• Sport is not fair, and none of us are clean/fair players.

    I don't agree that sport is not fair - I guess I object to the implication that sport is like life, which sport is definitely not, and one of the reasons that I play sport is to put away the cares of real life for a few hours - but I take the point. I do agree with the statement that none of us are clean / fair players although I would modify the statement to 'none of us are inherently clean / fair players'.

    Some time ago, I referred to game theory with respect to standards of play. I can't remember exactly what I said, but it amounted to making the penalties for 'dirty' play greater than the benefits. That is, that players must feel that if they foul, they will lose out, as opposed to gaining an advantage. The job of the rule-set & ref, therefore, is to make it clear that this proposition (dirty play will cost goals, and lose you the game) holds.

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