We´ve seen some very quick reactions from refs in this Euro. Many yellow cards have been dealt already. Will this improve the quality of european football in the long run, or is it merely blocking potentially exciting developments in the flow of play?

I would actually disagree. I thought the referee in the france/england match was somewhat unfair towards france, especially when one of the english players attacked zidane (i even heard a couple of guys on the train talking about that this morning).

The refereeing has as always been inconsistant.

There has been some good decisions, but also some stupid ones followed by some silly yellow cards.

It always goes like this though at the start of a tournament....the refs play by the letter of new FIFA rules in the first games and then everything gets relaxed....silly really

Start as you mean to go on shouldnt it be really? :\

Hi Vegas. The idea concerns the fact that UEFA referees have been instructed to persue fouls much more rigourously than in previous Euros. It´s not really about particular decisions in particular games.

right, but my point is that they can't do that. Not due to any maliciousness on their parts; rather, it is impossible to be everywhere at once. As a result, some tackles are go "uncarded" and other, lesser, offences are dealt with. It's as though they're operating on a quota system just to please the UEFA people.

Start as you mean to go on shouldnt it be really? :\

Yes. exactly. What would happen though if this were the case? By the time we got to the final 2004, there´d be about three players left in each squad!

a clamp down on play acting is what they need

It's as though they're operating on a quota system just to please the UEFA people.
I don´t think you´d ever get them to admit to that, but it´s a damn good point!

a clamp down on play acting is what they need
Well this seems to be on the agenda. A lot of strikers are going to be thinking twice before doing a dive, at least during the group stage.

Yes. exactly. What would happen though if this were the case? By the time we got to the final 2004, there´d be about three players left in each squad!

Then they shouldnt start so strict then should they !!

For all that there's been a load of cards in some very well-tempered matches the reffing at most major tournaments is usualy far worse than this. The problem will come when we get the first really bad-tempered match (and Holland-Germany is usually a bit tasty)
I hate to sound xenophobic (no i don't, I don't give a fuck) but I got the impression the Croats were trying not to dive, but it's so "instinctive" that they just couldn't help themselves.
Oh yeah, Mike Riley in dodgy penalty shock!

Maybe they want to do "Five-a-side" in the final :)

But honestly, would it improve the european game if we continued in this manner?

A lot yellow cards have been given out needlessly so far. In the Italy-Denmark game and Croatia-Switzerland game, it was a bit silly with cards given when a warning would have been better. 2 yellows means a ban so later on there is bound to be a lot of players later on missing games.

The play acting needs to be dealt with more harshly than the tough tackling . Last night Mike Reily just ignored a Bulgarian player who was on the ground in 'excrutiating pain'. When the player realised Riley didn't care about him, and that Sweden were breaking on the counter attack, he just got up and sprinted back!! Play acting to get others booked (included that stupid hand gesture to the ref encouraging him to book a player) needs to be targeted.

I just saw some new pictures from the Italy - Denmark game. On top of his reckless tackle, directly on the knee of a Danish defender, which alone should have given him a red card, Francesco Totti also spat his marker right in the face.
I hope he will get banned, when/if UEFA sees the video, that is utterly disgusting

I just read that the Danish Football Association has filed a formal complaint to UEFA, backed with video and still photo's, for Totti's spitting in the face of an opponent in several occasions. I certainly hope and believe that this means Totti is out for at least a couple of mathces, which would probably mean for the rest of Italy's tournament.