Referee abuse

Shelflife · 10-06-2018 11:28pm #1

Given the shenanigans lately of members of the management teams running up to abuse officials after a game and the fact that referees are now getting Garda escorts off the pitch, how long will it be before a ref will be physically attcked on live TV ?

Given the abuse that's being dished out to them as well I'd say it won't be long before there's a shortage of refs in both codes but more so in football.

Unless the authorities crack down big time on this and do so very soon a huge can of worms will be opened up.

namloc1980 · 10-06-2018 11:40pm

Shelflife wrote: »

Given the shenanigans lately of members of the management teams running up to abuse officials after a game and the fact that referees are now getting Garda escorts off the pitch, how long will it be before a ref will be physically attcked on live TV ?

Given the abuse that's being dished out to them as well I'd say it won't be long before there's a shortage of refs in both codes but more so in football.

Unless the authorities crack down big time on this and do so very soon a huge can of worms will be opened up.

Louth versus Meath in 2010. Referee assaulted.

Happy4all · 10-06-2018 11:43pm

Being going on for decades, nothing new about it.

patsyrockem · 11-06-2018 12:08am

Diarmuid Connolly got a serious suspension last year for a relatively minor offence, don't get me wrong it was not right and he was made an example of. But the carry on of Davy Fitz for a number of years has gone on unpunished, the abuse of linesmen and fourth officials has been awful. The referees and umpires are always in the firing line but it's a tough job and not too many volunteers looking to do it, yet they never get any credit for doing a good job. The respect referees are treated with in rugby is taught from a very young age and no reason why this couldn't be implicated in Gaelic games. Respect!!

Motivator · 11-06-2018 12:16am

Well when player’s seasons are on the line and manager’s jobs are on the line the very least that is expected is that the officials, who are appointed to the match, are able to do the job they are responsible for.

The Waterford v Tipperary game last Sunday in Limerick, the inability of the referee and his umpires to do their job properly has cost Waterford’s players, management and Co. Board dearly. The actions of a referee, who failed fitness tests THREE times this season, has cost Waterford dearly. Our year is now over partly due to the poor performance of a referee who was deemed unfit to do his job by Croke Park on three occasions. He got his place on the referees panel for this season by “passing” a test in mid May. Considering the colossal mistakes the man made in the game - he is absolutely entitled to receive abuse. Players and managers get enough of it, why are the referees immune?

bloodless_coup · 11-06-2018 12:54am

On the Sunday Game they were talking about how the respect shown to the referee in Rugby should be brought into the Gaa.

Thing is the referees in Rugby are usually pretty competent and at the highest level have lots of technology aids.

Gaa refs are more often than not downright terrible, and deserve no respect.

They need to professionalise referees in the Gaa. There's plenty of money in the organisation. The levels of commitment and time given by players and management and fans, and for it all to be wasted by one man in the middle making terrible calls is not right.

Limestone Cowboy · 11-06-2018 1:29am

patsyrockem wrote: »

Diarmuid Connolly got a serious suspension last year for a relatively minor offence, don't get me wrong it was not right and he was made an example of. But the carry on of Davy Fitz for a number of years has gone on unpunished, the abuse of linesmen and fourth officials has been awful. The referees and umpires are always in the firing line but it's a tough job and not too many volunteers looking to do it, yet they never get any credit for doing a good job. The respect referees are treated with in rugby is taught from a very young age and no reason why this couldn't be implicated in Gaelic games. Respect!!

It's epidemic in the gaa to be honest. Just yesterday we played a division 5 league football game and the opposition manager spent the whole game abusing his own players, our players, the referee and our management. Actually the worst case I have ever seen and there wasn't a dirty blow in the whole game from either side. Ref never said a word to him when he should have told him to shut up or leave early on. We were called every sort of knackers, apes, simpletons, scumbags, tinkers, clowns etc constantly for the full game along with various threats of him coming on to the field "to kick the sh1t out of us". Refs should respect themselves and the players more than to tolerate that carry on. Takes the enjoyment out of playing.

Poor_old_gill · 11-06-2018 7:42am

They need to make a few changes here:

1) a second ref- 1 per half
2) hawkeye at every stadium
3) clear definition of the tackle rules
4) proper umpires & linesmen who know the rules
5) train refs to deal with high pressure decisions

Until then- the standard of officiating will remain a farce and every once in a while people's emotions will boil over

Mahony0509 · 11-06-2018 8:06am

There wouldn’t be any issues if they were any good at refereeing. Some of them are pathetic, lets be honest.

Torcaill · 11-06-2018 8:17am

Motivator wrote: »

Well when player’s seasons are on the line and manager’s jobs are on the line the very least that is expected is that the officials, who are appointed to the match, are able to do the job they are responsible for.

The Waterford v Tipperary game last Sunday in Limerick, the inability of the referee and his umpires to do their job properly has cost Waterford’s players, management and Co. Board dearly. The actions of a referee, who failed fitness tests THREE times this season, has cost Waterford dearly. Our year is now over partly due to the poor performance of a referee who was deemed unfit to do his job by Croke Park on three occasions. He got his place on the referees panel for this season by “passing” a test in mid May. Considering the colossal mistakes the man made in the game - he is absolutely entitled to receive abuse. Players and managers get enough of it, why are the referees immune?

manager’s jobs are on the line Not as if they are getting paid for it!!!!

he is absolutely entitled to receive abuse. So every player who misplaces a pass is absolutely entitled to receive abuse, every manager who makes a wrong call, every maor caman who is too slow getting a replacement hurl out to a player - all are free game to abuse. Get a grip!!!

C__MC · 11-06-2018 8:19am

Needs to be like the Premier League where refs can be dropped for poor peformances

bucketybuck · 11-06-2018 8:20am

Motivator wrote: »

Considering the colossal mistakes the man made in the game - he is absolutely entitled to receive abuse.

This seems to be the consensus in this thread.

And its absolutely moronic.

Torcaill · 11-06-2018 8:22am

C__MC wrote: »

Needs to be like the Premier League where refs can be dropped for poor peformances

It is and they are!!

DONTMATTER · 11-06-2018 8:38am

Refereeing standards obviously need to be improved but I can't see that happening if they continue to receive abuse in every single game!
I say this because there are people out there who'd make great referees but why would they do it? Just to get vitriol thrown at them every weekend.

downthemiddle · 11-06-2018 11:55am

doylefe wrote: »

Gaa refs are more often than not downright terrible, and deserve no respect.

Have you an alternative suggestion? No refs perhaps!

d'Oracle · 11-06-2018 12:06pm

DONTMATTER wrote: »

Refereeing standards obviously need to be improved but I can't see that happening if they continue to receive abuse in every single game!
I say this because there are people out there who'd make great referees but why would they do it? Just to get vitriol thrown at them every weekend.

Absolutely.
Also, do people not realise that you need a ref to play the game?

bruschi · 11-06-2018 1:17pm

Motivator wrote: »

Well when player’s seasons are on the line and manager’s jobs are on the line the very least that is expected is that the officials, who are appointed to the match, are able to do the job they are responsible for.

The Waterford v Tipperary game last Sunday in Limerick, the inability of the referee and his umpires to do their job properly has cost Waterford’s players, management and Co. Board dearly. The actions of a referee, who failed fitness tests THREE times this season, has cost Waterford dearly. Our year is now over partly due to the poor performance of a referee who was deemed unfit to do his job by Croke Park on three occasions. He got his place on the referees panel for this season by “passing” a test in mid May. Considering the colossal mistakes the man made in the game - he is absolutely entitled to receive abuse. Players and managers get enough of it, why are the referees immune?

didnt want to address this repeated point in the county thread, but this is the greatest load of rubbish ever. Waterford, leading by 11 points with less than 20 minutes go, end up drawing a game yet the only person who "absolutely is entitled to receive abuse" is the ref? For a mistake the umpire made that cost Waterford 3 points. Yet after this mistake was made, a further 15 minutes of game time was played, but yet it all hinged on this one single error made by the umpire and it should be deemed that people are "entitled" to abuse a referee.

It's about time teams, managers, players, fans cop on that referees for the most part dont decide games. Take the Meath game. A point up into extra time, game in their hands, and they are so naive to let numerous Tyrone players free who end up levelling. Absolutely, the ref made a huge error at the very end and potentially cost them a draw (dont let the fact escape anyone that their free taker was sent off and they still would need to score it to level).

Similarly Wexford a few weeks back. Deep into injury time, the ref says 30 seconds left. Wexford work the ball up the field and win a penalty. After a further minute or so, they take the point, with everyone expecting the final whistle on resumption. But no, the ref plays on, utterly naive defending, and Laois work the ball up and equalise. Laois are now in the Leinster final, Wexford are out altogether. Even Louth. Free comes in, if their midfielder catches it instead of fumbling it, game over. Granted, it was a horrendous mistake too, but even so, they had their own opportunity to win that game without referee interference.

It was in their own hands, in spite of the ref. And this is the case in most games. It doesnt excuse the refs making mistakes, but it absolutely does not entitle people to abuse them. No one should be entitled to abuse someone.

Dyr · 11-06-2018 1:39pm

Would it be too much for the GAA to do something about the level of officiating?

Or they can just close their eyes, cover their ears and repeat the mantra "give respect, get respect" until it all goes away

jmayo · 11-06-2018 2:33pm

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

It's epidemic in the gaa to be honest. Just yesterday we played a division 5 league football game and the opposition manager spent the whole game abusing his own players, our players, the referee and our management.

Well at least he was consistent.

Shelflife wrote: »

Given the shenanigans lately of members of the management teams running up to abuse officials after a game and the fact that referees are now getting Garda escorts off the pitch, how long will it be before a ref will be physically attcked on live TV ?

Given the abuse that's being dished out to them as well I'd say it won't be long before there's a shortage of refs in both codes but more so in football.

Unless the authorities crack down big time on this and do so very soon a huge can of worms will be opened up.

The thing is the players, the management, the backroom staff are as good as professional at this stage, particularly at higher level of both intercounty and club.
It has gotten like Tennis when McEnroe used to let loose at officials and umpires who were still part of the old boys amateur network when the players were actually professional.

Today top players and indeed staff dedicate huge amounts of their time and put their lives on hold for most of the year.
Then their effort is all for nought as some eejit makes a terribly wrong decision.
And it isn't just spur of the moment stuff either, it is often goal mouth stuff with two or three officials watching on.

For a start umpires should not be selected because they are mates with the ref and they should be even referees or ex referees.

The situation that occurred in Limerick two weeks back was a joke and meant Waterford were robbed of a win.
It reminded of the famous rugby try by a certain Meath player a few years back to win Leinster title.

I did notice today some Louthmen laughing about Meath got screwed over by an official this last weekend.
Maybe there is something that old saying about how bad decisions balance out.
In which case maybe Mayo will get a dodgy penalty to win an All Ireland to balance out that inept officiating we saw in limerick in 2014.

bucketybuck · 11-06-2018 2:42pm

So we need to get rid of all the referees, replace them with new higher quality referees and then also replace the umpires and linesmen with qualified referees. We need to do this despite the already worrying scarcity of people volunteering for the job, and despite people thinking its perfectly fine to abuse referees who make mistakes.

Good luck with that lads.

rpurfield · 11-06-2018 2:49pm

Referee co-ordinator should be on the Sunday Game now and again to explain decisions and generally have a bit of accountability about referees, no more than a manager does a press conference post match. Also take the bloody timing and score keeping off them so it's two less things to worry about. I know at this point someone will say "oh you can't do it at club level" but so what, inter county is a step up again so should be treated differently in terms of aides to referees. As is said above get hawk eye and TV referees in too.Yes they don't deserve the abuse but steps need to be taken to bring them up a level.

Sterling Archer · 11-06-2018 4:08pm

I'll use the same format I used in the Dub thread

Is the level of refereeing now below the Level of both sports? Yes for the most part
Should referees tolerate abuse? Absolutely not, we need to follow the rugby mentality
Have some referees calls been game deciders? Not recently no, If you leave the game upto the Ref you are doing something wrong

Is there a fix? Yes Firstly we need to stamp out the level of abuse while improving Ref standards (Way easier said than done)
Next we need to get rid of the Oul boy mentality, Umpires Have to be assistant Referees (Aka a Ref), there is no way this can be ignored anymore, We need to utilise the 4th official more, take timekeeping and score keeping away from the Ref they have enough to be doing.. Al inter-county games should have video assistance.

Personal Pet peeves -
Clearer definition of contact rules
Yellow cards for simulation, stamp this out now
A public announcement - Extra time is AT LEAST + x minutes, this is not the word of god
More accountability for official abuse, although given they gave Gordan Kelly 3 months for emptying a water bottle near an umpire maybe we let this one slide

nice_guy80 · 11-06-2018 4:14pm

A huge problem is players and managers often don't know or understand the punishment for certain fouls

The very cnuts that moan and complain and shout abuse would never take up the whistle as there's no glory in it

I saw a mentor sent off at the Feile over the weekend for abusing a referee. Proper order too

Sterling Archer · 11-06-2018 4:20pm

nice_guy80 wrote: »

A huge problem is players and managers often don't know or understand the punishment for certain fouls

The very cnuts that moan and complain and shout abuse would never take up the whistle as there's no glory in it

I saw a mentor sent off at the Feile over the weekend for abusing a referee. Proper order too

Just on this, I was at a challenge game recently, the Ref was getting the height of abuse off a manager, after 20 mins the ref walked over and handed him the whistle, told him to ref the game himself so and motioned he was walking out, Manager said something along the lines of "ah it's just passion" and handed back the whistle, Ref said "Any more of that and you can take your passion to the car park" - 5 mins into the second half the manager got cleared

dr.kenneth noisewater · 11-06-2018 4:22pm

The best way to improve the refereeing is to get more ex-players involved imo. But thats not happening, counties are struggling to get any new refs and the abuse seen over the past few weeks isn't gonna do anything to entice them further. Maybe the GAA needs to look at getting 10-12 in each code full time where they can train themselves and others during the week

Donnielighto · 11-06-2018 4:38pm

You can't blame the refs for players fans and managers not having respect. That's an internal thing. It's reprehensible to abusing a neutral volunteer especially seeing the clear bias in those who complain about it the most.

Gaelic is worse than soccer and not in same parish as Rugby when it comes to that. Hurling players seem better for it but Davy Fitz is a disgrace, lad should from gaa stadiums.

Al_Coholic · 11-06-2018 4:42pm

bruschi wrote:

It's about time teams, managers, players, fans cop on that referees for the most part dont decide games. Take the Meath game. A point up into extra time, game in their hands, and they are so naive to let numerous Tyrone players free who end up levelling. Absolutely, the ref made a huge error at the very end and potentially cost them a draw (dont let the fact escape anyone that their free taker was sent off and they still would need to score it to level).

The ref in that game was poor throughout... He didn't allow any advantage and this denied Tyrone on more than one occassion.
The "foul" at the end was infuriating because he gave so many softer frees before that.
It was one of the worst referee performances in a long time but I don't like the confrontation towards him after the game that was wrong.

Shelflife · 11-06-2018 6:59pm

There seems to be a common misconception out there that the refs just turn up on the day and hope for the best.

I’m a Rugby ref, to get to the level I’m at took a number of years , loads of assessments, loads of meetings and courses and lots of nights in the gym or pounding the roads on my own to get my fitness to the required levels. If we dont hit our targets we are demoted, if we do we stay at the level we are at or get promoted.

I’m pretty sure that it’s the same in the GAA and that the refs put a lot of effort into getting to that level.

There’s no way we would tolerate the levels of abuse that I’ve seen over the last few weeks, there are plenty of times that the losing team are unhappy with calls and may criticise you but if a coach came at me like the Meath coach he would be looking at 26-52 weeks suspension.

Referees are not above criticism, not at all but they should always be above abuse !

irelandrover · 11-06-2018 7:09pm

Have no idea how hurling refs are meant to be close enough to the action to ref.

The last score yesterday for Clare, puck out for Tipp to the Clare 20 metre line. Returned back up to the Tipp 20 metre line. How is the ref meant to be close enough to see little subtle fouls?

nice_guy80 · 11-06-2018 7:40pm

irelandrover wrote: »

Have no idea how hurling refs are meant to be close enough to the action to ref.

The last score yesterday for Clare, puck out for Tipp to the Clare 20 metre line. Returned back up to the Tipp 20 metre line. How is the ref meant to be close enough to see little subtle fouls?

Teleportation

ANXIOUS · 11-06-2018 7:43pm

Shane_ef wrote: »

Personal Pet peeves -
Clearer definition of contact rules
Yellow cards for simulation, stamp this out now
A public announcement - Extra time is AT LEAST + x minutes, this is not the word of god
More accountability for official abuse, although given they gave Gordan Kelly 3 months for emptying a water bottle near an umpire maybe we let this one slide

There already is a yellow for simulation.

Referee abuse

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