The Football Association is set to introduce a retrospective ban for players that dive in the top four tiers of English football, the hope being that it will deter players from deceiving match officials to win free-kicks.
Beginning this Friday as the Football League kicks-off after the summer break, players will being banned for what is decided as a dive if a penalty is rewarded by the referee or a player is dismissed from the field of play as a result.
A panel of three people must unanimously decide that the player has dived for a charge to be brought against the individual, however teams will still have the right of appeal as is with any other red card or suspension.
14 former referees, players and managers in total form the panel with one person from each group used to make the decision on an incident. The group will not be allowed to include an individual which has links to the club involved in the case.
If the opposition is sent off as a result of an incident which is deemed to be a dive by the panel, their suspensions will automatically be overturned, this includes a yellow which leads to a sending off later in the game.
The ban to be introduced will be a two-match ban for diving, players will also receive an additional one-game ban for each offence.
