No More Hollywood Action Tricking Referees

An evaluation match between Korea and Uruguay was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, on the 15th last month. While dribbling into the Uruguayan goal at 22 minutes in the first half, Kim Do-Hun fell on the ground spreading his arms wide without any contact with a defender. When the referee saw the scene, he pulled out a yellow card at Kim. The `charge` was Kim’s `Hollywood action` that attempted to trick referee’s eyes.

In the 2002 World Cup, players would have to take great risks in carrying out such performance.

International Football Association (FIFA) is to set firm policies against `Hollywood action`, and hold intensive education sessions during the referees’ seminar that will occur in Seoul from 20th to 23rd.

In the seminar, referees will be studying `various acting cases` of players by watching recordings of 1998 France World Cup, Euro 2000, and European Professional League.

The official terminology for so-called Hollywood action is `simulation`. Simulation represents all actions that trick referees’ eyes. A typical case would be that a player trips without any contact with defenders in the penalty zone in order to induce penalty kick.

Also, players often make false actions as if they are hit when other players just swing arms, or there are some who try to earn time by not getting up immediately after falling on the ground.

FIFA allowed referees to give warnings directly against Hollywood action without cautions. The intension is to prevent false decisions from players’ acting, and lead fair-plays.

“No action should be made to fake referees. In order to avoid disadvantage, the only answer is to play fairly.”, said Korean FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee’s referee supervisor, Yim Eun-Ju.

Yim also emphasized, “If 1998 World Cup’s issue was `behind-tackle`, it’s `simulation` this time. Although players were reminded not to tackle from back before the tournament began, Ha Seok-Ju was thrown out after all, due to back-tackle. In the same sense, players should get rid of their habits of Hollywood action.”

buddy@donga.com