I have coached underage teams in the past and will again in the future when/if my own lads are playing and I have to say that the one thing it's nearly impossible to teach a young lad is what constitutes a foul or a free. I don't know about any other counties but around here you could play 4weeks in a row with different referees and each one of them will referee it totally different and to the point where "interpretation" doesn't even come into it, from the ref that blows for everything and I mean no attempted tackle is nearly acceptable, to the ref who will not give a free for love nor money, to the home town refs who are disgracefully biased and then the ref that tries to even things up to the point where there's no consistency with him even in one hours football. What is a foul in one match or in one instance isn't in another. It's seriously frustrating, You nearly have to play the ref as much as the opposition. I'm telling you it's going to be a big factor going forward in turning young lads off playing the game. I still play and I asked a ref recently why a particular free was given, I did not abuse, and I was shown a yellow card and told he had another. Clowns!!! How are we to coach young lads what the rules actually are when the referees don't seem to know???

bluegossun (Meath) - Posts: 70 - 17/03/2015 20:34:55    1703899

Shaggy if we are thinking of the same incident then the Corofin man needed treatment after that collision, if he deliberately collided you would think he would have done more to protect himself. Sometimes in football collisions can happen accidentally. Ulsterman I would lve you to describe why the supposed penalty was also deserving of a black card? Most spectators don't have a clue when a black card is justified, which is one of its biggest problems.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 17/03/2015 20:53:15    1703909

Maybe you should take up the whistle as you think it is easy tut tut

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 17/03/2015 20:59:57    1703914

Spot on blue, officiating is as poor as I can remember, there are very few strong referees now who stand by their convictions on the field. They are far too easily influenced by hostile/home crowds OR media perceptions of teams. I also suspect some officials just want an easy life and giving the big establishment counties wrong decisions is easier to live with than giving the correct and right ones. The black card will kill the game eventually because many officials just won't give blatant black cards or will give incorrect black cards depending on the crowd or media environment. I said a few years back that the GAA no longer had control of it's own rules, regulations and disciplinary processes. The media and certain 'pundits' now completely own and set that agenda; just watch this season how high the GAA and CCCC jumps on a Monday or Tuesday after certain journalists and pundits shout the loudest and stir the pot from that weekends games. The black card was the eventual result of a campaign by these same people, the GAA has lost it's independence.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9785 - 17/03/2015 21:05:42    1703917

Bluegossun that message was for you as you think it is easy for a ref . Maybe your a expert in the rules

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 17/03/2015 21:09:58    1703921

soma I have looked at the incident a few times on replay and every single time it's a black card. I think it is time to scrap the black card as its too big of a bearing on a game when it's not administered fairly to both teams which I have seen constantly in the last year. Worse still is players getting black carded in the wrong.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1941 - 17/03/2015 21:12:50    1703924

One thing about me as a ref I don't give hometown decisions I be fair yes I make mistakes so does players , managers etc so to someone to come on here and call ref clowns need to look at themselves all about give respect to get it .

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 17/03/2015 21:15:48    1703926

Hello Dell how's it going, haven't heard from you for a while. I don't believe officiating is easy but officials inconsistency at the top level, and probably at the lower levels too, is the biggest problem within the GAA now. Refs are human beings and are open to pressure, stress and yes bias as well when they are on the pitch. There is NO doubt that some high profile sides like Dublin and Kerry are benefiting from this while Tyrone, Donegal, Monaghan etc are the bete noire of the Dublin media and certain elements within the GAA and are being hammered. There are effectively TWO Associations in existence now with different rules, regulations and standards being applied.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9785 - 17/03/2015 21:17:54    1703928

Am good ulsterman how you I think there to many rules in the game now and to add further confusion players can get up to 3 ticks in a game lot of people don't know that .

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 17/03/2015 21:24:48    1703937

Keep chewing them lemons Ulsterman. You've plenty to say about the decision not to award a penalty to Slaughtneil early on in the match, but nothing to say about the decision to give Slaughtneil a penalty late on which was a joke.

Ailteoir (Galway) - Posts: 881 - 17/03/2015 21:35:50    1703947

The outcome of the game was over by then; it looks like the referee was trying to make up for his earlier howler that changed the course of the match. It doesn't work of course, dreadful decisions going against Northern teams in the South.........again!

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9785 - 17/03/2015 21:41:55    1703955

Shaggy I viewed it differently, and the fact the Corofin man needed treatment after the collision suggests he just didn't see the Slaughtneil man. These things happen.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 17/03/2015 21:42:26    1703956

So your saying the penalty that was given was a joke well if it was a penalty it's bad refereeing. But it was irrelevant at that stage not like the penalty in the 3rd minute. Yes Ulster teams well in my opinion monaghan get an awful raw deal by southern referees against non Ulster teams.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1941 - 17/03/2015 21:47:25    1703961

No bitterness at all my friend. Well done Corofin those fine Galway.....or is Mayo champions? Their success still doesn't take away from the referee's complete howler at the start which ultimately influenced the game and affected the outcome.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9785 - 17/03/2015 21:56:29    1703975

Shocking miss by the ref with the incident at the beginning of the game.

The Slaughtneil player clearly over carries before possibly being fouled!! Shocking from the referee!!!

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13779 - 18/03/2015 08:28:22    1703983

Overall I think Corofin were good value for their win. I must say though, that I knew it wouldn't go smoothly when I saw the particular ref who had been appointed for the final. Can't understand him getting any county games, let alone major finals. The penalty miss was huge. Slaughtneil to go 1-2 to 0-1 ahead after 10 mins would've made it a very different game. As in all his games, physical contact is outlawed, and it really was good for Corofin where Lundy and Sice were brilliant. Sice possibly lucky to not be censured heavily though as I counted about 7 fouls he gave away. Lundy and Sice surely must be certs for Galway team?

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2559 - 18/03/2015 14:15:24    1704137

hutto, did wylie deserve to get the line?

saddam (Mayo) - Posts: 414 - 18/03/2015 14:24:06    1704144

A lot of the problems with referees would vanish if this "advantage" nonsense was scrapped altogether and referees were instructed to give a free for every foul they saw.

The "let the game flow" idea only favours teams which foul a lot; the more you foul, the more it favours you. Many teams take advantage of the "advantage" rule in a negative manner (quick tugs of the jersey which don't dispossess a player but cut down his chance of scoring, or clearing the ball safely).

And while they are at it, they could get rid of the cards altogether and instead of using cards, referees could use their common sense instead.

Midleton (Cork) - Posts: 644 - 18/03/2015 15:16:16    1704164

Midleton your comments are a wind up please tell me .

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 18/03/2015 15:27:16    1704172

Why would you think that, Delboypolecat?

Perhaps you could specify what you don't agree with and give your reasons, and then I will give my reasons.

Midleton (Cork) - Posts: 644 - 18/03/2015 15:32:14    1704176