RussellMc wrote:
> Players appear to suffer and/or be allowed to suffer psychosomatic
> injuries at the nonexistent hands, knees, elbows or feet* of adjacent
> or vaguely adjacent players and then to fall, trip, slide or
> somersault and to then receive penalties or even yellow carding of
> their opponents therefrom.

Yes, at that level players are actively trying to get away with whatever
they can.  What you mention is specifically a cautionable offense, but
deciding in a split second with probably less than optimal view whether the
offense is real or faked is not easy.  Being there in real time having to
make a quick decision is very very different from watching a frame by frame
replay later from the best angle when you're not called upon to make a call
now or at all.  Try it some time if you think otherwise.

Fortunately I deal with kids usually up to 16 years old, sometimes 18.  This
sort of thing is quite rare in this group and our local teams, but does
happen occasionally in the older boys games.  As a referee at that age
group, safety of the players is your highest concern.  Think of what would
happen if you tell a kid on the ground holding some body part in apparent
pain to knock it off and issue him a caution, and then it turns out he
really was hurt and and your delay in letting him be attended to caused him
more pain and injury.  Add to that there's a good chance one of his parents
is watching at the side of the field.  Which way would you rather lean
unless you're really sure?

> * I saw one incident where an Italian player WAS being restrained by a
> NZ player holding his jersey. The Italian responded by doing a most
> beautiful dive, mechanically quite unjustified by the NZ'ers illegal
> restraint. He was awarded, as he should have been, a penalty (I think
> it was)(perhaps THE penalty) but for the wrong reason.

How do you know it was for the wrong reason?  From your description, it was
a genuine foul and a direct free kick the right call.  Unless the referee
explicitly explained what the foul was (which I seriously doubt), you can't
know whether the reason for it was what you think was right or not.


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