Paul Rouse on the changing culture of The Sunday Game and why now faces its biggest challenge

Referees chief Willie Barrett believes the sin bin will make Gaelic football match officials’ lives easier — but admits the possible rule change is open to time wasting.

Referees chief Willie Barrett is in favour of cynical play being punished by a 20-metre free.

Munster GAA referees’ committee secretary John Sexton says a zero-tolerance approach to abuse of match officials must extend to club level.

The chairman of the national referees’ appointments committee, Donal Smyth, believes inter-county managers need to be more self-critical, rather than looking to blame someone outside the team environment.

Referees chief Willie Barrett has rejected Davy Fitzgerald’s suggestion that hurling referees are being put under too much pressure to carry out diktats from Croke Park, leading to unnecessary red cards being doled out.

As Alan Kelly returns to action as a linesman in next Saturday’s Kilkenny-Wexford Round 5 Leinster SHC game, GAA referees chief Willie Barrett wants to see HawkEye score detection technology extended to the goal-line.

Last week, I spoke about the importance of a referee’s team and unfortunately it was the topic of most discussions yesterday, writes Brian Gavin.

Ahead of what’s expected to be a tense Connacht quarter-final between Mayo and Galway on Sunday, a warning has been issued that footballers involved in melees in this year’s championship will be sent off.

Barry Kelly hasn’t retired. Not officially, anyway. The 2017 season was his last as an inter-county referee but not as a match official.

The GAA’s new referees development chairman Willie Barrett believes the number of team officials on sidelines can be reduced after a spate of suspensions for managers and selectors.

The days of the local public announcer at major county games could be coming to an end, as more refereeing officials take over their duties.

A Liam O’Shea penalty one minute into second-half stoppages saw Midleton edge this thrilling Harty Cup quarter-final replay.

Noel O’Donoghue, from the Cuala club in Dublin, enjoyed a stellar refereeing career that spanned over 30 years, taking charge of the 1980 and 1982 All-Ireland SHC finals in that time. Today, the 76-year-old will operate the HawkEye score detection technology when Tipperary and Kilkenny lock horns at GAA HQ...

Former Tipperary star James Woodlock has appealed for “fairness” from referee Brian Gavin in Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC final against Kilkenny.

At the behest of a reader and a Kilkenny friend of ours, we took another look at Barry Kelly’s decision to overturn a Tipperary 65 last Sunday week. 

There was a stormy confrontation outside the referees’ room in Semple Stadium yesterday with Clare management confronting Munster Council officials seeking an explanation for the amount of injury time played at the end of yesterday’s Clare-Limerick Munster Championship game.

One thing you need to know about Ger Cunningham is that he’s not a man for the big show.

Hurling’s new advantage rule won’t mean fewer frees, according to Willie Barrett, chairman of the referees appointment committee.

Hurling 2020 chairman Liam Sheedy believes a limit of five defenders on the goal-line for 20-metre frees is a fair compromise.

Kilkenny legend Eddie Keher and referees chief Pat McEnaney have taken issue with the Hurling 2020 committee’s proposal to make a second yellow card an automatic substitution offence — but for different reasons.

Cork chairman Bob Ryan expressed his delight that Páirc Uí Chaoimh will bow out by staging the county’s Munster SHC final against Limerick on July 13.

Munster’s national referees committee representative, Willie Barrett, maintains yellow and red cards must be retained in hurling as they are integral to the understanding of the game.

A defiant Pat McEnaney has dismissed suggestions he is attempting to sanitise the game of hurling.

National Referees Committee (NRC) member Willie Barrett admits players questioning referees’ decisions in hurling has become more prevalent.

The GAA’s new referees committee chairman Pat McEnaney says his match officials must earn respect and not expect to be given it by players.

GAA President Liam O'Neill has announced his new committees to oversee areas such as games adminstration, discipline, hurling and football development, referees, finance, youth and playing rules.

TIPPERARY GAA chiefs are investigating an assault on former All-Ireland SHC final referee Seamus Roche.

OFFICIALS in South Tipperary have launched an investigation after a match was abandoned in the division for the fourth time this year.

FORMER inter-county hurling referee Willie Barrett, who was struck by a man wielding a hurley last April, has abandoned a club match in South Tipperary for the second time in four months.

TOMÁS O SÉ will undergo a scan this morning to discover the extent of a knee injury sustained in club action at the weekend.

ALMOST 14,000 people have so far logged onto video-sharing website YouTube to see footage of a Tipperary referee being viciously assaulted at one of the weekend’s hurling matches by someone in the crowd.

Concerns have been raised over the increase in violence shown towards referees during GAA matches.

SHOCKING footage of the weekend assault on Tipperary referee Willie Barrett has appeared on the internet.

NATIONAL Referees Association chairman Mick Curley has condemned the assault on former inter-county official Willie Barrett during a Tipperary club game.

FORMER intercounty referee Willie Barrett abandoned a club hurling match in Tipperary on Saturday after he was struck twice by a ‘supporter’ wielding a hurley.

TIPPERARY County Board is not attaching blame to All-Ireland hurling final referee Diarmuid Kirwan or his officials over the controversial penalty awarded to Kilkenny which ignited their victory rally to beat Tipperary.

St Flannan’s (Ennis) 0-15 Árd Scoil Rís (Limerick) 2-9

Cork defender John Gardiner picked up yet another Hurler of the Year award at the Munster Council Awards ceremony in Limerick last night.

PREDICTABLY, Cork players figured prominently among the winners at last night’s Munster Council awards.

Discussing Sunday’s Munster Championship clash at the South Court Hotel, Limerick were former Tipperary hurler, Liam Sheedy, Diarmuid O’Flynn and former Limerick hurler, Gary Kirby.

HURLING referees are especially unhappy about what is perceived as the severity of the penalty of dismissing a player after just one yellow card in the new experimental rules.