According to German tabloid "Bild", the chief referee of FIFA has given a secret order before the tournament that refs should avoid yellow cards "as long as possible" and should not give them "too early" in matches anyway.
The report coincides with a very obvious and lousy performance on display by referees at this tournament. If the report is true, it would not longer be only coincidence, but a causal explanation why a festival of fouls of increasing brutality has to be celebrated at this tournament and why players with outstanding technical skill are declared fair game by refs.
The German football association is absolutely critical of the desastrous referee performances at this tournament, attacking FIFA for accepting to damage the health of players.
http://www.focus.de/sport/wm-2014/he...d_3971108.html