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Stop the Flop

Football is the most beautiful game on Earth. It is also the only sport where lying on the ground screaming is a viable tactic. Let's fix that.

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New Episode Episode 3: The 85 Percent — we ran the numbers. 511 matches. 19 dive calls. 85% of “injured” players play on — and the flop doesn't even work. Listen on Spotify →

World Cup 2026 Embolo sent off for diving in the quarterfinal — VAR finally caught a flop. Proof that enforcement works when the rules allow it. See the Hall of Shame →

Sister Campaign Why does flopping work? Because the clock never stops. Every second spent writhing is a second stolen. Meet stopstoppagetime.com →

TL;DR

Researchers counted 5.63 apparent injuries per team per match in international football. Only 0.41 were real — about 7%.
The NBA fines floppers up to $30,000. The NHL fines embellishment. England's FA bans divers retroactively. FIFA does almost nothing.
Football has already proven punishment works: the one player FIFA banned for life for faking an injury never did it again.
The fix: retroactive video review, escalating bans, treatment means you leave the pitch — and a stopped clock, so flopping stops paying.

Explore the Evidence

The data, the infamous incidents, and the fixes other sports already use — everything you need to argue that diving ("flopping" if you're American) can actually be stopped.

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The Data

Peer-reviewed researchers counted every "injury" in international football. 93% didn't hold up. See simulation, quantified.

Hall of Shame

Rivaldo's face-clutch. Neymar's 14 minutes on the ground. The keeper who cut himself with a razor. The all-time greats of fake agony.

Other Sports

The NBA fines flopping. The NHL fines embellishment. Rugby players play through broken noses. Football shrugs.

Why Nothing Changes

Refs can't see it at full speed. VAR isn't allowed to look. And the clock keeps running while players roll. The system protects the flop.

The Fix

Retroactive review. Escalating bans. Treatment means you leave the pitch. A stopped clock. Make flopping a losing bet.

Sources

Every claim on this site is backed by peer-reviewed research, official league rules, and journalistic investigation.

Start with the Data →

It's Time to Stop the Flop

Football deserves players who stay on their feet, referees with the tools to punish theatre, and fans who never again watch a match decided by an actor.

Play the game. Don't perform it.