As if having players diving around, feigning injury and attempting to get one another sent off wasn't bad enough, it would appear that the officials are also now joining in on the act.
During a recent Chilean Primera Division match, Huachipato defender Angelo Sagal inadvertently prodded the ball against the thigh of linesman Carlos Echeverria following a brief tussle for possession with a Palestino player over near the touchline.
Sagal, do Huachipato, foi expulso por este lance no chilenão. Mas cuidem a REAÇÃO do auxiliar pic.twitter.com/kT5ZpunE9g
- Non Sense Football (@NSenseFootball) December 2, 2015
The linesman duly fell to the ground like a ton of bricks, clutching his leg and rolling around in "agony."
Indeed, Echeverria's stunning melodramatic performance was so convincing that the referee marched over and brandished a straight red card in Sagal's face. Oh dear.