Cheating - What is and what isn't acceptable?

[BaZ87]

Following on from the spoiler thread and the discussion about diving and cheating, it's clear people have different interpretationas of what is cheating and what's ok.

Is it cheating if a player exaggerates contact to ensure he wins the foul, knowing that if he stays on his feet that he's unlikely to get the foul?

Is it cheating when a striker sees a defender trying to win the ball and puts his body in between the defender and the ball to draw a foul or is it clever play?

When a defender knowingly trips an attacker, is it cheating when he then gestures to the ref that the attacker dived?

Or even something as simple as appealing for a throw-in/corner when you know you knocked the ball out of play?

 

[BaZ87]

They way I see it

If a player cheats for you team = it happens
If a opposition player cheats against your team = OMFG THIS IS AN OUTRAGE HE IS A DISGRACE TO FOOTBALL

Everybody has a natural bias towards their team and certain player will always be made out to be worse than they are because of their profile but this is a general question on what is fair and what is cheating.

For instance, a player appealing for a throw-in when he knows he played the ball out of play is an attempt to con the ref, yet we have no problem with this. But if a player jumps 10 foot in the air after the slightest contact, he's labelled as a cheat.

 

[BaZ87]

I should have known it was too much to ask to get a sensible debate out of some of you.

You're all bandwagon jumping, armchair fans that have never been to a game in your life