Olympics 2012, in Londontown

That's where an official's judgment comes in Like the saying you could call holding on every play in the NFL.

A good official has to know when to toe the line and when to allow a little bit of latitude.

 

Devil's advocate:

How strange was the George Brett pine tar call?

How often, and when, does someone get hit with an illegal stick call?

 

The kinesio tape is getting a little ridiculous. Some Russian diver had it in a line from shoulders to backside. He lined himself like a golf ball.

 

If you get a chance, check out Stephan Feck's dive.......

 

I'm sure Soccer Canada would disagree. I have no thoughts one way or the other because I know very little about soccer. I'm just saying, consider the source.

 

Part of what distinguishes calls like these is that they're almost always pointed out by opponents in the course of play, rather than by officials. As was the case here.

 

Nice, so Wambach is a snitch as well as a hack / still bitter /

 

"Make sure you don't slow the play too much," from an assistant referee at halftime, is not a warning. A warning would be the head referee saying "from this point forward you have six seconds to get rid of the ball, and if you take seven I call a foul." Referees talk to players all the time with similar warnings.

 

And for the "you enforce the rule to the letter of the law" people, would you be OK with making the call without a warning? Because there's nothing in the rules that says the ref has to warn a player before awarding a foul.

 

Hell no you don't make that call without a warning. Unless you've decided ahead of time to make it a point of emphasis and you call it the very first time you see it in the whole game.

 

Major controversy avoided in women's volleyball. Quarterfinal between Brazil and Russia went five sets. Brazil led 11-9 when an attack landed so far in that it didn't even touch the white sideline. You could see court between the line and where the ball landed. And it was called out. What should have been a 12-9 Brazilian lead was now 11-10. Brazil fought off six match points before rightfully winning.