FIFA are prepared to give individual football associations the power to mete out punishments for diving.
With the matter of simulation an increasing problem, authorities are keen to stamp out the issue and are prepared to permit each nation the right to impose bans under their own disciplinary rules.
The Australian Football Federation (FFA) are the first to implement these regulations, with two players recently punished for diving in order to win penalties.
FFA spokesman Rod Allen said: “We deem diving as a serious issue in the game and something we feel strongly about.
“We hope that with serious sanction it will be a deterrent. We want to stamp it out.”
The FFA claim to have modelled their new disciplinary regulations on those of UEFA, who charged Arsenal striker Eduardo with ‘deceiving the referee’ during a Champions contest against Celtic last year.
The Croatian striker later won an appeal against the ban he received, but Allen is confident the initiative will eventually work.
“It is a misconduct charge for the players – our regulations allow our match review panel to right wrongs they see that happened on the pitch.”
In Australia, if the incident results to a major disadvantage for the other team, such as a converted penalty kick, then the guilty parties face two-week bans.
