Pay for GAA refs

ublinina2

Does anybody know how much expenses or pay a GAA ref would get? I presume a inter county referee gets more than the local ref?

DUB

They get tiny mileage, i'd be very careful about calling it pay

elturko

Inter county refs do not get paid for refereeing the game itself! What they do get is mileage allowance, approx. €0.40 per mile. They also get meal allowance of €20 per head (i.e €100 in total, ref plus 4 umpires).

patmac

They also get it in one lump sum at xmas so as all the family can share it, personally I wouldn't to it for 10 times the money for all the abuse they get.

mchurl

For the abuse they get it certainly isnt worth it

elturko

Just an update, was talking to a ref recently. It's €0.50 per mile and €25 meal allowance. Still hardly worth it though....

Darren

Pay...expenses....bungs....Who knows???

Aido c

It’s not enough by GAA standards and it’s not enough by any standards.

I am just past playing years and was considering applying for referee training to keep fit.

I am a teacher by trade so I actually enjoy working with young people and young adults, and I think I would be cut out for it, I am very decisive and have had laser surgery. In the past to earn a few bob, I worked as a bouncer so I don’t mind taking a little sh%t.

So I really did look at it and have decided against because it is simply too much. There is too much involved.

Take a clean game for instance, Armagh v Kerry last week.

Mark O'Sea had 16 possessions, Kieran Donaghy 17 - so lets say 15 is a good average for any player. To coin an American phrase, 15 plays.

By comparison the referee had to deal with 25 frees for Kerry and 26 against. Throw in the 9 cards and this is essentially 60 plays - on a good day !!!!!

Add in all the players each of these free's have to be explained to and it is too much. I would not mind stewarding along a game, but this is ridiculous, the games are essentially being played by the ref's. Players have only a bit part. This is not fair on either and its all down to discipline and the 'any ould way will do' attitude to the rule book. GAA needs to make up their mind - is this sport contact (as in Rugby) or non contact (as in Soccer). They cannot have it both ways and that seems to be the objective.

Its a full sensory assault for the full 70 mins. Refs should not have to explain or discuss anything with players, never in the history of the game have one of these discussions changed anything, and ref's are simply too busy, as in rugby, if they have real issues, let them discuss them with individual captains. The gesture indicating the foul should suffice, but this new thing of discussing every free with all the players involved needs to stop. Throw in the professional and suspected professional free's and its more than a single man can manage - this needs to be sorted out - it is simply too much.

If my background was rugby or soccer - I would apply tomorrow to ref those sports, but GAA football - The central council leaves too much to the individual ref on any given day.