Article: Diving is all in the acting. Soccer moves so fast that it's almost impossible for the referee to see everything, meaning that constant fouls by your opponent might go unnoticed a lot of the time. The goalie can't be everywhere. To make sure little touches and elbows get noticed, then, you've got to sell them like you're Brad Pitt going for an Oscar moment. Flop to the ground, comically howling in pain. Grab your ankle or jaw, or whatever place your opponent supposedly hid, as if it were broken in half. Roll around on the ground comically, a look of pained desperation on your face. Make it look bad. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/57\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-14Bullet1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-14Bullet1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/57\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-14Bullet1-Version-4.jpg\/aid58575-v4-728px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-14Bullet1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":325,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"515","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} Keep holding the position until you hear a whistle. When your teammates come up, or your opponents start complaining that you're faking, resist the urge to break out of character. You're hurt. Mortally wounded perhaps. Stick to it until the foul is called and you can get up. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/55\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-14Bullet2-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-14Bullet2-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/55\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-14Bullet2-Version-4.jpg\/aid58575-v4-728px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-14Bullet2-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":325,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"515","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} The best time to sell an injury is when you've got the ball and the defense comes in hard. Even if they get the ball clean, throwing your legs out behind you as if they went straight for your shins is the best time to sell. Let the momentum of your opponent affect the power with which you throw your legs out. It'll always be better if the other player is running very fast, so the sell can be seamless. You need to make sure that your opponent is moving quickly, so when you kick your legs out from under yourself it looks more realistic. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d2\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-15Bullet1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-15Bullet1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d2\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-15Bullet1-Version-4.jpg\/aid58575-v4-728px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-15Bullet1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":325,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"515","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} Kick your legs in the direction your opponent was running. So, if you're both running toward each other, kick your legs out behind your. If you're running parallel, your legs need to go out in front of you. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/de\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-15Bullet2-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-15Bullet2-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/de\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-15Bullet2-Version-4.jpg\/aid58575-v4-728px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-15Bullet2-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":325,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"515","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} If you both go up for the ball together, elbows will be flying around. Even if one doesn't hit you, come down howling and holding your jaw, your eye, or your teeth as if you'd just been cold-cocked. The best place on the field to dive is when you're in possession and you've crossed into your opponent's 18 yard (16.5m) box. If you're taking the ball in unsupported and being defended heavily, make a big show of getting injured. Any penalties called while you've got the ball in the box will result in a penalty kick for your team, which is a high-probability opportunity. Don't flop if a good offensive opportunity is presenting itself. If your teammate is streaking toward an open net and is open for the cross, don't fall down so you can try to get a penalty kick. Make the pass and get the clean goal. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/08\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-17Bullet1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-17Bullet1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/08\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-17Bullet1-Version-4.jpg\/aid58575-v4-728px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-17Bullet1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":325,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"515","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} If you're playing defense and you get beaten off the ball, a good way to stop play and give your teammates a change to catch up is to sell an injury. Fake like your opponent stole the ball by stabbing your ankle, rather than getting the ball clean. Play should be whistled dead, effectively stopping a fast-break and giving your teammates a chance to catch up. It's best to only do this if you've got defensive support, and other teammates can make up for it if your fake doesn't fake out the refs. You don't want to end up flopping on the ground and howling while the offense streaks for the goal and the ref calls nothing. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2f\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-18Bullet1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-18Bullet1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2f\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-18Bullet1-Version-4.jpg\/aid58575-v4-728px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-18Bullet1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":325,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"515","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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<\/p><\/div>"} If you don't have support, it's sometimes a better idea to foul the other player to stop a fast-break. If it looks especially dire, you can halt play and give up a free kick, but take away the possibility of a fast break goal. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/fa\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-18Bullet2-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-18Bullet2-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/fa\/Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-18Bullet2-Version-4.jpg\/aid58575-v4-728px-Trick-People-in-Soccer-Step-18Bullet2-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":325,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"515","licensing":"<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>License: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/">Creative Commons<\/a><br>
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What is a summary?
Sell it shamelessly. Fall down when someone challenges your possession hard. Go up in the air for a challenge and fake an elbow. try to dive when you're in the opponent's 18-yard box. Only dive on defense when you've got support.