Is anything being done about poor player behaviour?

Player behaviour did not appear in Reinventing Football, our manifesto for fixing issues in the game, but it was a big focus for supporters.

We received thousands of messages from our audience suggesting the one thing they would change. Microscopic offside decisions, VAR, time-wasting and handball featured heavily, but our comments section was packed with complaints about players haranguing officials or trying to “cheat”.

The game’s governing bodies say they have been working to improve on-pitch behaviour of players at all levels of the game.

Here’s some of the responses from fans to our call to action:

Christopher: Swearing at the ref or any abusive language = immediate red card and a four-match ban.

Jeff: Any attempt to simulate a foul would be an instant yellow card, but given when a break in play, and monitored by VAR. Any holding or pulling of clothing to be a yellow card, again monitored by VAR. Both of these are against the spirit of the game.

Dave: Implement cards for any kind of simulation. Too many players conning the ref trying to get advantage, in particular players going down holding face or head when never touched. Classic example was Gabriel holding his face for Sunderland’s second goal when clearly nowhere near his face.

David: Red card for simulation, how long have fans been asking for this?

We approached the Ifab – football’s lawmakers who have the ultimate power to introduce initiatives to improve player behaviour – as well as Fifa, Uefa, the Football Association, the Premier League and Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) to raise supporters’ concerns.

The Ifab told us that “improving player behaviour and increasing respect for match officials are key topics currently being addressed by The Ifab”.

This work has been going on for several seasons, with referee numbers declining across the globe as instances of abuse have increased.

The FA stressed that new policies, procedures and regulations that came into force through the Participant Behaviour Charter at the start of the 2023/24 season to cover the professional game (Premier League, EFL, National League, WSL) have worked.

It led to a spike in cautions for dissent in the Premier League that season, with 215 (0.57 per game) issued – two-and-a-half times the 87 of 2022-23.

The 2024-25 campaign saw 172 (0.45) yellows and fans are probably noticing that there’s been another drop this season, with 33 cautions (0.30).

The FA would say this shows their initiatives have been successful. But is a 20% year on year fall in cautions due to fewer instances of dissent, or a less strict application of discipline?

One of the cornerstones of the drive for improved behaviour was a requirement for captains to take a leadership role in preventing “Surrounding a Match Official” – when two or more players get around a referee in a confrontational manner.

The FA says that reported incidents of surroundings have fallen season on season since, down 58% from 2022/23 to 2024/25.

The Ifab took that on further by trialling “Captain Only” regulations for approaching a referee, which are set to become mandatory at all levels from next season.

The trial was first adopted by Uefa for Euro 2024, with head of referees Roberto Rosetti saying it was “extremely positive”.

English football introduced it at the start of this campaign, and the FA says that the number of incidents is down 82% compared to this point last season.

The FA believes that this likely indicates that the “Captain Only” approach is making a positive difference.

Fifa says it takes abuse of match officials extremely seriously, with referees’ chief Pierluigi Collina a leading advocate of “Captain Only”.

Simulation was a key theme which came out of last season’s Premier League football survey – completed by players, managers, club staff and supporters.

The league said “a robust approach to deal with actions intended to deceive the referee will be taken”.

The evidence does back that up, with nine cautions issued this season across the 99 games. That’s a frequency of 0.8 cautions per game – the second highest on record (2012-13 saw 0.9) and double that of the previous two seasons.

There’s an FA rule which has long since been forgotten in the top flight, which allows retrospective action for players who successfully deceive a match official.

This only covers a player who has been proven to use simulation to win a penalty. If they don’t get the spot kick but aren’t cautioned then they won’t be charged, so it’s a narrow corridor.

Two players have received 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 were the only players to ever be banned for this in the top flight shortly after it was introduced in 2017 before VAR made it obsolete two years later.

With every penalty incident now reviewed by the VAR, it is effectively impossible to face retrospective action in the Premier League.

Only three players have ever been booked for diving after a penalty was cancelled on a VAR review: Callum Hudson-Odoi of Chelsea in October 2019, Joe Willock of Newcastle United in May this year, and Brighton’s Georginio Rutter last Sunday.

Controlling behaviour of players and coaches in football in parks is more challenging, especially for young and inexperienced referees.

The Ifab and the FA therefore promote the use of punishments and tactics which wouldn’t be suitable in more organised or professional football.

The FA pioneered the use of body cameras for officials in 2023, which a referee can activate when they feel threatened to act as a deterrent. That came along with the “Enough is Enough” campaign to tackle hate across grassroots football.

The Ifab’s newest trial, which the FA is signed up to, is “cooling-off” periods to try to take the heat out of situations. Each team is told to go back into their own penalty area while the referee talks to the captains and coaches in the centre circle to restore order.