Thread: Fair Contact?
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Old Wed Sep 24, 2003, 09:32am
jasmunich jasmunich is offline
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Flow of the game versus "beep-beep", start-and-stop soccer: After living in Europe for a number of years, I have noticed there is a vast difference in the amount of body contact allowed in European youth soccer versus American leagues, perhaps not unlike the culture shock many NBA players experienced when being penalized for "hands-on" fouls in international play.

While officiating a so-called "friendly" game in the States, I almost got my ear cut off by a bunch of angry American parents for stuff they felt I should have called but what I saw as just normal competitive contact. Perhaps my perspective has been jaded by watching European games where of course fouls are called and players are to be protected at all costs but where the premium is also on keeping the game alive.

From a non-officiating perspective: one man's foul is another man's legitimate play at the ball.
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