Standard of Refs

[bennydorano]

A slight tangent- but see the nonsense in Turkish soccer, Ref punched last week. On the first day back yesterday a Club President takes his team off & match abandoned after a disputed decision. Refs are punching bags for whatever ails you.

[Itchy]

A slight tangent- but see the nonsense in Turkish soccer, Ref punched last week. On the first day back yesterday a Club President takes his team off & match abandoned after a disputed decision. Refs are punching bags for whatever ails you.

We have all done it. Look at any thread after a match on here. Its always the referee that loses you the game (guilty of this myself). There is a serious lack of respect for refs and the worst lack of respect is in the corridors of Croke Park who never seem to back their decisions.

[Milltown Row2]

As a Ref I'm not really bothered after the game what happens within CCC's at county level or beyond when sending offs are contested.

To be fair not all ref's will see the whole incident and make a snap judgement on what they have seen. On reflection I've changed calls when presented with a 'different' view from a recording, or said sorry to someone when I've seen it was the wrong call, or if one of my umpires has mentioned it at half time..

Its when its a blatant call that everyone can see by a player and he manages to escape a ban, it probably sticks in your throat a bit.

Physical and verbal abuse though on the day needs to be nipped in the bud, defo will try a bodycam thingy next year just for the craic, it might make people choose their words a bit better, might even reduce the crap form supporters behind the fence who think its fair game.

I think at national level the abuse has also shifted more so online and its only going to get worse.

There are plenty hardmen hiding behind the keyboards out there

[Kidder81]

Irish Examiner - Saturday 20 January

Tony Leen

Top GAA inter-county referees fail tough new fitness tests in record numbers


Top officials such as All-Ireland final referee last year, David Gough, plus the likes of David Coldrick, Niall Cullen, Anthony Nolan, and Derek O'Mahoney were among those who came up short in pre-season tests

GAA chiefs are facing a serious referees' issue ahead of the opening round of the Allianz Football League after record levels of fitness test failure by the country's top match officials.

Only 19 of the 42 inter-county referees succeeded in meeting tough new pre-season fitness levels in tests conducted on Friday at Abbotstown. It leaves Croke Park with an insufficient number of certified officials for the opening weekend of 16 National League football games in a weeks' time. Strictly speaking, each venue must have a standby referee, which would require 32 officials for the opening round of League games.

Stunned referees failed the bleep tests conducted by DCU's Dermot Sheridan, who took over the role this year. Examiner Sport understands that of 42 officials tested, only 19 passed, 13 failed and ten did not do the testing for one reason or another.

Top officials such as All-Ireland final referee last year David Gough, plus the likes of David Coldrick, Niall Cullen, Anthony Nolan and Derek O'Mahoney were among those who came up short. Mayo's Liam Devenney - who refereed last Sunday's All-Ireland Club IFC final at Croke Park - is regarded as one of the fittest officials on the inter-county scene and he also failed.

The likes of Joe McQuillan, Conor Lane, Paul Faloon, Sean Hurson and David Murnane passed.

The record levels of failure raise the obvious question: was the level of testing too tough or are inter-county officials not at the required level of fitness for the modern game?

As referee co-ordinators examine the shock findings, the likelihood is that repeat testing will be done on football referees in advance of the second or third round of Allianz League fixtures. Normally, the failure rates for pre-season bleep testing would be no more than a handful of referees. The country's top hurling referees are scheduled to do their fitness tests next week and discussions are likely to take place Monday on the testing criteria and whether it is accurate.

Only the 19 referees who passed the Abbotstown fitness tests are now eligible to officiate next weekend's Allianz Football League opening round. The remainder will have to be employed, though, as standby officials.

[Milltown Row2]

At intercounty level it's a tough beep test tbf..

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Then you look at that game this evening and wonder why they are making the referee fitness tests more difficult. He could bring a deck chair with him.

[ONeill]

As long as Joe passed I'm happy.

[Milltown Row2]

Typically before crazy defensive football you'd be in a club game, 4.2 miles.

Now be lucky to hit 3.5

Lateral, defending type football is played which brings down the distance that you'd use to run

[ONeill]

Shouldn't affect your prep though?

[DuffleKing]

What level are they looking for on the test as a pass?

[Milltown Row2]

What level are they looking for on the test as a pass?

At club level it's difficult enough if you haven't much fitness levels, at intercounty it's a few levels up.

You'd need to work at it

[seafoid]

Refs shouldn't be on social media..it distracts them too much.

[Mikhailov]

MR2,

How do you excuse the 2 umpires in the hurling final - standing 3 yards behind the nets and ball in the goal mouth. Very contentious decision to disallow the goal and obviously more so when Gaels end up losing by 1.
Surely, one has to remain post side but you will know better

[johnnycool]

MR2,

How do you excuse the 2 umpires in the hurling final - standing 3 yards behind the nets and ball in the goal mouth. Very contentious decision to disallow the goal and obviously more so when Gaels end up losing by 1.
Surely, one has to remain post side but you will know better

Tough enough one. There's no point standing beside the post if the shot was for a point,  you need to get behind the post in line with whoever is shooting but once you know they're going for goal you need to get yourself inline with the post.
Even at that Fintan Burke would have needed arms the length of a gorilla to keep that ball from going over the line.

[Milltown Row2]

MR2,

How do you excuse the 2 umpires in the hurling final - standing 3 yards behind the nets and ball in the goal mouth. Very contentious decision to disallow the goal and obviously more so when Gaels end up losing by 1.
Surely, one has to remain post side but you will know better

You can't excuse that... the umpire completely in wrong position for shot on goal which is was at that point.

The umpire on the other side stayed con the line but ball was covered so he'd not have seen it.. the umpire on other side would have made the right call had he been on the line..

These guys are generally out with that Ref for all his games, he has done plenty big enough games so they'd have been used to umpiring.

Referees are marked on how their umpires are positioned too.

If you have Hawkeye you should also have goal line technology also. Especially at Croke