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maxxie10 t1_iybk9zk wrote

It works. There are lots of plays that are fouls in football but that don't actually cause you to fall over or be in pain, but still cause you a disadvantage. If you don't fall over or feign injury, the referee feels less pressure to give a foul, and referees have a bias towards staying out of the game - "we didn't talk about the referee tonight, that means he had a good game" - is a saying.

Until referees grow enough of a spine to call fouls for things that look like nothing, this will always happen, because it will always help you win.

It can also break up the momentum of the game if the other team is doing well. Some managers essentially use it as a time out to talk to their players.

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