GAA linesmen told to be vigilant in policing ‘lawless’ sidelines

GAA Linesmen and fourth officials have been told to be extremely vigilant in policing “lawless” sidelines after a spate of incidents this month.

The substitution incidents in the Laois-Armagh and Donegal-Monaghan matches aside, as part of a crackdown the GAA have instructed match officials to bring order to the areas populated by the respective managements, backroom team members and substitutes.

One senior GAA figure described the sideline as “lawless” in some games. In the closing stages of last Saturday’s Ulster semi-final in Cavan, there were heated exchanges between members of the Donegal and Monaghan camps, while there have been some flashpoints in other championship matches.