how to fix soccer

I’ve been watching the U-20 World Cup, and I have been annoyed, as per usual, at the diving and simulation of injury.  This is pretty much par for the course with high level soccer.  I have two simple answers:

Faking Injury:  If you’re hurt so bad that you must leave the field, you must leave the field as soon as possible.  You do not get to come back on until at least next stoppage of play, at the ref’s discretion.  So, if you get stretchered off and then are suddenly fit as soon as you’re off the pitch, your team plays a man short until the ref decides to have you back.  And the ref does not have to be nice about this:  If he suspects you of simulation, he is within his rights to keep you off the pitch for as long as he likes.

Diving:  The yellow cards for diving help, but they’re not enough.   FIFA / UEFA / etc need people to review game tape, hand out suspensions, and provide video footage of the incidents.  Professional players should be given fines in relation to their duplicity:  a clear, no-contact dive is a week’s wages and a three-match ban.  A player going down too easily is a half-day’s wage and a post-match yellow card.