Is it finally time for two refs for all county games

[Eamonnca1]

I don't think using two refs is a practical idea. I feel it would cause more problems that it would solve. Two different personalities could lead to two different interpretations of some rules. A red card at one end might only be a yellow or a ticking off at the other.
Some of the rules are in need of major reform as things stand so there's no point in adding to the confusion that is already there.
What happens in the grey areas around centre field.?
Say a kickout is taken; seven or eight players are jostling under the  dropping ball;  at least a half dozen fouls are committed in the process as a maul develops and no referee can see what happening on the blind side, as it were.
So it's inevitable that ref A may award a free to one side while ref B awards a free to the other.
Ah, the more I think of it, the more I think two referees would only add to problems, no take from there.

I'm not sure if it works like that. I think the way they do it is whichever ref blows the whistle gets to make the call. And they stay in their own half of the field, so there's seldom a time when both of them are on top of the action.

[Eamonnca1]

Umpires have difficulty calling a point or a wide. It's laughable sometimes.

I've umpired quite a few times and if the ball is over the height of the posts and falling at an angle that you can't get behind the post to view from, it ain't that easy.

I've seen me waving wide and getting dog's abuse from the sideline from players that are adamant that it was a point. From there it probably looked like it, but I was in a good position and it was clear that the ball had curled around the outside of the post before coming down. I've never understood why footballers kick the ball so high above the uprights, surely if they wanted to make sure of it they should aim for it to drop between the posts.

[David McKeown]

At the top level the game, the sport is too fast and too professional for amateur refs. Is it time for professional refs? An additional ref may help as a ref closer to the decision might have more chance of getting it right and less chance of being conned by a cute player.

Also on the rule about 2/3/4 etc men tackles. The rule is a player(s) May tackle an opponent for the ball so there is nothing wrong with multiple defenders tackling and the offensive player should be blown for over carrying if they have over carried

on that last point Dave. Show me footage of 2/3/4 men all tackling the ball at the same time. Dont even think it is physically possible without the player in possession getting slapped, which is a foul

The rule doesn't say they have to tackle the ball only that a player in possession may be tackled by an opponent or opponents. If no individual defender is fouling then it's not a foul simply because there are three or four of them there

[J OGorman]

At the top level the game, the sport is too fast and too professional for amateur refs. Is it time for professional refs? An additional ref may help as a ref closer to the decision might have more chance of getting it right and less chance of being conned by a cute player.

Also on the rule about 2/3/4 etc men tackles. The rule is a player(s) May tackle an opponent for the ball so there is nothing wrong with multiple defenders tackling and the offensive player should be blown for over carrying if they have over carried

on that last point Dave. Show me footage of 2/3/4 men all tackling the ball at the same time. Dont even think it is physically possible without the player in possession getting slapped, which is a foul

The rule doesn't say they have to tackle the ball only that a player in possession may be tackled by an opponent or opponents. If no individual defender is fouling then it's not a foul simply because there are three or four of them there

The tackle is defined in the official rules as 'the tackle is aimed at the ball, not the man'. A plethora of men slapping at a man in position is a foul all day long. Seeing a reck of men near dry riding an opponent to get the ball is a poor spectacle

[sligoman2]

It's interesting to see that there are more people in favor of two referees and there are against it.  Some of the major advantages in my opinion are

1) the referees should be much closer to the action and will be able to keep an eye on what is going on much more closely than with only one referee
2)players will be less likely to Pull, drag and whatever else off the ballwhen they know that there's another referee on the field looking at them
3)Having referees closer to the action should ensure that they don't miss any of the obvious fouls or give away soft frees like the ones Kerry got in the first half of extra time.

I think it's worth a shot and croke park should consider introducing it for the Fbd and some of the other provincial tournaments  that happen in January and February.  If it fails then so be it but I feel we owe the players supporters and mgmt more than they are currently getting from referees in general.

[From the Bunker]

This reminds me of an amalgamation of two clubs a few years ago. I ask a good friend from one of the clubs how they were getting on. His reply was last year we were bad, now we are twice as bad. The same analogy can be applied to  two referees!

[sligoman2]

This reminds me of an amalgamation of two clubs a few years ago. I ask a good friend from one of the clubs how they were getting on. His reply was last year we were bad, now we are twice as bad. The same analogy can be applied to  two referees!

How can you say that until you try it?  I'm sure when the bicycle was invented there were many who said it would never work, same for the car, the computer, the two refs the airplane and the sausage roll.

[Milltown Row2]

Stupid idea and a non runner, in football there should be no reason why a referee should not be more 15/20 metres away from the a player with the ball. That's a hell of a lot closer than supporters (who know all the rules). The referee at the other end will be standing about like a dick!!

In hurling it's different one puck of the ball and you can be 60/70 yards away from the ball. But with good positioning and a good knowledge of the players you can get yourself in an area that you can see almost everything. We are going over the top on this, amateur sport played and officiated by armatures.

[brianboru00]

Stupid idea and a non runner, in football there should be no reason why a referee should not be more 15/20 metres away from the a player with the ball. That's a hell of a lot closer than supporters (who know all the rules). The referee at the other end will be standing about like a dick!!

In hurling it's different one puck of the ball and you can be 60/70 yards away from the ball. But with good positioning and a good knowledge of the players you can get yourself in an area that you can see almost everything. We are going over the top on this, amateur sport played and officiated by armatures.

You're talking through your arse.

A dispossession and kick pass can get the ball 30 metres away in the space of a few seconds - I could locate several passages of play from the semi finals where the ball travelled over 120 metres in the space of 6-8 seconds. By your logic - any ref should be able to cover 100 metres in that time......

[Milltown Row2]

Stupid idea and a non runner, in football there should be no reason why a referee should not be more 15/20 metres away from the a player with the ball. That's a hell of a lot closer than supporters (who know all the rules). The referee at the other end will be standing about like a dick!!

In hurling it's different one puck of the ball and you can be 60/70 yards away from the ball. But with good positioning and a good knowledge of the players you can get yourself in an area that you can see almost everything. We are going over the top on this, amateur sport played and officiated by armatures.

You're talking through your arse.

A dispossession and kick pass can get the ball 30 metres away in the space of a few seconds - I could locate several passages of play from the semi finals where the ball travelled over 120 metres in the space of 6-8 seconds. By your logic - any ref should be able to cover 100 metres in that time......

As long as he's twenty meters from it he'll be fine, and its bogball, not too many kick passes in todays game 

[muppet]

Stupid idea and a non runner, in football there should be no reason why a referee should not be more 15/20 metres away from the a player with the ball. That's a hell of a lot closer than supporters (who know all the rules). The referee at the other end will be standing about like a dick!!

In hurling it's different one puck of the ball and you can be 60/70 yards away from the ball. But with good positioning and a good knowledge of the players you can get yourself in an area that you can see almost everything. We are going over the top on this, amateur sport played and officiated by armatures.

armature:   the part of an electric motor or generator that produces an electric current when it turns in a magnetic field

I haven't heard much torque about this!

[Milltown Row2]

Stupid idea and a non runner, in football there should be no reason why a referee should not be more 15/20 metres away from the a player with the ball. That's a hell of a lot closer than supporters (who know all the rules). The referee at the other end will be standing about like a dick!!

In hurling it's different one puck of the ball and you can be 60/70 yards away from the ball. But with good positioning and a good knowledge of the players you can get yourself in an area that you can see almost everything. We are going over the top on this, amateur sport played and officiated by armatures.

armature:   the part of an electric motor or generator that produces an electric current when it turns in a magnetic field

I haven't heard much torque about this!

[macdanger2]

Stupid idea and a non runner, in football there should be no reason why a referee should not be more 15/20 metres away from the a player with the ball. That's a hell of a lot closer than supporters (who know all the rules). The referee at the other end will be standing about like a dick!!

In hurling it's different one puck of the ball and you can be 60/70 yards away from the ball. But with good positioning and a good knowledge of the players you can get yourself in an area that you can see almost everything. We are going over the top on this, amateur sport played and officiated by armatures.

armature:   the part of an electric motor or generator that produces an electric current when it turns in a magnetic field

I haven't heard much torque about this!

[J OGorman]

Stupid idea and a non runner, in football there should be no reason why a referee should not be more 15/20 metres away from the a player with the ball. That's a hell of a lot closer than supporters (who know all the rules). The referee at the other end will be standing about like a dick!!

In hurling it's different one puck of the ball and you can be 60/70 yards away from the ball. But with good positioning and a good knowledge of the players you can get yourself in an area that you can see almost everything. We are going over the top on this, amateur sport played and officiated by armatures.

armature:   the part of an electric motor or generator that produces an electric current when it turns in a magnetic field

I haven't heard much torque about this!

Thats funny in fairness MR2 :-)

[Milltown Row2]

It's funny, I did laugh

If we are going to pull me for spelling the we'd have open season on most on the board, where is Hardy?