Poor Ashley Young: Mourinho backs bans for diving

Matt Stead

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho would back the introduction of retrospective action against players who dive in the box.

The Football Association this week confirmed talks were under way with the Scottish Football Association about the pros and cons of taking retrospective action for simulation.

Since 2011, the SFA’s rule 201 has given a disciplinary panel the power to impose two-game bans for acts of simulation missed by match officials or rescind yellow cards for players who were incorrectly adjudged to have dived.

The FA told Press Association Sport “the issue of simulation is under review”, although any change to the rules in England would need support from across the game and would be done via the Football Regulatory Authority.

Retrospective action would get United boss Mourinho’s backing, albeit tinged with concerns over consistent decision-making.

“I agree totally but again I’m always afraid that for similar situations, different decisions – inconsistency,” the Portuguese said.

“I am always afraid of that but I would agree totally.

“It’s like the same thing, the interpretation of balls on the hand, hands on the ball, deflection, no deflection, the distance, the referee analyse – it is not consistent.

“And then, for similar decisions, you have different decisions.

“But yes – of course, yes – I would like retrospective (action) for simulation in the box.”

The general view in Scotland is rule 201 has had a positive impact, although there has been some criticism of the apparent contradiction between a player getting a yellow card for an offence seen by a referee but a red card for the same offence if the referee missed it.

In the past, world football’s governing body FIFA has stuck to the principle that matches should be refereed on the pitch, in real time, with any mistakes made by the officials simply being part of the game.

FIFA’s stance, however, is starting to change as it has already approved goal-line technology, is trialling video assistant referees and has not complained about the SFA’s simulation rules or the FA’s own retrospective punishments for violent conduct.

That last point is significant as the four British FAs have permanent seats on the International Football Association Board, the body that decides on fundamental changes to the game’s laws, which suggests FIFA may view these local rules as pilots before wider implementation.