Ask The Referees: Men in the middle have their say on rule changes

NIALL CULLEN (FERMANAGH)

FERMANAGH’S Niall Cullen has been on the GAA’s Championship Referees’ Panel since 2017 and he believes that his inter-county experience will give him an advantage when the club game returns later this month.

While the tier-two championship was postponed, the new rules are not being delayed as football finally returns. The Erne Gaels clubman believes his experience at county level will give him a massive help.

“We had some of those new rules in for the start of the National League,” said Cullen.

“We were getting used to them and I think it’s good that in Fermanagh there is going to be league football before there is championship football. That will give everybody a chance to get used to them.

“These are strange times for everyone and decisions had to be made. It wasn’t up to me to make them so I’ll just do what I’m told!”

Cullen does expect some difficulties for players and officials when the club game throws in, but time and experience should speed up the learning experience.

“We’re even at a bit of a disadvantage because having a meeting with the referees before the league starts is not ideal given the current circumstances.

“People will get used to the new rules. Players will have to get used to them and referees will have to get used to them too. The first few games I did in the National League produced no big issues.

“The most important thing for a referee is to remember all the other rules that were there on January 1. If we get all of those right, and we get one or two of the new rules right too, we won’t be too far off.

“Take the advanced mark in the National League. At times I thought the player catching the ball wasn’t realizing it until it was too late and had played on. So it’s just tidying that up.

“I thought the 10 minutes for a black card would be an issue in the club game but I know in the county games I did I was very conscious about timing it even though there was a fourth official timing it also.

“The teams that spend the most time learning the new rules will adapt the best, I think, when football returns.”

There could be at least one change in the referees’ panel later in the year depending on how highly-rated whistler David Gough feels in a few months’ time.

Gough, who officiated last year’s drawn All-Ireland final between Kerry and Dublin, has stepped away from club duties in Meath due to unease over the lack of social distancing.

Cullen respects Gough’s point of view, but said that he has no such worries.

“I’m going to go back to refereeing and I’m looking forward to going back to refereeing,” he said.

“I’m not going to take any chances with my health or the health of family members.

“Travelling with umpires in the car is not going to be feasible. Everything else I think you can take a common sense approach to and stay safe as a referee.

“I respect everybody’s concerns. Different people react different to certain situations. A lot of players won’t come back. Coaches, referees, umpires won’t come back. You have to respect that.”

COLM MCDONALD (ANTRIM)

DUAL referee Colm McDonald feels that officials in the 26 counties have received a headstart over their northern counterparts in getting used to the new football rules.

The Irish and Northern Irish governments failed to gain alignment on when challenge games could resume. In the south, challenge matches were permitted from June 29. Up north, July 17 is the first time teams can play each other.

“In the north we start at the same time full contact is allowed again so we have no real time to adjust,” said McDonald. “We don’t have that second pre-season but we should be okay because there has been enough information given out on paper and we got video clips too.

“In Antrim there is one round of league fixtures before championship and with no promotion or relegation teams will be using it to get up to speed on the new rules.

“You’d hope that teams would appreciate that while they are trying to blow off the cobwebs, we’ll be doing the same.

“We are in the same boat as the players so it will be a two-way street.

“There is a break between league and championship of a week or so and you’ll probably find that challenge games are arranged then too, so that will be another opportunity for everyone togain experience before the championship.

“It’s going to be a learning curve for players, managers and referees.”

The Belfast whistler feels that referees in Antrim have received plenty of help before the start of the new season, and are as well prepared as they probably can be.

“With regards to the new rules we have received a lot of documentation from our referee co-ordinator (Brendan Toland).

“He has given us a lot on it and how they have been set out. They have been clearly identified so it’s been pretty good.

“That has been fed down to us from Croke Park but in regards to us actually doing a good job with them, we have had some experience.

“Obviously before Covid kicked in we had some pre-season games to adapt. There were opportunities there but given that we are a few months out from those games, it will probably take us a while to get our bearings again.”

McDonald said that working in Belfast City Hospital has also allayed any fears about returning to action.

“The hospital was being used as the Nightingale Hospital and I still went to work every day.

“You had experience of adhering to the social distance rules and got a bit of training so I’ll carry that across onto the pitch.”

JIM BURNS (ARMAGH)

ARMAGH’S longest serving referee Jim Burns believes that many players will enter the new club season unaware of the intricacies of the new playing rules.

Burns, who referees out of Carrickcruppen in Armagh and Rostrevor in Down, isn’t convinced that all teams will be fully prepared by the time football begins next weekend.

“The problem I see is that the referees will know most of the rules but quite a few managers and players will be limited in their knowledge of the new rules,” said Burns, who began officiating in 1979.

“That is an issue. You could make a call on the field and get called all the names of the day but you may be just following the new rules.

“The referees have been sent all the rules and I got that sent on to all the coaches (in Carrickcruppen). But there will still be plenty who are not aware of some of them.

“The example I’ll give is the defensive mark, there will be plenty of confusion over it. Do players know whether or not they have to put up their hand? Do they think the referee has to blow the whistle or not? Do some even know that it’s a rule in place?

“If you talk to players, they’re flying off the seat of their pants.”

Burns believes the 10-minute sin-bin is going to cause particular hassle in the weeks and months ahead.

“Managers always try to influence referees. It doesn’t matter if it’s senior championship or a fourth division game, that’s how it is.

“The sin-bin at club. You have to watch the watch and if you’re watching the watch you’re not watching the play.

“Do people know that if a player comes on before the 10 minutes is up they will be sent off (second card)?

“It’s alright at inter-county level where you have a fourth official and four umpires, but imagine a man going down to do a match on his own and half the people there not knowing the rules.”

In an ideal world Armagh and Down officials would have neutral umpires and linesmen at every club game, but Burns said it’s just not possible.

“County boards can’t afford that,” he said. “There aren’t enough referees to cover it anyway.

“Every game in the championship, whether it is junior, intermediate or senior, will have neutral officials there that will help. The leagues are going to be tougher though.”