Actually the refs aren't as bad as everyone thinks.
If you turn the referee strictness right down to the minimum or just one or two clicks to the right you will find that the refs dont blow the whistle or give cards so often.
Now you will find that you can get on with the "physical" game that EA Sports likes to have.
On the subject of the "physical" game, one can see maybe some British teams may get away with playing this way but referees in the continental game would be at least a little more tetchy http://www.soccergaming.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

But the refs r bad. I always set the ref strictness ot MAX when i play and when i play against my friend he slide tackles me from all over like there is no tomorrow, which is VERY UNREALISTIC and unfair since i do not slide tackle at all, meanwhile he NEVER gets carded, this is VERY anoying for people who try to play fair. If the ref did give him cars when he slide tackles me from behind, he would learn not to slide tackle as much.


SCTW.
www.fifa2002.gq.nu (http://www.fifa2002.gq.nu)

I use the slide tackle quite a lot against the CPU on WC level because most of the time it's the only way of getting the ball off 'em.
With a bit of practice however there is a little more subtlety than is first evident. Instead of just doing a slide tackle when you press the button sometimes you can play for a shove depending if you're close up and the relative positions of you and your opponent.
If you are even a short distance away then your man will slide on in there..
Even the shove is often a rather hard tackle but that's how EA seem to like it, and it IS supposed to be a contact sport.
You're definately right about what you say though. I think too much slide and hard tackling is a bad habit to get into for anyone who wants to play against other human beings http://www.soccergaming.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif