TJ Ryan: Teams have video analysis on officials. What's the ref doing?

Referees are losing touch with modern hurling, warns former Limerick player and manager TJ Ryan.

There was a welter of criticism of refereeing performances over the Allianz Hurling League weekend, with several controversial red cards, a glut of frees in the televised matches, and seemingly a focus on punishing players for perceived infringement of the handpass rule.

Speaking on the Irish Examiner GAA Podcast, Ryan fears referees are not in tune with the way the sport has changed in recent seasons.

“The way the teams are training, the small-sided games, the possession stuff, is based on getting the ball away quick, slick. These boys are really good at it now. It’s minimal movement but by the letter of the law they are not breaking it. The referees are not moving with that.

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“Most of the counties now have video analysis on the referee. What’s the referee doing to up his game? Is he doing video analysis on players, on what they do, on the tackles and handpasses?

The analysis by teams, I don’t see the same coming back from referees. They are not in touch with the modern game and they need to focus on it and get it right for the summer.

“If you’re training a team, and a fella is throwing up the ball a foot away from his hand to handpass it, nine times out of 10 he’ll get that ball knocked away from him. Or the handpass will go up too high.”

Ryan was particularly frustrated with the 42 frees awarded by Sean Cleere in Limerick’s defeat of Cork on Sunday.

“You want to go to a hurling match to see the blood and thunder and to see the skills of the Cian Lynchs. But it’s mad, the stoppages.

“The game of hurling is difficult to referee. That middle third is ferocious. We don’t want to see yellow cards, players sent off in the wrong. But it’s an issue and it’s not going away.”

Ryan fears a clampdown on minor infringements is a policy imposed on referees who are officiating to satisfy assessors.

“I’d be concerned about what’s happening in the office. What direction is the referee getting? What kind of a report is he getting? What direction do they want the game of hurling to go?

“For me, black card, sin bin, I don’t think we need it. They are focusing on the wrong area. Getting the consistency of the refereeing right is the crucial thing going forward and they are focusing on the wrong area completely.

“I’ve seen a corner-back coming out and three fellas hanging off him and the ref with his hand up playing advantage. Just give him the free and get on with it. But then a fella going through on goal and he won’t let him off. It’s bananas.

“The GAA and the key officials, they are trying to fix the stars and they are missing the moon.”

Ryan feels immediate improvement could be made by involving linesmen more in the action. He cannot understand why linesmen can draw the referee’s attention to red card incidents but are seemingly reluctant to signal for lesser offences.

“There’s four referees at every hurling game, there’s two linesmen, the referee, and the fourth official. The fourth official is effectively just doing secretarial work. The two linemen are key players going forward. They have to get consistency among themselves. A linesman can send a fella off but he can’t tell the ref it’s a free.

“I’ve been on the sideline where I see something blatant going on. I say it to the linesman and he’s saying to me, 'sure I can’t do anything about it'.

“Hurling has a big 12 months to get these things right. There's probably five or six teams who can win the All-Ireland. Matches are going to be tight over the summer and we don't want to be talking about referees.”

Ryan hopes hurling is not taking its lead from football with initiatives such as the proposed black card.

“Is there a case for a complete hurling association? A complete focus on the game of hurling.”