of English football.
The new rules, which were passed by the Football Association at its annual general meeting on Thursday, will cover players who earn penalties and red cards for the opposition.
“Where there is clear and overwhelming evidence to suggest a match official has been deceived by an act of simulation, and as a direct result, the offending player’s team has been awarded a penalty and/or an opposing player has been dismissed, the FA will be able to act retrospectively under its Fast Track system,” the FA said in a statement on its website.
“A panel consisting of one ex-match official, one ex-manager and one ex-player will be asked to review all available video footage of the incident independently of one another and then advise the FA as to whether they believe it was an offence of ‘Successful Deception of a Match Official'”
If the decision is unanimous, the player would be penalized, and in “accepted and/or proven cases of simulation and/or feigning injury, the offending player would receive a two-match suspension,” the FA said.
GNA
