They don't wear padding or helmets in Australian Rules Football, or Rugby, but you don't see any of those guys whinging and grimacing like they've just been shot every time someone comes within two inches of them.
Soccer sucks, for this reason, among others. I believe one of the reasons soccer has never really caught on in this country, is simply that Americans have very little tolerance for the poor sportsmanship represented by players who essentially cheat by pretending to be fouled. It also doesn't help that the games can be incredibly boring.
I think that in soccer, the ref should have video replay available, and should carry a small hammer with him. Any time a player goes down and rolls around in supposed agony, the ref should view video replays, and if he sees that the player was not actually contacted/hurt, he should get to whack that player (hard!) with the hammer, wherever said player is pretending to have pain.
That would end the phony foul stuff real quick.
Just look at that ridiculous show Mario Balotelli put on in the first half of the match against Uruguay. Rolling around on the ground, pretending to be hurt, for several minutes. Video clearly showed that there was absolutely NO contact with the other player. Pathetic. Ref should have been allowed to smack him in the back of the head with his little hammer.
The pretending to be fouled theatrics are what really destroy the game. I love soccer, but refs continue to award this type of behavior and very rarely will they ever issue a red for “falling”. Only way you’re ever going to eliminate it is by sending the flying phonies off the pitch. It’ll never happen though....