Code: FC FS Diff Games FCPG FSPG 1996 4432 4386 46 160 27.70 27.41 1997 4583 4579 4 160 28.64 28.62 1998 5402 5132 270 192 28.14 26.73 1999 5551 5285 266 192 28.91 27.53 2000 6489 6236 253 192 33.80 32.48 2001 5211 4966 245 158 32.98 31.43 2002 4559 4364 195 140 32.56 31.17 2003 4836 4584 252 150 32.24 30.56 2004 4573 4348 225 150 30.49 28.99 2005 5670 5432 238 192 29.53 28.29 2006 5573 5297 276 192 29.03 27.59 2007 5524 5232 292 195 28.33 26.83 2008 5211 4880 331 210 [COLOR="Blue"][B]24.81 23.24[/B][/COLOR] Why the big drop this season? Has MLS and its referees changed the way they called the games, or has the scorekeeping somehow changed? Or maybe the style of play? Stats taken from MLSnet.
It's the way MLS referees have been instructed to call the game. They have been told not to call fouls (that are not misconduct) when the flow of the game would be interrupted. You can find details in some of the earlier "Week in Review" memos at www.ussoccer-data.com