If it's the one that I recall, it was in the Wigan half, within a distance that wouldn't have a major impact, although for a moving ball it's at the discretion of the official to manage in allowing the game to flow. I normally pull it back if it's obvious but you get whinges either way, so damned if you do and damned if you don't. For a free kick in the attacking half where the correct ball placement is critical you will very rarely, if at all, see that.
Having to re-take a free kick is normally because the official has decided to either issue a caution or formally speak to the player and that process hasn't been completed.
I saw the kicking away tonight, although it appeared that the official didn't speak to the player, he did enough verbally and by indication to the player that he wasn't to do that again or he would be sanctioned the next time. Doing this at a distance is a useful method of relaying that message to all players because it is loud and/or visual enough for all to see/note. The next one who does it, irrespective of who, will receive the caution. (That may have been the case when JJOT was sent off).
If a team is one up (or hanging on for an away draw) with about ten minutes to go I normally have an in-game chat with the captain to warn him that any player overtly wasting time will be cautioned and for him to warn his players. There is no excuse then.
There is a lot of talking between officials and players during the game, even whilst the ball is in play so although it may appear to the crowd that a player/team hasn't been pulled up for an offence, he/they will have got the message either individually or through their captain.
Similarly, the crowd who complain that an official has given a decision that he could never have seen in a million years, the headsets the four officials wear are an excellent tool for relaying and agreeing decisions without bringing the decision maker to the attention of the crowd. It is much better that the man in the middle takes the flack (moving target) rather than an AR or 4O who is relatively static on the touchline with a hostile crowd behind them! Having experienced that, it isn't a good position to be in however correct your decision has been...
I would argue that there is a good level of consistency, it's just that it isn't always overtly demonstrated.
I can now see the problem, we should have you reffing us instead of all the t*ssers the Football League keep sending !