GAA: Kerry manager Jack O'Connor is one from a lengthy queue heaping criticism on the yellow-card system but unlike most he has an alternative solution. O'Connor believes the stringent approach referees have adopted is ruining the game.

While the experimental rules will more than likely be gone by the end of the league with the Congress debate on April 16th seeing to that, the here and now suffers.

"Including the linesmen and umpires, there are seven officials. Why not wire them up like in rugby? That's seven pair of eyes to see the pulling and dragging. One of the great skills of Gaelic football is tackling and shoulder tackling. But at present if a player mistimes his shoulder he could walk. The players are afraid to tackle as they don't want to be put off.

"The days of the linesman just raising his flag with a partisan crowd behind him should be gone. A quiet communication into the ear will end the drawback of the crowd. The same for an umpire behind the goal."

O'Connor felt last Saturday night's clash in Tralee between Kerry and Dublin was tainted by the flashes of yellow.

Paddy Kelly is beginning to get used to senior intercounty football but before half-time he was given an innocuous tick which was followed by a mistimed shoulder and the under-21 graduate was back in the dugout.

"I know it's the middle of the league but the referees need to ease back. And it's not just the Kerry players I am talking about," said O'Connor. "Against Dublin, there were three or four unmerited yellows. Peadar Andrews was put off for doing very little, while poor Darren Homan was barely on the pitch when he was yellow-carded. Both were shaking their heads as they came off because they were bewildered with the decisions.

"A little bit of discretion is required from the referees. We all want to protect players, especially skilful ones like the Gooch (Colm Cooper), off the ball. Common sense is the most important thing for referees and at the moment their hands are tied behind their backs."

If O'Connor was standing alone on this maybe he could be eased to one side but when most of his peers are singing the same tune a platform should be afforded to the criticism.

Armagh manager Joe Kernan is still puzzled at the decision to send Armagh corner back Andy Mallon to the line against both Wexford and Laois: "There is not a bad bone in the fella. Okay, against Wexford he was up against Matty Forde but the talk is about cutting out the cynical fellas. That is hard to stomach."

Those managers on the committee who concocted this idea are silent, perhaps because they had little hand in its evolution to its present format. The change from a 10-minute sinbin to a yellow card ending a player's afternoon occurred in Hong Kong.

"I can't imagine where it came from. Go back to last year's league final against Galway. It was a free-flowing game yet this year we have this. Better communication with the linesmen and umpires would address all the off-the-ball stuff."

If Kilkenny get their way and Central Council get rid of the yellow card on Saturday, then next week will bring renewed vigour in the voices of the men trying to build a team for the championship.

"This is fundamentally changing the nature of Gaelic football," stressed O'Connor. "It may be curing one problem but it creates many more. With non-contact, the hand-pass is becoming more prominent and the long-kicking game is disappearing. It probably won't be abolished before the end of the league but with four weeks left the refs need to ease back."

Meanwhile, the GAA have announced tickets for the AIB All-Ireland club finals at Croke Park on Thursday, March 17th are on sale from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide, the Ticketmaster website (www.ticketmaster.ie) and via the usual GAA channels.

Tickets can also be purchased from McCaughey's shop on Clonliffe Road and O'Neill's newsagent, Drumcondra Road. Tickets can also be purchased by phoning 0818-719300. Tickets will be on sale on the day of the games from outlets near the stadium.

Athenry of Galway will play Kilkenny's James Stephens in the hurling final at 2pm and Ballina Stephenites will play Portlaoise in football at 3.40pm.

Adult stand tickets will cost €20 while Hill 16 tickets are €15. student/senior citizen tickets will cost €10 and juvenile (under-16) tickets €5. Group juvenile tickets are also available (€1 per child with one adult free accompanying 10 children) through the Croke Park ticket office only (01-8363222).