Bob Gill, commenting on my soccer post, pointed out the situation with the Chelsea/Barcelona match where the referee chose not to call some penalties that cost Chelsea a chance for the next round of competition. Needed police protection. It can be tough. I was standing in queue to purchase a Gatorade before a match wearing the socks and shorts of a referee but just a polo shirt, when a guy from behind me says, "In Europe we shoot referees." He'd just moved to town from Hungary. I kept an eye on him later ;-)
As a member of the referee committee for Ohio-South and as an assessor and instructor, I receive many of the official communications of US Soccer Federation. So, I see the instructions given to top referees. Early on in the MLS season many red cards (ejections) were given and fans were in an uproar. What really happened is that referees have traditionally either ignored or downplayed the instructions coming to us for several years about stopping certain kinds of behaviours. Well, this year they are acting. Friend of mine had three red cards in a match. Talking with a top assessor, he told me each red was justified--they were all violent acts that had to be dealt with. One hopes that this changes the behaviour of the players and the game is played within the Laws. Indeed, in May there were fewer red cards. Check out this ESPN column.
7:32:10 AM 
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