Hurling’s new dissent rule comes into force this weekend

Managers also face 20m free punishment for questioning referees.

Saturday’s Division 2 National Hurling League final between Kerry and Laois as well as the Division 3 and 4 deciders will incorporate the new rule, which empowers referees to advance frees 30 metres for dissent. Pic: David Ribeiro

Hurling’s new dissent rules comes into effect for club and county games this weekend.

Saturday’s Division 2 National Hurling League final between Kerry and Laois as well as the Division 3 and 4 deciders will incorporate the new rule, which empowers referees to advance frees 30 metres for dissent.

Previously, a player that argued or complained about a referee’s decision would be punished by the free being brought forward 13m. That has more than doubled but can only be done once for the same incident. 

In the event that dissent continues, a player is to be issued a yellow card.

For those U18 and below, a player guilty of dissent will be sin-binned for 10 minutes and temporarily replaced by a substitute for those 10 minutes.

New dissent sanctions also apply to team managements. On top of personal sanction, a free from the middle of the 20m line will be awarded to the opposing team should a referee or any match officials’ authority be challenged, abusive, threatening or provocative language used towards an opposing player, team official, referee or any match official, disruptive behaviour committed, minor physical interference with or assault on a referee or match official.

If a team management figure commits any of the offences before a game starts, at half-time, or before extra-time, the game will start with a free on the 20m line to the other team.

The personal sanctions fall under the category of misconduct at games by team officials and range from yellow to red cards.

The Liam MacCarthy Cup teams will experience the rules for the first time in Sunday week’s Division 1A and 1B final double-header in Limerick.

Cork’s Ben O’Connor and Limerick’s John Kiely have welcomed the on-field dissent rule change. 

“No issues with it at all,” said O’Connor. “Referees have a hard enough job, not to mind fellas roaring and shouting at them. They'll make mistakes, we'll make mistakes, so why not?"

Kiely remarked: “It’s a positive really from a refereeing perspective. The referees don’t want players coming in and badgering them and rushing into their faces when there is an incident on the pitch. If the decision goes against you, it goes against you and you have to get on with it.

“It’s one that is in all of our control in terms of how we behave on the pitch as players, so it is important for the lads to take cognisance of it.”