Sunday league with my brother about 15 years ago - brother was scythed down and after getting a bit of treatment my brother asked the ref if he was going to do anything about it. Ref said he’s trying to keep it friendly and it was early in the game, we were obviously irate about it because it was as clear red as you will get. So the ref said to my brother “Right you decide, keep it friendly and move on or I can give him a card”. My brother said “well it’s a card obviously”. Referee gave the player a yellow card and then, laughing, gave my brother a yellow card too and said “one of my pet hates is opposition players waving cards trying to get the opposition booked”. Needless to say it was not the friendly game the ref was hoping for.
This is the sort of bullshit mentality that is rife in Referees though, from the lowest levels of football right up to the top.