Knowledge of the “archer’s bow” dive would give referees an infallible way to shoot down cheating footballers, according to researchers at Portsmouth university.

Textbook case: Didier Drogba, arms in the air, palms open, chest thrust out and legs bent at the knee, during Ivory Coast’s 2006 tie with Argentina

Paul Morris and David Lewis carried out an extensive study to discover the actions that distinguish a player who has genuinely been fouled from one who is “diving”.