Ring wants end to cards

Cork are in line to make another attempt to remove yellow and red cards from hurling next year.

Five years ago, Glen Rovers’ Christy Ring Jnr’s motion received two-third majority support at Cork’s convention, but was ruled out of order at Congress as the original wording was altered.

As 2015 is a playing rules year, Ring Jnr has confirmed he will again be putting forward the motion, having been buoyed by Kilkenny legend Eddie Keher’s support for the eradication of cards from the game.

Keher recently delivered a document to GAA president Liam O’Neill outlining his opposition to the cards system and proposal to return to the pre-1999 mechanism of tickings and sendings off.

Much in line with Keher’s thinking, Ring Jnr believes cards have contributed to bad judgement calls by referees. He is concerned at how some genuine attempts to play the ball have been upgraded as fouls in the rulebook. Where once a mistimed shoulder charge was a technical offence meriting a free puck, it is now deemed rough play.

He argues a free is a greater penalty in hurling than in football — “This is due to the greater scoring range in hurling and a player is less likely to commit a deliberate foul, notwithstanding the card system.”

Ring Jnr doesn’t believe the rules that currently govern the game reflect it. “The skills of football are not penalised. Nobody would penalise you for kicking or catching the ball. The use of the hurley is an art and it comes down to split second timing. Pulling and doubling of the ball is a skill yet it can be considered a yellow card if it’s late and that’s down to the pressure being put on referees.

“The basic skills of the game have been outlawed. In my opinion, cards were the worst thing that came into Gaelic games.”

Ring Jnr also feels cards, particularly yellow, have held up the free-flowing spectacle of hurling. “The situation is being exploited by players falling down and feigning injury as a method to get frees and opponents booked. The phenomenon is even being adopted by certain teams. This was never part of the culture of Gaelic games.”