Saturday’s special congress is likely to be uneventful in that the impact of the Football Review Committee’s proposals has played out over the intercounty season and the positive reception is backed by detailed data compiled as the year progressed.
At present, however, the second part of the trial year is still in progress, as club championships play to their conclusion.
For GAA national match officials manager, Donal Smyth, this lower-profile but equally crucial element of the roll-out has gone well, given the potential for complications.
There have been controversies in counties over whether two-pointers have been kicked from 40 metres. And of course in some club matches, the referee is on their own without the expansive crew that backs up match officials in intercounty and more important senior club fixtures.
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Nonetheless, just as with the intercounty game, Smyth finds that one initiative is helping significantly – the reduction in noise for referees in the new penalties for dissent and gamesmanship.
“The dissent rule is working really well. Now, it may not be being enforced as strictly as is ideal – you can still see mentors on the field and stuff like that for instance – but overall, the word back is that the dissent is working really well and what people don’t realise is that it’s giving referees space to make decisions. That’s probably the most important thing I’d say.”
He says the enhanced refereeing experience has already had an impact.
“We were a bit apprehensive about increasing the workload on referees and were prepared with the new rules that we would lose a lot of referees. But what we’re actually finding is that referees are finding the game much more enjoyable to referee. People are staying around and want to get involved now – because of the lack of dissent.”
The improvement in the football refereeing environment is being put into sharp contrast by those officials, who also take charge of hurling.
“There’s a real positivity about the football refereeing. The attitude of club referees in football is just totally transformed. The other side of the story is that we would have 40 per cent of our fellas dual referees as well. A lot are saying that the difference in refereeing hurling and football – just in the dissent, never mind the other rules – is chalk and cheese.
“That’s the aggravation. Some say there’s a difference between hurling and football culture. But what’s needed is not a culture change, it’s an attitude change. People need to say, here, hold on a minute and take responsibility for what they can control.”
A further contributing factor to improved discipline has been the “solo and go” provision, which allows a fouled player to play on immediately and reduces the opportunity to dispute frees and hold up play.
Speaking to The Irish Times last August after the intercounty championship, experienced All-Ireland referee Seán Hurson expanded on that point.
“The awarding of a free was a constant challenge. Players would race 20 metres to argue the award with the referee, partly to delay the play and partly to put doubt in the ref’s head. That’s all impossible once the ball is back in play.
“I didn’t think it was going to work as well because there was no intensity in the trial games [last year’s interprovincials], there was no jeopardy. But when there is jeopardy and there is intensity, players still were disciplined.”
Smyth acknowledges that whereas the club scene has adapted to the new rules and their demands quite well, there is still a major challenge for the GAA in backing up grassroots referees with assistance and ongoing training.
“We have been successful at national level but how much advice is going on locally? How much organising meetings for referees? Sometimes it’s about getting games played and not following through with referee supports.
“So, I suppose there’s a real education piece for next year to reinforce the rules by making sure the counties are doing the follow-up and the courses are being done correctly.
“If they start to fail we would be in trouble, but so far it has been progressing well.”
He jokes about the impact of motion 40, adding to the black card infractions: “To deliberately deny a goalscoring opportunity ... by pulling an opponent’s jersey”.
“I think they’ll hold on until January 1st, anyway.”
Which they will, as competitions are already in progress. This year’s club championships last until January when the All-Irelands are decided. Back at the start of this year, the final between Cuala and Errigal Ciarán was the last fixture televised under the old rules.
