Referees - respect

Gophur

I have been at a hell of a lot of matches recently and the abuse being hurled at the referees is as bad as, if not worse than, ever.

The man who has never made a mistake has never lived, yet these loud-mouthed cretins on the sideline feel it OK to shout and abuse these men in the middle.

I have no doubt they do not do the job for the praise, but no one does it for the criticism.

There is also an irony in seeing Junior footballers expecting inter-county standard refereeing.

Under-age football is not much better, with parents and mentors not exactly giving the best example to the children.

When the whistle blows at the start, compete. When the whistle blows at the end, forget.

rebel girl 15

Well said!

I'm a ref, and while I do accept some abuse is part and parcel of the job, the over the top stuff is unacceptable and games assessors should be sent to see some of the carry on on the sideline and punish the clubs for the over the top stuff

Lex Luthor

I go to a lot of juvenile games in Kildare and find the reffing to be at best average.

I think a lot of the problem stems from some home teams getting a mentor or parent to do the reffing. Many dont know the rules or will favour most decisions to their own home team.

Also refs of home teams that are linked with the team shouting their team on and giving instructions to the players on the pitch while reffing is very evident aswell.

I've been asked on a few occasions to ref and have made up excuses to decline as I dont want the hassle from parents as I wouldn't know the full rules. It really would depend on the opposition. If you have experienced the opposition on previous occasions and know their mentality, you can expect a lot of abuse.

rebel girl 15

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I go to a lot of juvenile games in Kildare and find the reffing to be at best average.

I think a lot of the problem stems from some home teams getting a mentor or parent to do the reffing. Many dont know the rules or will favour most decisions to their own home team.

Also refs of home teams that are linked with the team shouting their team on and giving instructions to the players on the pitch while reffing is very evident aswell.

I've been asked on a few occasions to ref and have made up excuses to decline as I dont want the hassle from parents as I wouldn't know the full rules. It really would depend on the opposition. If you have experienced the opposition on previous occasions and know their mentality, you can expect a lot of abuse.

The way it works in Cork for juvenile games is that an independent referee is appointed to referee the game by the juvenile board - there is no way that it should be left up to each team to sort a referee because it is open for abuse. Thats the solution to that problem - have a board that appoints referees to games, now there may be the odd time that a ref might not show up, and then one of the mentors needs to step up to do it

Anyway, anyone who is involved in team should know all the rules, I've had times where I've had to explain why I gave a free, because in the rules it was a foul, but the mentors on the sideline are saying that it shouldn't be a free. If the mentors don't know the rules, and they aren't teaching the players those rules, then it causes a lot of abuse towards referees and players not knowing why the free went against them

Lex Luthor

rebel girl 15 wrote: »

The way it works in Cork for juvenile games is that an independent referee is appointed to referee the game by the juvenile board - there is no way that it should be left up to each team to sort a referee because it is open for abuse. Thats the solution to that problem - have a board that appoints referees to games, now there may be the odd time that a ref might not show up, and then one of the mentors needs to step up to do it

Anyway, anyone who is involved in team should know all the rules, I've had times where I've had to explain why I gave a free, because in the rules it was a foul, but the mentors on the sideline are saying that it shouldn't be a free. If the mentors don't know the rules, and they aren't teaching the players those rules, then it causes a lot of abuse towards referees and players not knowing why the free went against them

The matches I was asked to ref were hurling matches which is why I declined. I mentor at juvenile football and try to keep up to date with the rules but for hurling I'd admit I wouldn't know them.

I was also talking to a mentor involved in Dublin GAA last week and he said it was the same situation in Dublin where refs are appointed by a board and are neutral. The reason I'm told in Nth Kildare why they use a home ref is to keep costs down.

Do refs in Cork get paid for travel expenses aswell as their match fee?

I wish more refs like yourself would explain certain decisions they make in a more open manner. It gives the impression to the sidelines that the ref is a lot more competent and can usually stop someone questioning the decision in advance. Well done...

rebel girl 15

Lex Luthor wrote: »

The matches I was asked to ref were hurling matches which is why I declined. I mentor at juvenile football and try to keep up to date with the rules but for hurling I'd admit I wouldn't know them.

I was also talking to a mentor involved in Dublin GAA last week and he said it was the same situation in Dublin where refs are appointed by a board and are neutral. The reason I'm told in Nth Kildare why they use a home ref is to keep costs down.

Do refs in Cork get paid for travel expenses aswell as their match fee?

I wish more refs like yourself would explain certain decisions they make in a more open manner. It gives the impression to the sidelines that the ref is a lot more competent and can usually stop someone questioning the decision in advance. Well done...

For the boys games, it is €20 plus travel expenses per mile. The ref isn't paid at the time, each club treasurer sorts it with the treasurer near the end of the eye - the refs are then paid after that. With the ladies football, we work off a list of qualified referees, we cannot ask anybody else to ref a ladies game no matter what age. The refs are paid straight away after the game.

It wouldn't cost a huge lot more for a similiar system to be implemented, and in my opinion, it would be worth every cent if proper referees are appointed to game - if the kids don't learn the rules and how to play the game properly at an early age, it is very hard to change it!

Keano!

Just on a side note, I've noticed the standard of refeering dropping severely in the last 6 months or so. Not only in Gaelic games, but soccer in England too for example.

I think there should be a required level of officiating. Some refs I have every week are beyond shocking.

Prime example...


Played an away game 2 weeks ago at full back. Ball came rolling towards me, bent down to pick it up and some fella lunges at me with their boot raised up to my shoulder and caught me full force. He was shown a yellow.

Second half, 50/50 ball on the ground, two of us going for the balll, I do go over the ball admitidly, and in all honesty probably deserved red. Ref says to me, exact words..."I know it was an accident. The ball was there to be won. But since I booked yer man earlier for the tackle on you I have to book you" You have to book me??? Cop of ffs.... you deal with each issue seperatly. It was a red or nothing IMO, thankfull, but it was a poor decision.

Not too long later, the ball goes wide, they're screaming for a 45, we're saying no...ref looks lost toward umpire who signal wide and I hear the ref say... "I dunno whats going on"



He was around 30, black hair, skinny enough, wore trousers (cringe)...





Rant over :P