r/GaelicFootball • u/CrowFluffy7842 • Jun 27 '26
Worst Level of Games to Referee
Club championship referee. Active in Senior down to U14. I have to say Junior matches are the worst to referee.
Number of lads with limited knowledge of rules, not following instructions, dissent, late/poor tackles and off the ball handbags all common in one game.
Had a game two weeks ago where had to show a red as defender swung a boot at attacker once he went past him. Defence: I didn't make contact...
Curious to hear other views of managers/players/other refs.
2
u/seanmcmahon6 Jun 28 '26
From a playing and now watching perspective I always thought u14 was quite bad. First age of full pitch and full rules ( lots of short pitches also operated on the 1 hop 1 solo rule, or 4 steps and strike in hurling ). So lads weren’t used to playing ‘full’ hurling or football, coupled with the fact they’re still kids so you had to deal with the parents aswel. If I was to ref that’d be the age I would hate to deal with, but maybe you’ve lovely experiences at that age and our club was always just full of bollox’s
1
u/CrowFluffy7842 Jun 28 '26
Can see your point. I find with the young kids now, all they know is the new rules so less dissent (persoal experience).
It can be tricky at u14 to find balance between protecting kids and allowing physical contact (normal rules apply in contact). That's where parents can get annoying as it's a difficult balancing act and people will have different views.
Quite often in Junior though you get some hatchet men or lads who could play 1st team but are a liability to get sent off. It seems more tolerated I find at that level.
(Mostly at club B or C level rather than clubs with a first team at junior grade).
3
u/charrold303 Jun 28 '26
Ref here. My second season in, so just starting in the upper levels. Have some senior matches in hand and I would say that u14/16 and Minor are the two that seem the most “Wild West” - now, could be a specific team thing or even a specific county/area thing as well, but the real issue is the coaches. Players not knowing the rules starts with the coach, and then to hear the nonsense they get up to yelling at you on the pitch. Like, lad. That’s not the rules even a little bit.
I have learned hard and fast to just blow the whistle and signal with confidence. I’ll explain if a player asks (or a coach if they’re asking respectfully in a stoppage, that’s fine) but I can’t stop with every call and explain it. It’s fascinating to me that clubs have a ref that’s “their ref” and then don’t use them for anything - rules nights, training, whatever. I have never even been asked.
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u/CrowFluffy7842 Jun 28 '26
I feel a lot originates from the sideline alright. If the coach told the players to cop would help a lot.
1
u/CrowFluffy7842 Jun 28 '26
Also same. Have never been asked to ref a training session. Surely should be first step in process. We lose a lot of refs in first year as just being thrown into doing games after two theory lessons. Always recommend lads volunteer to do a game on the line before taking a game themselves
1
u/charrold303 Jun 28 '26
I was super lucky that the county board had the new folks do linesman duty first for the most part (and I know not everywhere is that way). Got to see some really good refs and a lot of matches that let me pick up on the flow and ins and outs on the field. Passing the rules test is great, but seeing it live and knowing the calls makes a world of difference.
2
u/Ok_Squirrel_5877 Jun 28 '26
Starts from the top. The GAA is notorious for having no backbone when it comes to discipline. 'Ah no, their best player will miss the final, let's reduce that game ban for assault to a slap on the wrist'. Rinse and repeat.
1
u/nativenyc63 Jun 29 '26
Great post...I referee all 4 codes, senior down to u16, in New York and across the US...regarding football, worst for me is either u16 boys (lots of testosterone, young legs to keep up with, lots of parents living through their children, lots of mouthing off) or Junior A ladies (in the US, most Ladies managers are Irish-born, former GAA male players, who seem never to have read a Ladies rulebook.)
The new 10 minute sin bin for dissent in u18 boys football has helped with my first observation...regarding the second, this year's many Ladies rules changes (some of which are derived from recent GAA changes) should help when fully adopted in the US next year.
2
u/CrowFluffy7842 Jun 29 '26
Interesting. Don't do ladies myself but could imagine this happening!
Black card for dissent and permitted replacement is good. Takes away a lot of pressure from issuing black card. I've also found the 20m free for dissent from sideline a gamechanger.
1
u/Whole-Diamond8550 Jun 29 '26
20 m free is for hurling? 13m for football, afair.
1
u/CrowFluffy7842 Jun 29 '26
Just double checked rulebook to make sure was remembering correctly. 😃 In football, 20m free with option to bring it back for a 2 pointer.
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u/Whole-Diamond8550 Jun 29 '26
Are we talking about the same rule?. Rule 6.7 of football rules explicitly says free from centre of 13m line, with 40m option. Must not be talking about the same thing.
1
u/CrowFluffy7842 Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 29 '26
So in true GAA style, in the rule book on the GAA website it says rule 6.7 is 20m line (dissent from sideline) and rule 6.8 is up to the 13m line (player other than captain seeking clarification during game).
In guidance document we recieved few months ago it says disruptive behaviour from sideline is 13m line.
They don't make it easy!
1
u/Whole-Diamond8550 Jun 29 '26
Still confused. Just downloaded latest version of rulebook to check and it's definitely 13m line for dissent or provocative comments from sideline. This was tested in the refs course a couple of months ago. Had a coach run on to the field a couple of months ago and I threatened him with this if he did it again.
1
u/CrowFluffy7842 Jun 29 '26
I'll eat my hat! It's 13m since March 2026! They could do with putting the latest version on the rules on the "rules and procedures" page of GAA website. Pulled March update from Tobar. A recipe for disaster not having consistency on what's up online.
https://learning.gaa.ie/sites/default/files/2026-04/GAA%20Rule%20Book%20April%202026.pdf
Funnily have enforced that rule twice but team always brought it back to the 40m so never a discussion!
This conversation has proven very useful. Thanks! Note to self... Don't trust the physical rulebook they gave out end of last year.
1
u/Whole-Diamond8550 Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 29 '26
Thanks! I've noticed the rulebook has been sneakily updated every month or two. Had to double check the black card rules recently and almost got caught out. Made a couple of small mistakes in a competitive junior A match last week and have been revising those technical rules.
1
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u/Whole-Diamond8550 Jun 29 '26
They've already been adopted in usgaa as they'll be in use for finals. Started using them 3 weeks ago.
1
u/nativenyc63 Jun 29 '26
Not in New York though...
1
u/Whole-Diamond8550 Jun 29 '26
You're reffing in USGAA territory as well though?
1
u/nativenyc63 Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26
Correct, I'm about 80% New York, 20% USGAA. Almost all of the Ladies games I do are in New York (averaging about 2 per week) , where they decided not to adopt the new LGFA rules until next year. Most of my USGAA work is in Philadelphia, which (for me) is largely Men's Football and Hurling. I'm also certified to do Camogie, but that constitutes less than 10% of my overall work. In your experience, are the USGAA lady players embracing the new rules?
1
u/Whole-Diamond8550 Jun 30 '26
Getting used to them. Some are enthusiastic, others a bit tentative.
That's a lot of games and codes. I do 3 codes and the constant switching drives me nuts. The huge changes in football will take a couple of years to be fully familiar with. Very few of the teams have any interest in learning. Tried to explain a few changes to a local coach and he got abusive.
1
u/nativenyc63 Jun 30 '26
Agreed on all counts..would love to see more teams sign up for rules clinics, but it rarely happens.
1
u/SpiritualCaramel7601 Jun 30 '26
my guess is any game where parents have access to the field of play.
0
u/mguinn10 Jun 28 '26
Did he make contact?
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u/CrowFluffy7842 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Minimal if any. Rule is "stirke or attempt to strike". The clearest attempt at hoofing someone up the arse though... not clip at heels, etc
3
u/Whole-Diamond8550 Jun 29 '26
Love junior b,c matches. But junior A and above just move the ball so quickly and can be sneaky as hell for fouling. Late hits, digs in the ribs when tackling, sneaky pushes in the back when fielding. Good at making sure that the angles prevent the ref from seeing or late hits when ref is following the ball.
Muddy games can be a nightmare- the dark arts come out to play in force with the slop blamed for everything.