Uncle Buck, not to beat a dead horse or to argue with you. I do want to say, I have seen kids try to hurt each other, the keeper I mentioned a few posts ago, went for a knee - just one example. I have seen punches thrown. The chief described a head being banged off the ground. We all watch the games, so we see what is actually happening.
The true measure of a ref to me is, if they seem like they are not there, and they control the game - control meaning the rough stuff. If they do not it will escualte, up, and up, and up... The ball can be won with force. If it is allowed to grow during a match, the force has to grow,to continue to win the ball. The more force that is allow to be used, the higher the likelyhood of injuries.
The young lady who got into so much trouble last year during the college season. That was a simple build up between two players. Player 1 threw an elbow, to her chest... she returned the favor with a punch to the back.(to me same relative level of violance - two yellows should have been shown, but because they were not) Player one grabs her private parts, for some reason, then player 2 grabs her hair and throws her to the ground. One college career down the tubes because of the lack of calls. How this was edited varied across the media. Opinions were determined by the version you saw.
In a game the other night I saw my youngest holding her elbow as if she was hurt and trying to look at the skin on the inside part. Come to find out a girl on the other team was scratching the fool out of the girls, no less than 4 showed me claw marks, left by #10.
I do not know how fights go where you come from Uncle Buck. But heads beat on the ground, punches thrown, hair pulled, scratching... Sounds like a fight to me. Big John McCarthy might be needed after all.
