Referee David Coldrick with Mayo captain Stephen Coen, left, and Kerry captain Gavin White before the Allianz Football League Division 1 final match between Kerry and Mayo at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
One of the most positive consequences of the FRC’s Gaelic football rule enhancements has been the huge reduction in the level of dissent towards referees by players.
A statistical analysis of the 20205 Allianz Football League has shown there was an average of just six dissent fouls per round across the four divisions, which works out at 0.4 per game.
Clearly, the 50 metre penalty for showing “dissent with the referee’s decision to award a free to the opposing team” is having the desired effect.
Referee Maurice Deegan is a member of the FRC and believes the dissent rule isn’t just having a very positive impact on the game, it will also encourage more people to take up refereeing.
“I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from other referees and I can speak for mysef personally because I’ve refereed a good few club matches and practice matches since the new rules came – the dissent rule has made a massively positive difference to refereeing a match," says Deegan.
“Then the knock on effect of the dissent rule is that it will be a big help for the actual recruitment of referees.
“We do have an issue with the recruitment of referees but if the dissent rule is applied correctly by referees at club and county level then I can see that recruitment become a lot better.”
Referee Maurice Deegan shakes hands with Joseph Moran of The Downs, after Deegan's last match to referee in Croke Park, in the 2022 AIB Leinster GAA Football Senior Club Championship Final match between Kilmacud Crokes of Dublin and The Downs of Westmeath at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
FRC Chairperson, Jim Gavin, believes a lot of credit for the success of the rule enhancements to date must go to referees for doing such a good job applying them.
“I think the referees have done a phenomenal job,” says Gavin. “In other sports they have TMOs and replays.
“Gaelic football is one of the most dynamic field sports in the world and there's a lot going on and I think they're doing an incredible job making real life calls on a multitude of things.
“Credit has to go to the referees. We have witnessed how detail oriented they are, how passionate they are about the rules and how they want to do a right job for the game.
“That needs to be said. I think they're in a really strong place going in to this championship.”
GAA Football Review Committee chairperson Jim Gavin, second from right, with from left, GAA Football Review Committee members Éamonn Fitzmaurice and Colm Collins, and Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns, right, during a media briefing after the GAA Special Congress 2024 at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
Another FRC member, Colm Collins, manages his club Cratloe and has hailed the seamless manner in which referees at club level have adapted to the new rules.
“We've played League football at low level in Division 3 and we obviously wouldn't be getting the top grade referee for a Division 3 football game, but I've been very impressed with the common-sense way they've dealt with the rules," says Collins.
“In any of the games we've played it has been as smooth as could be. You're talking about a guy arriving on his own in a lot of cases with not even an umpire with him.
“I think they've used common sense really well and adapted quite well. So far so good, to be honest. I couldn't be higher in praise of the referees. The national referees that we've met have been unbelievably professional and thorough and constantly looking for feedback and trying to improve for the next game.
“There's great credit due to them because there was a raft of rules that came in together here."
* The FRC's Post Allianz Football League Review of the new Rule Enhancements can be viewed and downloaded below.
