Football: As strikers collapse at the slightest touch and big defenders roll in feigned agony, we ask... Why has football turned into a non-contact sport?

Tottenham's Harry Kane. Photo / AP Photo

Professional footballers have always sought to push boundaries in search of an advantage.

Whether that means jumping the gun in a training sprint, stealing yards on a throw-in or scoring with a hand in the World Cup, these thoughts flash through the minds of competitive athletes.

So, when Virgil van Dijk clumsily kicked him from behind at Anfield on Sunday, Erik Lamela fell down. There was probably not enouestgh force to send Lamela crashing to ground but a penalty was awarded and Liverpool seethed as Harry Kane equalised.

Jurgen Klopp mocked the officials and Van Dijk turned on Kane, accusing him of diving to win a penalty earlier in the game.

Kane beat Loris Karius in a race, shifted the ball aside and waited for contact as the Liverpool goalkeeper slid his way.

Experts in various television studios thought it was a foul. There had been contact, you see.

Last night, at Vicarage Road, Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko was shown a second yellow card after he stretched to reach the ball and caught Richarlison on the toe. There was contact but how much contact? Enough to send the Watford winger spinning to the ground?

When did it become a non-contact sport and when did the basketball term 'drawing a foul' become part of the vernacular?

Go back a generation or two and centre forwards were prized for their ability to stand up in the midst of battle.

'You went shoulder to shoulder and didn't want anyone to get the better of you,' said former England striker Mick Harford. 'It was a sign of weakness if you went to ground.

'You didn't want to be out-muscled. Staying on your feet was an art. It was important to have the strength to survive the knocks. It would really take something to put you down.

'It was more honest. It seems to be happening far too often. It's a terrible culture with players trying to con referees, it's cheating.'

Of course the game has changed. It is quicker than ever, more intricate and the strikers are expected to be more refined but even the target-men are falling down, while some big defenders are adept at rolling around feigning injuries.

Tottenham's Erik Lamela grimaces as he is tackled by Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk. Photo / Photosport

'It spoils the game immensely for me,' said Ray Wilkins. 'I was at Chelsea this season and Alvaro Morata, six-foot plus, gets a little touch on the shoulder and falls over. I don't understand it. If you're a striker with a chance to score, I don't know why anyone would want to fall over.'

When ideas run thin, confidence is low and goals are elusive, desperation kicks in and players will give anything a whirl.

Officials are more exposed than ever in a world where TV analysis zooms in, magnifies and even listens in on conversations.

That's a red card, that's a reckless tackle, that's a shirt-pull, that's wrong, that's right.

Little wonder Jon Moss felt the need to push his own boundaries at Liverpool and asked his fourth official if he had seen anything on TV, which he is not supposed to do when the video referee is not in operation.

Dele Alli was booked for diving and offered an apologetic shrug for Moss which seemed to suggest it was worth a try.

Alli had searched for contact but didn't find any, and so he took his yellow card on the chin.

'Don't show them a yellow, turn it into a red,' said Wilkins. 'That will stop it.'

The retrospective diving panel has been largely inactive because quick strikers are exaggerating contact or, in some cases, skilfully initiating it.

Drift into this area of conversation with Mauricio Pochettino and he will refer to Michael Owen in the 2002 World Cup.

The contact was minimal but down he went, David Beckham scored the penalty, England celebrated revenge for France 98 and Argentina were on their way out.

'Owen jumped like he was in a swimming pool,' said Pochettino, in 2016. 'I didn't touch him. I promise you. It's true.'

Perhaps he feels this gives his players some sort of immunity as they pile pressure on officials.

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