All counties are at it now: The yelling in faces, the sledging, feigning injury, the roaring at refs and lines men. NOt to mention all the off the ball stuff.
The GAA really needs to get a grip on the bad sportsmanship at all levels. In recent years certain high profile games have threatened to descend into total anarchy . It's actually becoming tiresome at this stage and it is ruining our game. The players and management have to take most of the responsibility but the GAA needs to tackle it too.The win at all costs mindset is eroding the standards of behaviour.
The footballers in particular should look at how rugby players respect referees and generally try to adhere to the rules.
It's also time to acknowledge that Tyrone and other Ulster counties are no worse than any other. This is deeply embedded into our games at all levels and it needs to be stamped out.

avonali (Dublin) - Posts: 1974 - 02/09/2015 14:32:21    1780650

Whats the solution??

I was on here 2-3 weeks ago arguing that McCann's 8 weeks should be upheld. I acknowledged it was harsh on the player and was really a case of making him a scapegoat but if you didn't do it, how could you stop this sort of thing. But instead of sticking to its guns what does the GAA do, backs down in the face of media pontification.

The only way to stop all this is to come down hard on the fella's involved in such antics. It might be unfair on those players individually but its the only way to stop it once and for all.

Let the GAA take the heat for a week or two about it, in the long run it will eradicate the problem.

Last Sunday is another classic example, they should have thrown the book at Mayo and Dublin and suspended 5-6 players to send out a clear message this stuff must stop.

But sure look what's happening, most of them not even being investigated and even Connolly will probably get off!!!

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 02/09/2015 14:50:38    1780672

Whats the solution??

Let 2015 settle

Then before 2016 begins:

1 - Mike up referees
2 - Get rid of the black card
3 - Bring in the Sin Bin & define rules by which you will go into the Sin Bin
4 - Bring in a rule that allows a referee to decide a player has been deliberately unsporting which would also result in a sin bin

1-3 above should clear up confusion and should see discipline improved. Unless you are sent off the field you learn little and even a few minutes in the bin can make the hottest head think.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 02/09/2015 14:58:55    1780677

Certainly there should be rule changes to get rid of the sledging and the mouthing. Currently all we have is the punishment of bring the ball forward.

But there is a problem with the game. The CCC are there to monitor it and to deal with how the referees have handled it. But that's after the fact and won't stop it happening in a live match. There's too much at stake so players will do their best to gain every advantage. And all counties do it especially the top ones.

the only way to handle it is to handle it on the field of play as this is where it counts the most. To that end I think we need 2 referees now as the top inter-county games are too fast and there is too much going on for one individual to handle. Plus there should be more input from the linesmen to intervene.

Otherwise it will continue. If a team wins the game by getting another player sent off by diving he will get ridiculed uin the national media but no punishment will affect the result. It needs to be dealt with as much as possible on the pitch.

MaigheoAbu (Mayo) - Posts: 343 - 02/09/2015 14:59:15    1780678

Oh so it's not just Tyrone or Ulster teams . Thanks for the acknowledgement .

Retrospective banning is only option . It was clear as daylight that Philly McMahon was verbally abusing O' Shea all afternoon . Lee Keegan obviously got to DC as well .

Sledging is virtually impossible to monitor .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 02/09/2015 15:11:20    1780690

I think it boils down to the rules being implemented by the refs and the suspensions upheld. It has got to the stage now that a player can clearly punch another player and get the suspension overturned. I agree it is time to get rid of the black card as it only seems to confuse matters. It has helped to eliminate the third man tackle but has caused too much controversy and every week there are endless debates on it.

There probably isn't enough punishment for diving, sledging and deliberate jersey pulling, they should be a red card.

JimTheLegend (Donegal) - Posts: 247 - 02/09/2015 15:21:22    1780701

But lads remember, while all these ideas are well intentioned and could work, they have to go through the process of getting approved by an overly democratic GAA congress. Do you think the required 2/3 of delegates will opt for even one of them?

Sin Bin was always a good idea but it was got rid of as soon as it was introduced and am I right in thinking you cannot bring back a motion that was already tried and disregarded?

No ref can get every call right in the heat of a game and they are bound to miss things or make a wrong call.

As the poster above said retrospective bans are the best way to go.

Throw the book at some fella over an incident and everyone will get the message it won't be tolerated anymore.

Has any fella slapped a notebook since Galvin was thrown to the wolves in 2008? Why should it be different now for much more serious offenses?

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 02/09/2015 15:31:28    1780713

Bigger gum shields might be a solution :)

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 02/09/2015 15:34:00    1780718

TheRightStuff
County: Donegal
Posts: 896

1780690
Oh so it's not just Tyrone or Ulster teams . Thanks for the acknowledgement .
______________________________________
No need to be so smart pal. I was obviously challenging the assumption that it is confined to those teams. I was acknowledging nothing. Some people just
can't resist the temptation to feel offended even when no offence was intended, Cop on.

avonali (Dublin) - Posts: 1974 - 02/09/2015 15:39:23    1780723

Players interfering with prone opponents is one that really gets my wick; would make it an automatic sending-off offence.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 02/09/2015 15:51:32    1780731

any one listening to Newstalk last night when Ciaran Whelan was on with the lads.
During their "chat" they made some very good points about the umpires being just mute blind mules (obviously didnt use those words.)
The umpires see all the sh*te happening in front of them and should be bringing these instances to the ref's attention

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 02/09/2015 15:55:42    1780741

Good points Slayer
I would just like to add...
The rules need to be redrawn in clear specific unambiguous language.

This all comes from the drift into professionalism. Professionalism is about winning at all costs. No point denying that many players are professional in all but name and with that comes the ruthlessness and results driven agenda. If the GAA want to continue down this road then this is the future - diving, feigning injury time-wasting, trying to get opponents sent off, players mouthing at each other.

Just look at soccer which has big issues with gamesmanship, poor refereeing, no video ref etc etc. There's no media people overly giving out about it either now it has become so accepted.

Rugby has dealt with it in that the rules are tight and they seem to have anticipated a lot of things players might get up to to gain advantage.
But even in rugby there are now players talking to referees, buying penalties and sledging. Then there was Dean Richards.

So its something you just have to get used to. I cant see the GAA reverting back to amateurism or sportsmanship breaking out again any time soon.
Of course the referees and officials will remain amateur so you will have plenty of bad calls in this increasingly competitive world.
Welcome to the new reality.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 02/09/2015 16:19:21    1780765

I agree on retrospective bans dealt with on a Monday and no appeal unless fresh evidence is available, non of this " ah he's a nice lad and it was out of character" nonsense. Whether its a black card or sin bin it's still going to be down to a refs call in real time unless we accept a tmo. I don't think two refs on the pitch will really help as you'd just get two different set of interpretations in the same game, better to have the 2nd ref upstairs advising as the game progresses.

lillyboy (Kildare) - Posts: 429 - 02/09/2015 19:22:07    1780864

Clearly people arent that fed up, The replay sold out in a day.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 02/09/2015 19:43:36    1780880

Not too bothered by it as it's what you get when there are no punishments handed down by the GAA so it's not surprising this stuff happens.

It's not the players or managers fault as they'll do what they can in order to win.Nothing new to most of the antics it's just the media is ore melodramatic these days there are more forums where the general public can complain about things and there are more cameras that can catch everything that is going on.

If you want to stop it it's up to the GAA themselves to do it not the players and managers as all they are trying to do is win.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 02/09/2015 19:45:20    1780884