[Yachtzee]

Regardless of whether Gerrard simulated, the fact that Gerrard being accused of simulating is a big deal indicates that simulating is not acceptable in the EPL. I can't speak for play in Mexico, but living in Austria in the '90s and having had an Italian roommate and having watched some Serie A matches, I got the impression from my roommate and his friends that diving was just "part of the game." Maybe I'm wrong. I haven't done an empirical study on diving. But still, I don't think the acceptance of that kind of play was a reflection on him or his friends. I think it's a reflection on the league and the style of play it promotes.

It's like pro sports here. MLB has a strict rule against players arguing balls and strikes with the umpire. It's usually an automatic ejection. On the other hand, the NBA has only recently instituted rules to cut down on players badgering the refs about calls. The result is that players at all levels of baseball rarely argue balls and strikes, but in basketball, you see players giving refs "what for" after foul calls.