[discostu]

Oldest rule in contact sports:
action draws the refs attention
reaction draws the penalty

It’s not really the refs being out for themselves it’s just how things work when players out number refs, they can’t see everything.

[Starboard]

“Oldest rule in contact sports:
action draws the refs attention
reaction draws the penalty”

*************

So true. Back in high school an opposing player intentionally stepped on my hand, with his full body weight and prominent cleats applying the pressure. Of course I retaliated and got an unsportsmanlike call. The ref was right there the whole time.

[7thson]

There is always one person on these threads that always takes the opposing point.

It would help greatly if the announcers would start criticizing the refs, as is done in the MLB. Lots of times, I hear the announcers question the umpires bad calls, but you hardly - if ever - hear the announcers in NFL games question the refs call. The NFL announcers are a bunch of cowardly yes-men.