Soccer, American Woman Style

[Barrister]

You know what is odd?

I officiate high school football and basketball - and I see a lot more fights or near fights in basketball than I do in football.

I wonder if the fact that football is so violent during play makes it less likely to have a fight - you can just take it out on the guy in the course of play?

I would think that a large part of it is that punching a helmet hurts.

But fighting is an significant and accepted part of hockey.  There they tend to go for body blows.

[Viking]

You know what is odd?

I officiate high school football and basketball - and I see a lot more fights or near fights in basketball than I do in football.

I wonder if the fact that football is so violent during play makes it less likely to have a fight - you can just take it out on the guy in the course of play?

My personal experience with Rugby is that in a contact sport you quickly either learn to play "safe" or you are kept out of the game. Sensible people will not play contact sports with people who can't control their tempers on the pitch. If you play soccer, volleyball or basketball you don't have this permission to hit while in Gridiron you would hit regularly and you would sort the sensible people from the crazies by seeing what they do with adrenaline and license to hit.

[Warspite]

You know what is odd?

I officiate high school football and basketball - and I see a lot more fights or near fights in basketball than I do in football.

I wonder if the fact that football is so violent during play makes it less likely to have a fight - you can just take it out on the guy in the course of play?

My personal experience with Rugby is that in a contact sport you quickly either learn to play "safe" or you are kept out of the game. Sensible people will not play contact sports with people who can't control their tempers on the pitch. If you play soccer, volleyball or basketball you don't have this permission to hit while in Gridiron you would hit regularly and you would sort the sensible people from the crazies by seeing what they do with adrenaline and license to hit.

True, but rugby is also a sport where the referee is respected. 

[alfred russel]

Berkut--when I was a kid some old guy who played football in the 1920s tried teaching us to block punts: come in from the side so you don't hit the punter, unless you know you are going to get the punt: then take a step to the inside to come in straight on to go through the punter's leg.

Is crap like that still legal? Have you ever seen something like that, and what would you do if you did?

[Admiral Yi]

But fighting is an significant and accepted part of hockey.  There they tend to go for body blows.

Fighting in hockey developed in the pre-helmet era.  Plus you're both on skates so you have to grab jersey and hold each other up or you plop on the ice like dorks.  That's more conducive to ritualized stomach punch exchanges than standing on terra firma.

[Berkut]

If you get a piece of the punt, then contact with the punter is ignored unless it is deemed excessive.

I once got myself in trouble because in a youth game I flagged someone for roughing the kicker when he blocked the kick. IMO, he pretty much creamed the guy just because he knew he was going to block the kick. Shrug. The coach was mighty pissed.

[Viking]

Berk, how much authority does the umpire in a Gridiron game have? Does he have any general catch all ability to penalize or control like rugby referees can use "dangerous play" for anything and give any penalty he might choose within the rules. And can a Gridiron umpire be found legally liable for action on the field?

[Admiral Yi]

Berk, how much authority does the umpire in a Gridiron game have? Does he have any general catch all ability to penalize or control like rugby referees can use "dangerous play" for anything and give any penalty he might choose within the rules. And can a Gridiron umpire be found legally liable for action on the field?

Refs can order a player off the field.

[Ed Anger]

Berk, how much authority does the umpire in a Gridiron game have? Does he have any general catch all ability to penalize or control like rugby referees can use "dangerous play" for anything and give any penalty he might choose within the rules. And can a Gridiron umpire be found legally liable for action on the field?

Refs can order a player off the field.

As Tommy Harris learned this weekend when he punched a dude in the head on the ground. RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REF.

DA BEARS.

[Viking]

As Tommy Harris learned this weekend when he punched a dude in the head on the ground. RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REF.

DA BEARS.

I got punched once during a game. The ref blew the whistle and ran over giving a penalty to the other side. Being the punchee I obviously thought the ref had his hand up the wrong way and would change it. So I ran and picked up the ball to try and take advantage of the disorder the the other side's defense. I quick tapped and ran forwards, the ref blew again so I had to wait for the ref to make the mark. Now during this time he didn't change his hand signals, signalling a penalty to the other side. When the referee arrived he marked the spot and marked a penalty against us. I asked if he was sure, he said yes, I said, "but he punched me!", and he replied "yes, and you must have done something to deserve being punched". This being rugby all I could do was say "I'm sorry sir" and get 10 yards back to form the defensive line.

The referees in norway know me too well.

[Warspite]

 

[sbr]

Berk, how much authority does the umpire in a Gridiron game have? Does he have any general catch all ability to penalize or control like rugby referees can use "dangerous play" for anything and give any penalty he might choose within the rules. And can a Gridiron umpire be found legally liable for action on the field?

Refs can order a player off the field.

As Tommy Harris learned this weekend when he punched a dude in the head on the ground. RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REF.

DA BEARS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EipxEJbKfrQ

What a jackass. 

[Berkut]

As Tommy Harris learned this weekend when he punched a dude in the head on the ground. RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REF.

DA BEARS.

I got punched once during a game. The ref blew the whistle and ran over giving a penalty to the other side. Being the punchee I obviously thought the ref had his hand up the wrong way and would change it. So I ran and picked up the ball to try and take advantage of the disorder the the other side's defense. I quick tapped and ran forwards, the ref blew again so I had to wait for the ref to make the mark. Now during this time he didn't change his hand signals, signalling a penalty to the other side. When the referee arrived he marked the spot and marked a penalty against us. I asked if he was sure, he said yes, I said, "but he punched me!", and he replied "yes, and you must have done something to deserve being punched". This being rugby all I could do was say "I'm sorry sir" and get 10 yards back to form the defensive line.

The referees in norway know me too well.

[Berkut]

Berk, how much authority does the umpire in a Gridiron game have? Does he have any general catch all ability to penalize or control like rugby referees can use "dangerous play" for anything and give any penalty he might choose within the rules. And can a Gridiron umpire be found legally liable for action on the field?

No, not really.

I mean, I cannot imagine something someone can do that isn't covered by some specific rule though. Maybe I am not really understanding your question though.

[Viking]

Berk, how much authority does the umpire in a Gridiron game have? Does he have any general catch all ability to penalize or control like rugby referees can use "dangerous play" for anything and give any penalty he might choose within the rules. And can a Gridiron umpire be found legally liable for action on the field?

No, not really.

I mean, I cannot imagine something someone can do that isn't covered by some specific rule though. Maybe I am not really understanding your question though.

In Rugby the referees can use his or her judgement to penalize any activity that might not be covered by the rules but might still be dangerous. For example hitting the above mentioned punter in the knee  when it is carrying his weight when tackling him in on the thigh will be sufficient to tackle him would be considered dangerous play but on the surface legal.

Not to mention, in the scrum where 8 players from each side with 3 players in the front row bind on to each other and push against each other. With that many players pushing as hard as possible into the backs of other players.



There are too many ways to break necks in a scrum. So it is important that there are no loopholes. The referees dictatorial powers are there primarily to prevent anybody from exploiting those loopholes to his own advantage while increasing the hazards.