A-League: Coaches urged to crackdown on diving and time wasting

A-League coaches have been urged to ensure time wasting and diving are eradicated from the league.

A record crowd to watch Sydney FC play Western Sydney Wanderers helped the A-League make a flying start to its new season. Picture: Mark Evans

A-League coaches have been urged to ensure time wasting and diving are eradicated from the league as Football Federation Australia attempts to capitalise on a stunning opening two weeks of the new season.

Following record crowds and outstanding television viewing numbers for the opening round of the season, A-League boss Greg O’Rourke emailed all coaches and football department managers last Friday before last weekend’s second round, asking them to help continue the momentum by “doing your bit to ensure we eradicate incidents of simulation and time wasting”. The email, seen by The Australian, did not point the finger at any player or club but suggested there were areas of concern that came out of the opening week’s matches.

“There was a number of obvious incidents across round one where time wasting was taken to the edges of reasonable (and arguably beyond) and also some incidents where players via replay video reviews were simulating either injury or foul play,” O’Rourke wrote. “This is not good for our brand in Australia or New Zealand.”

O’Rourke, who was appointed to the job three months ago, said he was writing the email after “getting feedback from a few forums and the recent A-League chairmen’s meeting” and used last week’s Australia v Japan World Cup qualifier in Melbourne as a reference.

“Without focusing on who or from what team, I would use this week’s Socceroos game v Japan as a reference,” he wrote.

“In the last 20 minutes the crowd was actively booing the Japanese team for time wasting and our players were obviously frustrated and, at times, trying to physically assist with Japanese players returning to their feet.

“We are off to a great start and need to continue our momentum and I ask you to do your bit to ensure we eradicate incidents of simulation and time wasting. In coaches speak it is the 1 per centers.”

Simulation (diving) and time wasting are regarded as the biggest blights in the sport and are often used by non-soccer fans as the reason why they don’t go to games.

The influx of visa players in the A-League since it kicked off in 2005 has only helped to highlight the growing consternation over simulation, which is a worldwide problem for soccer.

Still, it has not detracted from what has been a brilliant start to an A-League season, exceeding expectations.

It started with the record crowd of 61,880 for the Sydney derby between Western Sydney and Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium on the second day of the season. The opening round attracted an A-League record aggregate attendance of 106,365.

Then Tim Cahill wove his special magic last Saturday, scoring a wondrous goal that lit up the Melbourne derby as Melbourne City accounted for Melbourne Victory 4-1 in front of 43,188 at Etihad Stadium.

As well, 132,000 tuned into the game via Fox Sports, making it the highest rating Melbourne derby since the two sides first met in 2012. Ratings are up 44 per cent overall.

After two rounds of the A-League this season, almost 200,000 fans have gone through the gates — 50,000 more than for the same stage last season.

An upbeat FFA chief executive David Gallop said the success of the first two rounds had justified the head body’s approach to the start of the season. They were intent on taking advantage of the clean air at the end of the NRL and AFL seasons.

“Australian sport is very competitive as you all know,” Gallop said yesterday. “What we needed once the NRL and AFL finished was to start with a bang. The figures show we have done that. October and November are important months for us.’’