No one wants to be seen as the equivalent of the replacement refs, but in government as in sports, judgments made on the fly about a rapidly moving game often can change things for the worse.

FORBES: Don't Throw The Flag: How The FTC Acts Like Replacement Refs

"As alleged, these defendants sold the automobile replacement parts equivalent of designer knock-offs, but represented to their unsuspecting customers that they were buying the name brand, " U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.

WSJ: 3 nabbed in taxi-parts probe; NYC, NJ searches

And the NPFA rejects the claim that where there have been land sales, the replacement facilities are equivalent or better than those lost, arguing that many schools are swapping outdoor playing fields for indoor sports halls or gyms.

BBC: Playing fields sell-out accusation