Referees to get more freedom and assistance

The GAA may move to modify the restrictions on referees communicating with the media after matches.

During a media briefing in Croke Park, former chairman of the referees work group Paddy Collins suggested that if a distinction was drawn between facts - largely match statistics - and comment - the rationale behind decisions - the gagging regulation could be relaxed.

Collins' proposal came at the end of a meeting called to unveil a package of measures intended to assist referees in the coming championship.

At the briefing in Croke Park yesterday, officials gave details of a new paging system between linesmen and referees, regulations governing blood substitutions, the new substitution zone and timekeeping procedures.

One significant aspect of the timekeeping provisions is that the referee remains the sole timekeeper. Towards the end of each half, he will inform the standby linesman how much time will be added for stoppages. The standby linesman will then communicate this information to the public by an electronic board or/and the public address system.

Blood substitutions were approved by last autumn's special congress and provide for an injured player to leave the field to receive attention for bleeding or bloodstains.

A replacement may temporarily come on for a wounded player, but leaves as soon as the latter is fit to resume. This substitute must come from the team's panel of 20 unless all replacements are already on the field in which case a temporary replacement is allowed.

Further exceptions include the sending-off of a temporary replacement; a different player must then be withdrawn if the original player wishes to return to the field.

Substitutions will in future take place through a special zone, five metres either side of the centre line. This zone will be controlled by the standby linesman.

All players, either entering or leaving the field, must pass through the zone unless the player being replaced is injured in which case he can leave at the nearest point when given permission by the referee.

Former Tipperary and Laois hurling manager Babs Keating who was in attendance made the point that players being replaced are frequently in poor humour and generally want to leave the pitch at the point nearest the line.

In response, Paraic Duffy, chairman of the Games Administration Committee, stated that, whereas it would be a departure for players and managers, other sports operate similar procedures without difficulty.

The briefing was organised by the National Referees Work Group, whose PRO, Fr Seamus Gardiner, set out the aims of the work group. Its goal, according to Fr Gardiner, was "to minimise mistakes and attain consistency".

To this end, an intensive programme at local and national level had been implemented. Fitness tests and written examinations (with a 96 per cent pass threshold - according to Fr Gardiner, occasional mistakes of judgment are tolerated, but not ignorance of the rules) are conducted between March and May.

Assessors report back on the performance of referees at national level and recently, training videos produced by Paul McGinley of Torc Productions have been released for both referees and umpires.

In addition, nine training meetings have been held in Athlone where referees discuss mistakes made in recent matches. It was stated the work group felt there to be a shortage of good hurling referees.

Fr Gardiner also said that, at a meeting of the work group, county officers and team officials, it was accepted that the standard of refereeing had improved but there had been criticism of umpiring standards - hence the training video.

Prefacing his remarks on the new substitution provisions, Paraic Duffy said that it had to be accepted that referees made mistakes but that this wasn't just a GAA problem and he instanced examples of disquiet in both cricket and soccer recently.

He also emphasised that appointments made by the Central Referees Appointments Committee "were made on merit".

Dan McCartan, the work group chairman, introduced the new paging system to be introduced on a pilot basis from April 22nd. The units, through which a linesman can bleep a referee to attract his attention, cost in the region of £300 each.