The most baffling refereeing decission ever?

[AZOffaly]

I thought it could only be moved to a 13 metre free. Mind you in the last three or 4 years I have seen the following bizzare decisions.

1. A forward receive a straight red card for what the ref called deliberate and persistent square ball.

2. A booking for lifting the ball off the ground during which the ref said "if you don't know the basic skills this will soon teach you.

3. A ref move a free kick in because of descent from the crowd in the stand. The first three all from the same ref

4. An inter county ref move a free kick from approximately 55 yards out on the sideline onto the 13m line in front of the nets for descent. When asked after the match why he responded "in accordance with playing rule 4.1 when a free kick is to be moved for descent in injury time it must be moved as far as possible"

5. Joe Sheridan's "goal"

We also had ref about 6 weeks ago who had the score wrong by 2 points at ht and refused to change it and also waved play on for every foul if either team had an advantage. So if the team that had committed the foul had an advantage he shouted out "play on theres an advantage there"

I burst out laughing at that one

[Jinxy]

I thought it could only be moved to a 13 metre free. Mind you in the last three or 4 years I have seen the following bizzare decisions.

1. A forward receive a straight red card for what the ref called deliberate and persistent square ball.

2. A booking for lifting the ball off the ground during which the ref said "if you don't know the basic skills this will soon teach you.

3. A ref move a free kick in because of descent from the crowd in the stand. The first three all from the same ref

4. An inter county ref move a free kick from approximately 55 yards out on the sideline onto the 13m line in front of the nets for descent. When asked after the match why he responded "in accordance with playing rule 4.1 when a free kick is to be moved for descent in injury time it must be moved as far as possible"

5. Joe Sheridan's "goal"

We also had ref about 6 weeks ago who had the score wrong by 2 points at ht and refused to change it and also waved play on for every foul if either team had an advantage. So if the team that had committed the foul had an advantage he shouted out "play on theres an advantage there"

What a legend. 

[lynchbhoy]

In the Cavan Donegal game in the championship this year Marty Duffy awarded Cavan a free, Donegal player gave dissent and  he moved it forward 10 meters. Then there was some other verbals, presumably from a Cavan player and he moved the balll back 10 meters to where the original foul took place. Never seen that done before!

Should he not have been moving it (back and forward) 13m??

trying to remember if he was wrong to move it back or not.
Think he either should have left it where it was and cautioned the cavan defender or he should have cautioned the defender (tick in the book) and threw up the ball.

[lynchbhoy]

I thought it could only be moved to a 13 metre free. Mind you in the last three or 4 years I have seen the following bizzare decisions.
1. A forward receive a straight red card for what the ref called deliberate and persistent square ball.
2. A booking for lifting the ball off the ground during which the ref said "if you don't know the basic skills this will soon teach you.
3. A ref move a free kick in because of descent from the crowd in the stand. The first three all from the same ref
4. An inter county ref move a free kick from approximately 55 yards out on the sideline onto the 13m line in front of the nets for descent.

un-fecking-believeable.

[Onion Bag]

Martin Sluddens decision to allow that goal in last years Leinster Final (Shocking)

[crossfire]

I thought it could only be moved to a 13 metre free. Mind you in the last three or 4 years I have seen the following bizzare decisions.

1. A forward receive a straight red card for what the ref called deliberate and persistent square ball.

2. A booking for lifting the ball off the ground during which the ref said "if you don't know the basic skills this will soon teach you.

3. A ref move a free kick in because of descent from the crowd in the stand. The first three all from the same ref

4. An inter county ref move a free kick from approximately 55 yards out on the sideline onto the 13m line in front of the nets for descent. When asked after the match why he responded "in accordance with playing rule 4.1 when a free kick is to be moved for descent in injury time it must be moved as far as possible"

5. Joe Sheridan's "goal"

We also had ref about 6 weeks ago who had the score wrong by 2 points at ht and refused to change it and also waved play on for every foul if either team had an advantage. So if the team that had committed the foul had an advantage he shouted out "play on theres an advantage there"

How low can you get.

[David McKeown]

Dissent

In my defence I am heavily dyslexic so that wasn't a bad effort.

[Bogball XV]

Dissent

In my defence I am heavily dyslexic so that wasn't a bad effort.

yip, pretty descent attempt

[cornerback]

Had a crap referee the other night who

1. failed to give a penalty when both attacker and defender lay prostrate on the 6 yard line (in the 6th Minute of injury time at the end of the game with the attacking team losing by a point)
2. he stopped play about 4 times for injury and then resumed with a free to the team in possession (my understanding is this should be a hop ball)
3. then with about 3 minutes to go in extra time (the game was a draw) he gave a hop ball on the 21 yard line. Our FF is a big lad well capable of winning the ball and about 3 inches taller than the man he's standing beside. The ref lines up opposite the 2 and then throws the ball 10 yards up the pitch to 2 lads not expecting it.
4. The defending team won the ball from that and he blew it up 3 minutes before the end of extra time and said "let somebody else referee you crying b**tards... DRAW!"

I'll try to explain these a bit better...
1. attacker hauled down in the large box, referee way behind play but by the time he caught up both attacker & defender hadn't moved & were still lying close/within the small box yet he still gave a 14m free.
2. Referee was correct on this one.
3. Two opposing men stepped forward to contest the throw ball, ref did well to clear the rest of the players 4-5m back (when is it ever 13m) & he still just randomly threw it up the field.
4. Needs no further explanation.

Also, his definition of a foul seemed to be any incidental contact in the tackle!

[screenexile]

Had a crap referee the other night who

1. failed to give a penalty when both attacker and defender lay prostrate on the 6 yard line (in the 6th Minute of injury time at the end of the game with the attacking team losing by a point)
2. he stopped play about 4 times for injury and then resumed with a free to the team in possession (my understanding is this should be a hop ball)
3. then with about 3 minutes to go in extra time (the game was a draw) he gave a hop ball on the 21 yard line. Our FF is a big lad well capable of winning the ball and about 3 inches taller than the man he's standing beside. The ref lines up opposite the 2 and then throws the ball 10 yards up the pitch to 2 lads not expecting it.
4. The defending team won the ball from that and he blew it up 3 minutes before the end of extra time and said "let somebody else referee you crying b**tards... DRAW!"

I'll try to explain these a bit better...
1. attacker hauled down in the large box, referee way behind play but by the time he caught up both attacker & defender hadn't moved & were still lying close/within the small box yet he still gave a 14m free.
2. Referee was correct on this one.
3. Two opposing men stepped forward to contest the throw ball, ref did well to clear the rest of the players 4-5m back (when is it ever 13m) & he still just randomly threw it up the field.
4. Needs no further explanation.

Also, his definition of a foul seemed to be any incidental contact in the tackle!

That was the one you were most irate about at the match you c**k! It was always my belief that if the ref stops a game for an injury it is a hop ball regardless of what player is lying down or who is in possession.

[Rav67]

A man who has been reffing for 2 years (although I think he only does underage) turned round recently while watching a club game and asked how many minutes it was each half.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Screen - with regards to point 2 - the following rule was implemented after Congress 2010.

"If play is stopped by the referee to enable a seriously injured player to be treated, play will now resume with a free to the team that had possession. However, it will not be permitted to score from such a free. (If neither team is in possession, play shall restart with a throw-in.)

[zoyler]

Many years ago in a 4th div game in South Armagh my brother rounded the keeper and his tap over the line was kicked away by their umpire! When he roared ' For fxxx sake REf!' he was sent off for foul language.  Suspension was confirmed by the County Board and ever after he just played soccer!

[upmonaghansayswe]

Just after attending a Monaghan Reserve Div 1 Championship Final. The referee awarded a contentious 21 yard free in for a pick up off the ground. This decision was contested by one of the defenders, who called the referee a bollocks!!. The ref then changed his mind and upgraded the freekick to a penalty!.. (which was scored, with 4 points being the winning margain!). Is this provided for in the GAA rulebook??.. Confused!.

BTW, the ref explained the situation as Ive outlined it to one of the managers after the match who was as bewildered as we were up in the stand!..

You forgot to mention that he evened it up with 5 to go when a forward made his way into the box, lined up a defender, jumped into him and let a roar out of him that was heard all over the place as he fell to the ground.

But yes the first decision was a strange one but it was a 14 yard free for a pick up in large square, not a 21 yard free.

Apologises. 14 yard free.
I didn't forget. Had nothing to do with the point I was making. And Id hardly call it evening it up. First penalty finished the game effectively. Second penalty was too near the end to build on. Mind you, the best team won.

[PAULD123]

Just after attending a Monaghan Reserve Div 1 Championship Final. The referee awarded a contentious 21 yard free in for a pick up off the ground. This decision was contested by one of the defenders, who called the referee a bollocks!!. The ref then changed his mind and upgraded the freekick to a penalty!.. (which was scored, with 4 points being the winning margain!). Is this provided for in the GAA rulebook??.. Confused!.

BTW, the ref explained the situation as Ive outlined it to one of the managers after the match who was as bewildered as we were up in the stand!..

You forgot to mention that he evened it up with 5 to go when a forward made his way into the box, lined up a defender, jumped into him and let a roar out of him that was heard all over the place as he fell to the ground.

But yes the first decision was a strange one but it was a 14 yard free for a pick up in large square, not a 21 yard free.

Apologises. 14 yard free.
I didn't forget. Had nothing to do with the point I was making. And Id hardly call it evening it up. First penalty finished the game effectively. Second penalty was too near the end to build on. Mind you, the best team won.

Thing is, if he moved it forward because of dissent then he was incorrect. As the rule says the ball is moved up but only to the 13m line. Also if it was his first offence in the game you could argue that he shouldn't even be booked, providing you say he wasn't challenging the ref's authority just the award of the free.

There is no provision for a penalty to be awarded.

But I have to say that the problem is not the end conclusion. This referee punished a team in a way which technically he should not have done. But the real question is why did he do it? If the answer is because he was getting abuse and having his authority challenged throughout the game then I think that is the real problem that has to be addressed.

As for refereeing standards, I think they should have to sit an exam each year, with the sort of questions on it that we pose on this forum. This would serve two purposes. Firstly it would force the referees to review the rules and be up to date with them. Secondly it would provide comprehensive feedback to the GAA as regards how well the rules are understood/interpreted, so that something could be done to improve consistency.

I presume there is no yearly exam?