Cheating by participants in the sports arena is becoming an increasing cause for alarm, with doping scandals and match fixing incidents becoming all too common for comfort. The commercial aspect of modern-day sporting encounters renders players increasingly vulnerable to temptation, as the difference between winning and losing when measured in terms of money could amount to millions of dollars for the players concerned.
Often, football matches are reduced to theatrical opportunities for players to display their histrionic talents, whether by way of dramatic falls inside rival goal areas or feinting while taking penalty kicks.
While such theatricals are meant to gladden team supporters, they have the opposite effect on the game’s organisers who look for ways to curb what they perceive as blatant cheating. Ahead of a world tournament such as the FIFA World Cup 2010, the organisers are worried about any attempt to obtain results using dubious and illegal methods.
FIFA has issued a new directive to the 29 referees who will do duty at this year’s World Cup that could change the fortunes of teams that have hitherto been ineffective in penalty shootouts. The referees have been empowered to book any player who feints while taking the penalty kick. Any goal scored will be cancelled and the kick taken again.
This ruling will be welcomed by teams such as England who crashed out of three of the last four world cups in penalty shootouts, apart from Euro 2004 and 1996.
The referees were shown a video demo of the kinds of spot-kicks that are now deemed illegal, according to this ruling, at the FIFA headquarters near Pretoria, Jose Garcia Aranda, refereeing head at FIFA.
The video featured mainly Brazilian players, pointing to a common tendency among South American players taking spot-kicks. This should be good news for England who could run into Brazil in the semi-final.
FIFA is also addressing the threat of match-fixing, highlighted recently by the since sacked head of English football, Lord Triesman, who accused the Spanish FA of plotting to bribe the referees at the World Cup this year.
With the World cup expected to generate over 3 billion pounds in legal bets, in Europe, and a similar amount in illegal gambling, in Asia, FIFA cannot afford to ignore the risk. Players, coaches and referees can report suspicious activity using a confidential telephone hotline, in a system of early warning that FIFA has set up, to address the threat of match-fixing.
Camisetas Otras Ligas Fútbol Noticias de los equipos de fútbol de 1ª y 2ª división, la Champions League y la UEFA, la Copa del Rey y la Selección Española