In today's Irish times there's an article by Babs Keating describing what many people thought that last Saturday nights referring was the worst ever . The game is been punctuated unnecessarily by blowing and blowing of frees for the most Micky mouse reasons . Last Sunday at cork and limerick wasn't much better with Patrick Horgan scoring 15 or 16 points from frees many of a highly dubious nature and the same at the other end for Gillane .
Now they want to bring in a black card to create further drama ??
They will kill the game the way their going with their blowing and blowing and blowing of the most Micky mouse things .

OpenStand (Limerick) - Posts: 672 - 26/02/2020 07:10:19    2270230

Its not fair to the ref to call it the worst performance ever as Babs did. The ref was very sharp and consistent in calling technical fouls most of which were arms around the shoulder, high tackles and throws. Nothing sinister but fouls none the less. Babs doesnt describe one single example of a foul that should not have been blown as a free. Instead he just tells us that there was too many frees.
What are mickey mouse things? Are they not in the rule book?

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 693 - 26/02/2020 09:17:25    2270243

Maybe some of these hurling folk who slate refs constantly for enforcing the rules of the game should form their own breakaway organisation where there are no rules and players can just do what they like.....

sourmilk93 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1144 - 26/02/2020 09:47:03    2270247

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1380 - 26/02/2020 10:17:35    2270252

Babs Keating.........need you say more

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 26/02/2020 10:19:46    2270253

lochgarmanabu (Wexford) - Posts: 1020 - 26/02/2020 10:59:58    2270262

Babs is over the top as usual but we certainly do have a problem with refereeing and it's not always the referee's fault. I certainly wouldn't consider Johnny Murphy the worst referee around, but it's becoming an increasingly difficult job, and I suspect many of them are simply trying to apply the rules as dictated by their assessors. I'd fully agree with Babs on one point - the ball is far too light. In most games nowadays teams are scoring 20 points or more, with many of these points coming from frees, some from 100 yards out. OK, it's a great skill to be able to do this but the result is that some teams are mostly playing with no full forward line. And let's be honest, many players are deliberately playing for frees all over the field in the knowledge that their freetaker is likely to point the free. The result is that fewer goals are being scored and indeed goalkeepers can sometimes go through a whole game without having to make a serious save. Again, I'm not blaming the referees, but a heavier ball would certainly make their job easier, as well as leading to more goalmouth action.

midlands (Westmeath) - Posts: 542 - 26/02/2020 11:25:26    2270276

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 693 - 26/02/2020 11:32:29    2270280

Lads criticisim of referees is reaching dangerous levels now, lads if referees keep getting the abuse they are getting from players, managers and now media we will have no one to officiate our games. There is a brilliant video on youtube where Brian Clough challenges John Motson on match of the day for their treatment and scrutiny of referees and Clough made great points that the referee has only a split moment to get decisions right and they are only human at the end of the day.

I didn't see Wexford and Dublin so I won't comment but the Limerick vs Cork I'll admit Sean Clere hadn't a great day especially blowing on handpasses but I don't blame him for stopping quick puck-out referees need a chance to ready themselves on the re-start. There are so many frees scored nowadays not because of free count but because the modern day sloither it's so light if you are a good striker of a ball you can put a ball over the bar from 90/100 yards out.

In my own opinion to improve officiating in hurling the GAA has either 2 choices, 1 is they referee hurling like American football or Ice hockey where there is 2 or 3 different officials on the field and linesmen and umpires have to set up more to help out too. 2 they go back to the old match sloithar from the 90's, hurlers can puck a ball 80/90 yards because of how light the ball is now, you can't expect 1 man to chase around the field for over 70 minutes and expect him to see everything too.

DUALSUPPORT (Limerick) - Posts: 1038 - 26/02/2020 11:53:58    2270283

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 26/02/2020 13:13:04    2270297

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 26/02/2020 13:26:07    2270302

Another 3 to help them out from this corner:
1. (Applies only to inter-county). For "Last play" scenarios, if referee thinks umpire/linesman has missed something, ask TMO for "conclusive evidence of a 65/penalty/whatever". This can only be used in the last play of the game, like the Limerick-Kilkenny game last yr. It is way better than relying on the blue rinse brigade on the post (not always their fault mind)
2. TMO for off-the-ball incidents. Cut out the "2 of them in it" as perfrect10 says.
3. I would bring in a "defensive free" inside a players own 65 where a player who is coming out with possession is fouled, he is given a free but play on and hit the ball it out of his hand but the opposition has to let him play it. It encourages less fouling and teams always foul here to allow their defence to get back.

I have always reckoned a referee never goes out to do a bad job any more than a player goes out to play a bad game. We all get frustrated when decisions go against us, but it is what it is and people need to learn to deal with it, or stand up and become a ref.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1732 - 26/02/2020 15:35:58    2270326

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 26/02/2020 15:56:07    2270331

I'm sick of these oils dinosaurs commenting on modern hurling

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 26/02/2020 17:56:27    2270348

Maybe the onus is on players to commit fewer fouls?? The ref can only deal with what he sees, and try to implement the rules as they stand.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 26/02/2020 18:16:11    2270352

gatha (Kilkenny) - Posts: 318 - 26/02/2020 21:05:16    2270387

So the logic goes something like, yes the game is gone like football where its a possession game and defenders are carrying the ball out rather than hitting it long down the field but we don't want frees given to those defenders by the attackers because these days its too easy to score points from frees from distance. Are we saying that Refs shouldn't give frees and allow forwards to prevent the ball for being carried out?
Advantage rule - now I will admit that he didn't seem to use it all the time very well but so what, in the two examples given on the TV there was no guarantee of scores and if there is a good free taker they should be scores - nobody will complain if the score the free. Actually nobody will complain if the win an All Ireland only from scoring frees. Advantage in hurling is not like in football - in fact its the same reason they are complaining about the first part - lads can score from frees all over the park and if thats the case why give an advantage. Remember if the player with the ball fouls it, then its a free the other way regardless of advantage.
Handpass. The lads made a big deal of this on the show. A reminder of the rules
Rule; To handpass the ball without it being released and struck with a definite striking action of a hand.
Definition; The ball shall be released and struck with a definite striking action of a hand. The releasing of the ball is considered an integral part of the handpass
Rugby has a rule about the release of the player after the tackle and believe me even on the TV thats hard to see. Imagine how hard it is to see a definite release and a definite strike of the ball in hurling. The onus should be on the players to prove it but in the GAA its turned around and the onus is on the ref to figure it out. I looked at the clips over and over and one comment from Derek is completely wrong - look you can see his fingers are open, that has nothing to do with a throw, you control the ball with the thumb and throw it with the fingers open to demonstrate to the ref its not a throw. I think Derek would perhaps have used this very tactic with his players to con refs. The videos are in rugby terms inconclusive - there would appear to be a gap between the hand and the ball however even after I throw the ball that gap will appear, what you need to see is if the gap as there before the strike and the TV doesn't show that. So what do you do about it - if you want to make sure the ref sees both then make it so.

There is not a game in the world where refs do not get calls wrong, even where there are video refs to assist them. Look at the most cited examples - Rugby and Soccer. There is a lot of controversial decisions made even when they use tmo or var. The other aspect is, lads are complaining about the stop start nature of the games due to frees etc, think about the impact on the game is these were introduced. However one of the biggest issues with tmo and var, is the cost and therefore is it worth it.
The problem with a lot of the GAA these days is that managers and commentators who are ex managers believe its up to the refs to catch their cheating and they take no responsibility for the way the game is played. You have ex players say that managers never told them to cheat but it was expected - I don't see any difference.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1804 - 27/02/2020 02:23:57    2270425

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1907 - 27/02/2020 10:33:20    2270449

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2039 - 27/02/2020 11:14:13    2270462

Loads of rubbish about common sense referring. This type of "Common sense" means the ref decides when he applies the rules. Hardly fair and hardly common sense!

If the rules are wrong change the rules. Don't have rules and not apply them. Like the a 65 when the goalie steps outside the small box taking a puck out.................. the day they applied it (correctly as per the rules) all hell broke lose!

What does let it flow mean?? Liberal application of the advantage rule.......thats ok. But not giving a free when someone is fouled and has no advantage????

I'd love Cody or some of these hurling is perfect as it is merchants to tell me what fouls should not be fouls...... usually only the fouls committed by their own team! They should then make a proposal to have the rules changed to allow them....................

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1828 - 27/02/2020 16:20:08    2270515