THE GAA’S REFEREES’ chief does not envisage a black card being introduced in hurling in ‘the immediate future’ and does not believe there is a need for a second referee to help officiate as the speed of both hurling and Gaelic football increases.
With the 2018 championship having commenced last weekend, Willie Barrett is confident in the referees at their disposal as the volume of matches is set to increase over the coming weeks.
“We’ve had fitness tests, fitness training seminars throughout the year. In hurling we have 10 referees, football 18, in the championship panels. They are all very fit. We are well catered for with one referee.
“It’s a yellow in hurling for a pull-down. As long as our referees are applying the rule there, it’s for somebody else to decide whether a black card is needed in hurling. We go by the rules that are there when we’re talking to our referees. I don’t see it coming in in the immediate future, to be honest. We are happy to deal with the rules as they are at present.”
Barrett believes the black card has ‘done a good job’ in football in acting as a deterrent to cynical play.
“For the immediate future, I don’t see an issue with the black card. The black card has done a good job for us. We’d be happy enough that the application of the black card is good.
“It took a while to bed down. There was teething problems. I think we’re in a better place now. We have less discussion of the black card. There is a greater acceptance of the black card by players in particular when it is issued. You don’t see as many asking questions as we used to. I think referees are getting it very right in the black card situation.”
The National Referees Development Committee gathered the referees on this year’s championship panels for a recent review of the league action and a number of issues emerged which will be focused on this summer:
Football
- Concern was expressed at the number of players who don’t appear to be using mouthguards.
- Referees have noticed an increase in the amount of melee type situations which have developed.
- An increase in potentially dangerous head high tackles and collisions was very noticeable during the Allianz league.
Hurling
- Referees have expressed concern as to the increase in holding-type infractions which appears to be creeping in to hurling.
- A marked increased in melees has been noted.
- Similar to football, there appears to have been an increase in potentially dangerous head high tackles and collisions during the Allianz league.
- Referees have noted how difficult it is for them to ‘referee’ the handpass in hurling due to the speed of the players.
- Adherence to the rule relating to interference with the faceguard/helmet has improved considerably, both by players and referees.
The incident that resulted in Kildare’s Eoin Doyle being sent-off in a league game in February threw the issue of mouthguards into the spotlight and that along with a spike in the number of melees is something Barrett is keen to see addressed.
“We want to ensure in the interests of safety that players are wearing their mouth-guards. We think it is very important. Wearing a mouthguard is wearing it in a mouth, not in a stocking.
“I suppose the other one in in football is melee situations. This is something we’ve certainly honed in on as well. We’ve seen a number of games where a melee has occurred and we’ve asked our referees to deal with it very strongly.
“Where there are two players involved, it’s fine, the referee can deal with it. But where more players come in and add to that…it then becomes a melee. What’s a melee? Making a bad situation worse.
“We would be particularly honing in on the first and second person in to the melee, shall we say, after two players have been involved. We believe that’s causing other players to come in.
“Likewise in hurling, if it’s left to the two players and the referees and officials, there’s generally no difficulty.
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Very impressed by him over the two games against Salzburg. The price is ridiculously low too…
Great thing about Liverpool’s champions league group is that we’ve played two teams (Genk and Salzburg) with good young coaches who play very similar styles of football to us. Minamino and Genk’s Berge were the two opposition players who impressed most for me, and the Calibre of journalist (Reddy, Pearce etc) talking about this move does suggest it’s well in place.
Michael Edwards does it again, most likely…
This would be a very screwed signing from Liverpool if it comes through. Very tidy player and for that price in todays market. Almost no risk…
@Ottomaaan: Screwed indeed
Young,quick,scores goals…a nuisance when he doesn’t have the ball.
Go get him.
No Sancho, so
@Alexi: why, because of the massive 7m it’s going to cost to buy Minamino?
Don’t think the two moves have anything to do with each other.
@Alexi: Cant see klopp signing sancho
@Peter Govan: he definitely doesn’t sound lately like he has the right type of character for klopp or Liverpool
@Alexi: If LFC want Sancho they will get him. With an abundance of WC players it’s very hard to fit someone else in. Perhaps leaving some space for mBappe (summer more likely).
@Alexi: Do liverpool need him? Should be looking at proven players, you could buy 3/4 good squad players for the £100 million sancho would cost.
Centre back and left back needs backup.
@Paddy Kavanagh: I think they absolutely need him. Liverpool’s front 3 have been dogged now for 3seasons and there form or fitness will go if they can’t be rotated. Also if u want to continue staying at the top sometimes u need to buy big, I do agree they need lb and CB cover too though.
@6CL: Mbappe is going nowhere near Anfield unless PSG are going out of business or he’s taking a absolutely massive paycut, and I say that as an LFC Fan. Yeah he’s talented, his age profile is right, but his personality suits a move to Madrid where he can live a Galactico lifestyle and actually win important trophies.
@ℝ:
@6CL: let’s see
@6CL: don’t mean that LFC won’t win important trophies, we will. Just that compared to being Ligue 1 champions year after year virtually uncontested, La Liga and Copa Del Rey are more important…
A number of fringe Liverpool players must be watching this with interest. Is he a cheap deal or in to replace them. Harry Wilson, Shaqiri, and Lallana could all move behind him in the pecking order if he makes an impact.
@Dan: I still think there’s a place for Shaqiri at anfield (might be biased because for some reason I just adore him?!). Think Lallana will be gone in the summer, as will Harry Wilson. Wilson is a decent player but a club like Bournemouth is his level.
@Dan: Lallana will move on….Milner might too. Liverpool are going to be doing a bit of a minor overhaul this summer anyway, just getting this guy in early
@James Doyle: If Leeds come up Milner will leave.
@Peter Dunne: especially with milners current deal up at the end of the year. Be sorry to see him go, he’s been a great servant since coming in
James Pearce reckons hes ours on Jan 1st.
Beat UTD Milan & Moenchengladbach to his signature.Just over 7m.
Good business.
Edward’s strikes again.
He was superb in both games and wouldn’t cost a penny as the club would sell a million shirts in Japan once he signed.