Players feigning injury is a scourge on the modern game.
But how to deal with it? Should referees be better at spotting when players are acting? Should managers instil no-nonsense policies to stop their players pretending? Or should footballers take it upon themselves to stop doing it?
Those are all options with merit, but a quicker, simpler method would be to employ the tactics used by Toronto FC goalkeeper Joe Bendik.
In the MLS match between Toronto and Montreal Impact at the weekend, Felipe went down and stayed down. Bendik smelt a rat, and after telling the referee as much, decided to take the matter into his own hands... literally.
The keeper picked Felipe up and in doing so, seemed to inspire a miraculous recovery, as the Montreal players was immediately walking as if nothing had happened.
Watch the incident below...
Incredibly, Bendik was shown a yellow card for his actions whilst Felipe escaped without any action.
The incident came in what was a heated match that saw both teams reduced to 10 men before the match finished 1-1.
DH is a huge soccer fan and I tease him about this all the time. They need to make some kind of rule that would punish it, like the NFL does. I think the rule in the NFL is that if you go down and time stops, you have to leave the field for one play. And if it's in the last two minutes, your team has to take a time out. In soccer, maybe they could force the player to get off the field, and the team has to play with 10 until he comes back or they determine he is too injured and sub for him.
They actually will give yellow cards for blatant dives, but it's hard for the refs to catch. If a player goes down and requires medical attention (faked or not), they have to leave the field until the ref allows them back on the field.
I also think players are pretty good at policing themselves. They will absolutely call each other out for diving or faking injuries.