Simulation was a key theme which got here out of final season’s Premier League soccer survey – accomplished by gamers, managers, membership workers and supporters.

The league stated “a sturdy strategy to take care of actions meant to deceive the referee can be taken”.

The proof does again that up, with 9 cautions issued this season throughout the 99 video games. That is a frequency of 0.8 cautions per sport – the second highest on document (2012-13 noticed 0.9) and double that of the earlier two seasons.

There’s an FA rule which has lengthy since been forgotten within the prime flight, which permits retrospective motion for gamers who efficiently deceive a match official.

This solely covers a participant who has been confirmed to make use of simulation to win a penalty. If they do not get the spot kick however aren’t cautioned then they will not be charged, so it is a slim hall.

Two gamers have obtained a two-match ban for deceiving a match official this season – Owen Lunt (Crewe Alexandra) and Garath McCleary (Gillingham).

Everton’s Oumar Niasse and West Ham United’s Manuel Lanzini had been the one gamers to ever be banned for this within the prime flight shortly after it was launched in 2017 earlier than VAR made it out of date two years later.

With each penalty incident now reviewed by the VAR, it’s successfully not possible to face retrospective motion within the Premier League.

Solely three gamers have ever been booked for diving after a penalty was cancelled on a VAR evaluate: Callum Hudson-Odoi of Chelsea in October 2019, Joe Willock of Newcastle United in Could this yr, and Brighton’s Georginio Rutter final Sunday.

However followers see simulation as extra than simply diving to win a penalty, for instance holding the face when contact was on the physique. That goes unpunished on a regular basis and is not coated by any FA initiative.