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Over time, the notion of foul-play has altered quite significantly. In the days of mud-bath like pitches, what are now regarded as reckless tackles flowed freely.
Football is slowly becoming a non-contact sport, with players dropping to the floor at minimal contact. Those who claim to be football purists are becoming incredibly frustrated at these top-level athletes showing a lack of resilience against challenges.
However, there is a growing acceptance of winning fouls.
In the game between England and Denmark, 31 fouls were committed during the Euro 2020 semi-final clash. Out of the 31 fouls, 21 went in the home country’s favour, with only nine going to the Danes.
One reason for this is that Denmark attempted 48 tackles compared to England’s 16. Another reason is given by Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool central defender Jamie Carragher:
The streetwise Kane has been back the last 2 games! Getting free kicks from nothing!! #englandvdenmark
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) July 7, 2021
Harry Kane picked up multiple fouls on the night, often in advantageous positions, but yet none aided his team’s cause on the scoring front.
There is no doubt the Danish defenders were rash in the way they handled Kane, often bundling into the back of the in-demand forward, but did England’s frontman go looking for fouls?
It seemed that the striker managed to anticipate contact, allowing him to buy cheap fouls and relieve pressure or win free-kicks in dangerous areas. On the one hand, this seems clever and advantageous, but it could also be seen as deviant.
Carragher claims Kane is simply being streetwise, which may come as a surprise as the former central defender would be unlikely to be so complimentary if the forward had used the same tactics against the Liverpudlian during his playing days.
The FA states in their Rules and Regulations that if a player commits offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force, it will result in a direct free kick.
Some of the actions by Danish players were of a careless and reckless nature, but none used excessive force.
On many occasions, the definition of excessive force differs depending on the referee, where in some cases, very minimal contact results in fouls when others are quite lenient.
In 2017, the FA brought out new legislation to retrospectively punish simulation (diving).
Described as a “Successful Deception of a Match Official”, it gave the FA a chance to hand a two-game ban to players who dived to give their team an advantage, whether that be a penalty or opposition players receiving their marching orders.
Shaun Miller, then of Carlisle United, was the first player to receive a retrospective two-game ban in October 2017.
In an exhilarating 3-3 draw against Wycombe Wanderers, Miller won a penalty for the Cumbrians in the 35th minute, but it was later deemed a dive by the FA.
Miller was clearly anticipating the challenge coming in from the Chairboys’ defender Dan Scarr and fell before any contact was actually made, fooling the referee into giving a penalty which Jamie Devitt converted.
The Chesire-born striker pleaded his innocence at an FA hearing, and in all fairness, neither he nor his teammates appealed for a penalty. In fact, the forward attempted to pass the ball back to a teammate while on the ground in order to continue play.
Miller went onto explain that some upper body contact while running at pace had led to his fall.
If Miller had been aiming to win a penalty, it could be seen as being streetwise rather than deviant, so where do we draw the line?
Carragher may be forgetting he ripped into Neymar and his Paris Saint-Germain teammates antics after a clash between Les Parisiens and his former club in 2018.
Opinions on diving seem to differ between pundits, and it often depends on the player or team in question.
Raheem Sterling’s outstanding performance at Euro 2020 is unquestionable, but the crucial penalty he won for England against Denmark looked slightly dubious after minimal contact.
However, former Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle thinks otherwise:
Sterlings right knee gets clipped followed by a hip barge from the other side….how is that “not touched”? try staying on your feet while sprinting with a ball and that happens pic.twitter.com/6LsSVxkaJd
— Kevin Doyle (@KevinDoyle1983) July 7, 2021
There is no doubt that very minimal contact on a player running at a very high speed can cause a player to be upended, but there needs to be clarification on just how much contact equates to a foul.
Phil Foden was denied a penalty against Southampton last season after Alex McCarthy’s reckless attempt to stop the Manchester City starlet from capitalising on his failed attempt to control a back pass.
Foden was sent to the floor by the shot-stopper’s lunge but preceded to get back to his feet only for the chance to score to pass him by. Surprisingly, no penalty or a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity was awarded by VAR.
Players have learnt to initiate and anticipate contact, which leads to players being rewarded for going down whilst honesty becomes a disadvantage.
High profile footballers being rewarded for diving and dropping to the floor under minimal contact will, unfortunately, act as a bad example for future generations, and Carragher’s streetwise comments make deviance seem acceptable.
Players and pundits alike must remember they influence future generations of footballers, so they need to promote honesty in receiving contact on the pitch which is the best way to play the game.
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