Diving (association football)

The player in blue and red's raised arms and look at the referee indicate a possible dive.

In association football, diving is an attempt by a player to gain an unfair advantage by falling to the ground and, often, feigning injury to give the impression that a foul has been committed. Dives are often used to exaggerate the amount of contact made during a challenge. Deciding whether a player has dived is often very subjective and among the most controversial areas of football discussion. Motivations for diving include receiving scoring opportunities via free kicks or penalty kicks or gaining a team advantage by invoking a penalty card for the opposition. Diving may also be referred to as simulation (the term used by FIFA), Schwalbe (used in continental European countries; lit. German for "swallow"), staging (for free kicks) (Australia) and flopping (North American sports in general).