Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes that retrospective punishment is the only way to stop diving and simulation in football.

The weekend saw the debate reopened once again after Ashley Young twice went down during the Premier League champions' win over Crystal Palace, while Pavel Pogrebnyak picked up a second yellow card for simulation on Sunday.

Questions were also raised about the validity of Adam Johnson's method of winning a penalty for Sunderland on Saturday, and Ferdinand feels that these actions must warrant a reaction from the governing bodies of the game.

"It's weird," Ferdinand told reporters. "It's got to happen across Europe and the world, not just in our league. You go into the Champions League and you have been told in the Premier League you are not meant to dive, then you get players from other countries who simulate.

"As a defender, you don't want people trying to con the referee, but if there is contact, the player has the right to go down. It has become a part of our game that, as defenders, we are used to. You have got to defend with your head and think how you are going to combat the forwards.

"They are cute and know how to deal with this type of stuff. It is such a difficult thing for referees to say someone dived or there was contact. Retrospective viewing and punishments may be the way to go."

United manager David Moyes has warned Young about his conduct on the field.