Righting wrongs of black card

The news that Kildare are looking into contesting the black card Michael Foley picked up in Croke Park on Saturday evening is encouraging.

The defender’s high tackle was dangerous as it was reckless but cynical? No. Furthermore, and more importantly, it bared no relation to any of the three such cynical offences under the black card rule.

Referee Marty Duffy simply got the call wrong, and Kildare have every right to ensure Foley doesn’t become a victim of the mistake further down the line: three black cards across a season’s Allianz League and Championship results in a one-match ban. But there’s a bigger story here. As the GAA continues its education of the black card, identifying what isn’t one is just as essential as illustrating what is.