Antrim Hurling

[Tony Baloney]

You referring to the hero in my avatar? 

It certainly helps to be a county star with a big match coming up.

[johnneycool]

30 seconds into the match.....




Great aul craic.

Is that the veteran Jim Close No11?

It certainly looks like his tanned legs

[youngfella]

You referring to the hero in my avatar? 

It certainly helps to be a county star with a big match coming up.

face of antrim life. But if you throw a punch at a fella are you not off stright away, so you may as well go off for a good reason!

AS for throwing of the helmet this still wrecks my head as to why boys do it.

[Glensman]

Suppose the helmet throwing is the same as rolling up the sleeves (as the sleeves are normally rolled up, except if the player is wearing one of those skin tight undergarmets and then rolling up the sleeves would be tough).
Its a signal of intent.

You are clearly taking the p1ss(or I hope you are) when say about giving the fella a good lick with the stick.
Striking with the stick is one of the worst crimes in any sport...you have a stick to play with and should feel privilged to be doing so. A hurling stick should be treated with respect. if you're a fighter lay the stick down and go for it.

I also hate jabbing with the stick. That should be a yellow card offence straight away. If you can't stick the shoulder in a man without jabbing the stick you should burn your hurl.
Interested to see what others think of jabbing (am I using the correct term).

Thee most stupid thing I have seen is two men with a helmet squaring up head to head and then one of them headbutting...what is the sense in that?!

[milltown row]

Jabbing as you put it is part and parcel of the game, sizing ones oposite number up.

being slightly under six foot and at 11 stone it's difficult to shoulder your marker. i myself try and stay away from it altogether. i dont mind hard hurling, getting slapped and the rest is part of the game. what i dont like is the aggresive mouthing before a tackle has even come in. usualy from the younger ones wound up by the manager

[davincicode]

M Row i think you are fibbing to me, i have since had it confirmed it was you who ref the Jonnies v Sars the other evening, and i believe that the same sort of thing went on, come on, come clean, we want to know!!!!!! Are you going into this ref role full time, would,nt mind heading to one of your games!!!!

[theskull1]

As long as it's not overly aggressive, then jabbing IS part of the game. "Jabbing" with real intended force in an attempt to break ribs is scummy behaviour and should be met with even more intent in response. When the ball's there of course

[youngfella]

You are clearly taking the p1ss(or I hope you are) when say about giving the fella a good lick with the stick.
Striking with the stick is one of the worst crimes in any sport...you have a stick to play with and should feel privilged to be doing so. A hurling stick should be treated with respect. if you're a fighter lay the stick down and go for it.

I also hate jabbing with the stick. That should be a yellow card offence straight away. If you can't stick the shoulder in a man without jabbing the stick you should burn your hurl.
Interested to see what others think of jabbing (am I using the correct term).

Thee most stupid thing I have seen is two men with a helmet squaring up head to head and then one of them headbutting...what is the sense in that?!

I have nothing but respect for hurling, it hurts me to see and hear about fights at johnies game, seems all there interested in. Which is why its interesting to see them start fighting, they clearly have no respect for hurling, their club or themselves, but yet them dont use the hurl. I wonder what stops them?

To comment on the most stupid thing ive seen. In a school next few years ago, two boys were at eachother all match, near the end one fella threw the lid off and punched the other boy (helmet still on) right the guard, breaking his hand! He wasnt the sharpest.

I hate fighting on any level from international rules to boxing and a brawl on a saturday night. I really hate it. Therefore it confuses me when i see fellas having fight and taking of there protective gear.

Glens and MR your both right I have not place in hurling. Dirty jabs and slaps do, Its a skill to do it and not get caught.

[Glensman]

Its a fine line Skull...with intent to break ribs!

I personally dont think it should be part of the game...if the referee sees it it should be yellow. I don't go on the pitch to get struck by a hurl deliberately which that is. It can often do more damage than a strike with the head of the stick. Like MR I dont mind hard hurling, getting slapped and the rest is part of the game, during the game.

Aggressive mouthing should spur you on. If a player is concentrating on getting a good slur/insult in he isn't concentrating on the game.

[theskull1]

It's a man's game Glens. A bit of niggle when both parties know the boundaries is a way for some of showing they're fired up for the game. Nothing more. It's the boy's who feel for some reason they have to prove their manliness at this point by taking things beyond what would be just niggle is the problem.

[johnneycool]

As long as it's not overly aggressive, then jabbing IS part of the game. "Jabbing" with real intended force in an attempt to break ribs is scummy behaviour and should be met with even more intent in response. When the ball's there of course

Jez lads jabbing is one thing but its more manly that a lot of other things like pulling low and early under a dropping ball, blocking on the hands or wild pulling in a ruck usually by a hit and run expert not to be seen when it all kicks off. It'd surprise you the number of ref's who don't understand what a bad pull or block is and let it go.

[Glensman]

It is a MAN's game Skull...but when you go to minor, U16 and even U14 games and see young fellas giving their markers a poke with the edge of the stick its pretty saddening to see. They've learnt it from what they see their seniors do or the players on the TV do and get away with.
You are given an inch you take a mile.
1 poke, 2 pokes BANG full hit with the stick.

If seen it should be a yellow.

Agree JC. Other matters are more important. Players often get away with throwing the ball up in a tight spot and basically swining round the player that has put them in a tight spot.
Refs often aren't too sure.
A slightly different one was last week I was watching a game where the defender was too close to either hook or block...the defender, brave and mad though it was, stepped in and blocked the shot with his body...getting a free out. Wrong.

Referees have to have played the game or have a deep understanding of it. Referee coaching should involve ex hurlers (and more specifically ex dirty hurlers) giving them the tricks of their trade. Too often referees blow for innocuous frees and the big ones are missed.

[milltown row]

It's always hard to call everything; I'd say that almost every tackle will have a player, manager, supporter and passer by shouting foul. If ya were to call everything then the game would be a farce.

Here are the main fouls, push in the back when going for the ball. Now what does the referee do when a player cons the referee and falls over easily?
pulling early or late, this deserves a tick or yellow, playing the opponent stick is a simple call but unseen sometimes (always get away with it on the younger players) the most annoying one has to be over carrying, now they say 4 steps or the time it takes to take 4 steps, certain players out there and we know who they are take the piss, but manage to get away with it.
I think this rule annoys defenders the most and is the main reason for shouting at referees. If the player is getting fouled the referee allows the player to take more steps as an advantage, now in the rule book there is no advantage rule. So he should blow for the foul or blow for over carrying
Referees have a different view on this and the inconsistency causes grief.

Slabbering to the referee is an automatic yellow card. Some do it right away others understand if there is no malice in it and laugh it off. A referee needs to understand how passionate hurling/winning is to both teams.

I'd say most referees will blow for a foul the second they see it, they can't see everything, haven done a few games this year it's difficult to see. So as a current player and referee I can sympathise with both.

[johnneycool]

Players often get away with throwing the ball up in a tight spot and basically swining round the player that has put them in a tight spot.
Refs often aren't too sure.
A slightly different one was last week I was watching a game where the defender was too close to either hook or block...the defender, brave and mad though it was, stepped in and blocked the shot with his body...getting a free out. Wrong.

IMO if you're in possession and in a ruck you are well within your rights to throw/drop the ball and pull on it, provided of course you make a genuine attempt to play the ball and not the man. It's up to the opponent to protect themselves.

[youngfella]

This is true enough, but have seen the ref give frees the other way tho. The ref's job is a hard unthankful job