Call for linesmen to have a bigger say

FR SEAMUS GARDINER of the National Referees' Committee has called for more powers to be given to inter-county linesmen, arguing that they are not being used to their full potential.

Fr. Gardiner was speaking following recent instances of over-carrying in the Munster SHC games between Limerick and Tipperary, pointing out that calls for improvement in standards among umpires and linesmen were not that easy to implement.

"As things stand we have control over the linesmen and referees, but not over the umpires. All referees have their own umpires and they are adamant that this is better, that they develop teamwork and understanding over the years. There is a section on the umpires in the assessment forms for all referees and there have been cases where individuals have been told that unless there is an improvement in their umpires, it would affect future appointments. However, there has never been a specific instruction that a certain individual has to be replaced.

"However, I'm more concerned about the linesman situation. All the linesmen at inter-county games are themselves inter-county referees, but their only power at the moment, apart from flagging line balls, obviously, is to call the referee's attention to off-the-ball incidents, such as occurred on Sunday between Pat Mulcahy and Seamus Prendergast; they can't indicate a foul. A lot of the time, because the referee will actually be running behind the play, the linesmen are in better position to see what's going on, especially when it comes to counting steps with the ball. I would certainly give them more power, particularly now that they are linked up to the referee."

What would it take to implement all these changes?

"Any change in the umpiring situation could come through Central Council, but giving the linesmen (or the umpires) power to call fouls would require a motion to Congress, and I'm not sure that we can introduce any more changes for another five years."

In any event, Fr Gardiner doesn't see anything happening for the moment, saying "There's no swell of opinion that I'm aware of."

Certainly in Limerick this week there would be support for such a move, as they contemplate another bitter championship defeat in controversial circumstances. Three times in the last four seasons - in 2001, 2002 and 2004 - Limerick have been knocked out of the championship by just one point.

Again last Saturday night they fell by one point, forced into the back-door qualifying route by Tipperary. They could be forgiven for complaining, for cursing their bad luck, but the question must be asked: was it always a question of luck?

Four minutes into extra-time of a ferociously-competitive replay, after tying the game up in normal time with a last-gasp Donie Ryan point and taking the lead with a pointed TJ Ryan free, Limerick had the momentum; then came the second Tipperary goal.

Young Evan Sweeney, just on the pitch, rounded the last line of defence and shot past a helpless Timmy Houlihan.

"It was a tremendous goal, Evan showed great courage to win the ball and score a goal like that," stated Tipperary manager Ken Hogan, "little things like that win games."

They do, and little things also lose games, like the fact that in scoring his goal young Evan took ten steps without putting the ball on his stick, which was a major factor in foiling the efforts of the Limerick defence - and Mark Foley in particular - to dispossess him.

In the drawn game, controversy surrounded the Limerick goal, when Donie Ryan took a lot more than ten steps with the ball, all the while being harassed illegally, before eventually being awarded a penalty that TJ goaled.

Those are not isolated incidents, nor are these controversies reserved for referees. Every year, in every championship, there are instances where umpires get their calls mixed up, or just get them wrong.

Down the decades, many a critical match has been decided by the referee; he is supposed to be the arbiter, yet far too often he and/or his team of officials become the decisive factor.

What can the GAA do to address the problem?

Human error, by players and officials alike, is an integral part of the game, but a goalscorer in a vital championship game taking more than twice the allowed number of steps with the ball in hand should surely be spotted. And if not by the referee, then by one of his six assistants, be that umpire or linesman.