FIFA to tackle feigning of injuries

FIFA are considering a proposal that any player requiring treatment has to leave the pitch for a minimum of two minutes in an effort to cut down on footballers feigning injury.

The proposal has been put forward by the legendary Polish player Zbigniew Boniek, who is a member of FIFA’s football committee.

Sepp Blatter, president of the game’s world governing body, said: “Mr Boniek has proposed that if a player is injured – or not injured and asking for help - he has to wait at least two minutes before he can re-enter the field of play.

“Most of the time these injuries are not really injuries and as soon as they get to the touchline – the magic line I call it – he is well again.

“It’s not good for football, it’s cheating. They just lie down when they are tired or perhaps if the team is not doing well and to give the coach some time to give some instructions.”

The proposal will be discussed by FIFA’s referees committee and if all are in favour it will be passed to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) for a decision in February.

Meanwhile, Blatter has reprimanded the Football Association for the delay in dealing with the Rio Ferdinand case and warned about their failure to implement rules on immediate suspensions for red cards.

Ferdinand has been charged with misconduct for failure to attend a drugs test on September 23 and it is almost certain to be December before he appears before an FA disciplinary hearing.

Blatter said: “What I am not happy about with this case is the speed, or rather the non-speed, of dealing with it.

“Such a case should be dealt with immediately so we can have a decision and avoid all the discussions that happen when a decision is made far away from the date when it occurs.”

Regarding red cards and suspension, the FA have insisted they will not change their rules until the end of the season, which means that any players sent off do not start a ban for a further 14 days and virtually any grounds of appeal are considered.

In the last few weeks, however, FIFA have written to all 204 national associations, telling them to fall in line with a decision agreed at their congress in Doha, which limits the grounds of appeal to cases of mistaken identity and ensures an automatic one-match ban comes into force for the very next game. The Scottish FA already follow these rules.

Blatter added: “Any red card, given for whatever reason, then the player must be suspended for the next match in the same competition, and any appeal must be held before that match.

“They were warned about this at the beginning of this year – it was raised in discussions at the IFAB in Belfast in February.

“If they are not implementing this, the case will be brought to the attention of our disciplinary committee and they will make a decision about the national association not fulfilling a decision of the FIFA Congress and executive committee.

“The disciplinary committee can issue a warning and up to a suspension from all international activities and I will call the chief executive (Mark Palios) to speak about this.”