Fellow referees back James Owens’ decision to sin bin Aidan McCarthy

Referee James Owens speaks to Aidan McCarthy of Clare before issuing him with a yellow card and subsequently awarding a penalty to Tipperary. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

James Owens’s fellow inter-county hurling referees have backed his decision to sin bin Aidan McCarthy in last Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final.

The support for the Wexford referee at a meeting on Thursday is in contrast to the belief of some administrators and referee mentors that he was incorrect to dismiss the Clare player for his foul on Tipperary’s Jake Morris inside the 20 metre line.

However, the inter-county hurling referees panel endorsed the call early in the second half of the game in LIT Gaelic Grounds. It is understood the referees development committee has now clarified that the goal-scoring opportunity applies not just to the player who is cynically fouled but his team.

The inter-county panel also agreed the three other sin bins in the Liam MacCarthy Cup up to this weekend's action - Shane Fives against Clare, Eoin Murphy against Wexford and Peter Casey against Cork - were accurately awarded by referees Colm Lyons, Fergal Horgan and Paud O’Dwyer respectively.

The conflicting interpretations of the sin bin between referees and those in administration poses a major issue for the Championship as it reaches provincial final and first round qualifier stages next weekend, particularly when the McCarthy decision was roundly criticised.

The GAA Official Guide states: “If one of the following infractions is committed on an attacking player with a goal-scoring opportunity, either inside the 20-metre line or the semi-circular arc - (a) To pull down an opponent (5.1) or (b) To trip an opponent with hands, arm, leg, foot, or hurley (5.2) or (c) To use the hurley in a careless manner (5.6), the following penalties shall apply - (i) A Penalty Puck shall be awarded to the team affected. (ii) Additional to being issued a Caution (Yellow Card), the offender shall be sent to the Sin Bin for 10 minutes unless the infraction is a second Cautionable Infraction in which case the offender shall be ordered off for the remainder of the game, including Extra-Time when played.”