Blowing the whistle on soccer theatrics

By James Christie
From Thursday's Globe and Mail 

The theatrics and ruses used by soccer stars "diving" to draw a penalty are being exposed by a British professor who specializes in the study of people's intentions and deceit. 

Psychologist Paul Morris, of the University of Portsmouth, and co-author David Lewis say in an article published in the Springer Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour that soccer players historically have used a number of identifiable actions when faking a fall during a match - falls that sometimes result in penalty kicks and game-deciding goals.

Frauds take unnatural swan dives and consciously do not protect their bodies in order to look like victims, he says. This behaviour has no national boundaries; everyone does it Psychologist Paul Morris
The latest case making Euro soccer tongues wag in the past three weeks has been the two-game suspension of Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva, who plunged to the pitch with surprising ease Aug. 26 in a Champions League playoff, after light contact with Celtic keeper Artur Boruc. Arsenal went on to win 3-1.

A disciplinary commission of European governing body UEFA originally ruled he had dived in an effort to deceive the referee. But UEFA recanted in an appeal this week, saying evidence was inconclusive. Mr. da Silva was reinstated in time for last night's Arsenal match in Brussels against Belgian champion Standard Liège and scored the winner in a 3-2 Arsenal victory.
"I'm not the type of player who needs to be dishonest to score goals," Mr. da Silva said.
Dr. Morris, whose expertise is the study of people's emotions and intentions, says a face-plant to draw attention points to a faked fall.
"This occurs in many dives, but, biomechanically, it does not occur in a natural fall," Dr. Morris said in an article on the University of Portsmouth website. "Instead, instinctively, the arms either go down in an attempt to cushion the fall or out to the side for balance."
In soccer, a rule against faking - technically called simulation - is on the books, but seldom enforced. The sentence against Mr. da Silva was only the second one levelled by UEFA in two years, and backing down on the discipline of the Brazilian-born Croatia international player left some European soccer officials wondering if the body was serious about pursuing cases of deception - or bad acting.
Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith said, "I don't think that I have received enough support in my efforts to eradicate what I believe to be one of the most serious threats to the integrity of football."

Calling the theatrics in pro soccer "absurd," Dr. Morris said fraudulent soccer players are shamelessly calling for the referee's attention. "This behaviour has no national boundaries; everyone does it."
The most flamboyant of the dramatics Dr. Morris describes is called the "archer's bow," in which the aggrieved player throws both arms in the air, with open palms, chest thrust out and legs bent at the knee. He wants to look like he's been fouled. Among other giveaway gestures: clutching the body where a player has not been hit; taking an extra roll when he or she hits the ground; taking fully controlled strides after being tackled before an ostentatious fall.

"Referees have a very difficult job and given the demands of the task, they do it remarkably well," Dr. Morris said. "We think even experienced professionals could enhance their decision-making by studying the categories of deceptive behaviour we have identified."

Joe Guest, the director of referees for the Canadian Soccer Association, said embellished falls "are not as prevalent here as they are in professional soccer in Europe. I'd love to say it's because our fellows are spot-on every call ... but it's just not as prevalent." Mr. Guest did say, however, that the fact UEFA made the initial move of banning Mr. da Silva "shows that they're willing to go to their rulebook, and they recognize it's something that has to be dealt with."