More bad refereeing

[Unregistered]

I have never seen that in well over 1,000 games officiated. Persistent infringement refers to the actions of a single player. A simple yellow for a trip from behind will suffice. Sometimes more than one or a red forcing a team to play down a man gets the message across.

If I were to see an entire team doing it I would be dealing with the coach primarily and not the players.

I will admit it is rare, but I have seen it plenty of times, including leagues where there are no coaches (men's amateur leagues).

It most often happens when there is one clearly-better-than-everybody-else player. If he is not man-marked individually, then the rotational fouling can happen (it is harder to pull off).

It can also happen if there is a dirty player on the other team that does not get reined in by the match official. In that case, players will take turns taking a piece out of him. It is usually not terribly subtle.

While I have not participated in the "foul the good player" PI, I have willfully and eagerly participated in the "foul the dirty player" PI.

I am kind of shocked you haven't seen this. I mean no disrespect but perhaps you've seen it but not noticed it.

[OB1]

Persistent infringement refers to the actions of a single player.

Nothing could be further from the truth.
Cards are routinely given for persistent infringement. Almost always the referee has warned players that the next such infringement will be carded. It doesn't matter who infringes, that next violation is carded.

From the USSF instructions to referees:

Law 12
'12.28.3 PERSISTENT INFRINGEMENT
Persistent infringement occurs when a player repeatedly commits fouls or certain other infringements. It is not necessary for the multiple fouls to be of the same type or all to be direct free kick fouls, but infringements must be among those covered in Law 12 or involve repeated violations of Law 14. In most cases, the referee should warn the player that the pattern has been observed and, upon a subsequent violation, must then issue the caution. If the pattern is quickly and blatantly established, then the warning should be omitted and the referee should take immediate action. In determining whether there is persistent infringement, all fouls are considered, including those to which advantage has been applied.

The referee must also recognize when a single opponent has become the target of fouls by multiple players. As above, upon recognizing the pattern, the referee should clearly indicate that the pattern has been observed and that further fouls against this opponent must cease. If another player commits a foul against the targeted opponent, that player must be cautioned but, in this case, the misconduct should be reported as unsporting behavior, as must any subsequent caution of any further foul against that same targeted opponent.