The issue of letting the game flow
Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:05 pm
A young chap was knocked unconscious in today’s U16 ‘B’ hurling Final in an incident that was crucial to the game’s outcome.
With four minutes remaining Eimhin Kelly gained possession around halfway, put the ball on his hurl and headed in the direction of the opposition’s goal. He had done this several times during the match and on at least two prior occasions was hit with a hefty frontal charge. No free was awarded. Evidently targeted by the opposition. Presumably because he remained on his feet (a feat, given the strength of the blow0 and retained possession. In the sacred name of ‘let the game flow’, but I am presuming this.
On that 57th minute occasion the lad was not so lucky. Hit frontally, another opponent slid in, took his legs from under him and Kelly landed on his head. When he regained consciousness following an extremely worrying period of over five minutes, the remaining five minutes was played out in a stony hushed silence. CRC won the match but after what happened, no-one really cared. What might have been an explosive situation was diffused when the St Rynagh’s club announced on the public address that no one would be allowed onto the pitch at game’s end.
Presenting the cup, Padraig Boland thanked the referee and officials (as you expect) but went on to credit the referee with keeping the game flowing. Here lies the rub.
This is a debate hurling needs to have. I’ve been consistent on the issue of letting the game flow for a number of years now, so this is not a knee-jerk reaction on my part. For me a foul is a foul is a foul. And in hurling the advantage IS the free, given that most adult teams contain a freetaker who can convert a free from 90 metres now. Camogie players can point frees from the ’65 now, as balls become lighter.
Technique in the tackle is a skill and appears to be ignored, the cry of “don’t be fouling” seemingly the only advice on tackling technique offered to players. Because referees appear to operate to a quota system where they award one free every three minutes or so. That’s 23 frees, about a dozen to each team, which is about acceptable to the ‘let the game flow’ merchants. And so what’s a free one minute is waved away a minute later at the other end of the field.
It concerned me during the summer on RTE television when Cyril Farrell was very quick to silence Dónal Óg Cusack when the latter made the point that the rules needed to be observed (I can't remember the match in question). Cusack is well on the way to be hurling’s greatest analyst.
Another issue is that some reporters who don’t understand the game rank the performance of a referee in inverse proportion to the number of frees awarded, which is crazy logic. One local paper in this county has appointed itself as a referee’s assessor and generally uses the ‘inverse proportion’ method above.
Now, I don’t expect Eimhin Kelly, or anyone else for that matter, to be allowed solo run unhindered through an opposition defence. And I do realise that the rules were designed a hundred years ago, ever before anyone ever put a ball on a hurl and ran with it, and so there is little a defender can do legally with a forward running at him. But I do expect a level of protection be provided for each player by referees.
Eimhin Kelly is recovering at home tonight and will be alright. And maybe some time in the future a chairman will present a cup, thank the referee and note he did a good job protecting the players.
With four minutes remaining Eimhin Kelly gained possession around halfway, put the ball on his hurl and headed in the direction of the opposition’s goal. He had done this several times during the match and on at least two prior occasions was hit with a hefty frontal charge. No free was awarded. Evidently targeted by the opposition. Presumably because he remained on his feet (a feat, given the strength of the blow0 and retained possession. In the sacred name of ‘let the game flow’, but I am presuming this.
On that 57th minute occasion the lad was not so lucky. Hit frontally, another opponent slid in, took his legs from under him and Kelly landed on his head. When he regained consciousness following an extremely worrying period of over five minutes, the remaining five minutes was played out in a stony hushed silence. CRC won the match but after what happened, no-one really cared. What might have been an explosive situation was diffused when the St Rynagh’s club announced on the public address that no one would be allowed onto the pitch at game’s end.
Presenting the cup, Padraig Boland thanked the referee and officials (as you expect) but went on to credit the referee with keeping the game flowing. Here lies the rub.
This is a debate hurling needs to have. I’ve been consistent on the issue of letting the game flow for a number of years now, so this is not a knee-jerk reaction on my part. For me a foul is a foul is a foul. And in hurling the advantage IS the free, given that most adult teams contain a freetaker who can convert a free from 90 metres now. Camogie players can point frees from the ’65 now, as balls become lighter.
Technique in the tackle is a skill and appears to be ignored, the cry of “don’t be fouling” seemingly the only advice on tackling technique offered to players. Because referees appear to operate to a quota system where they award one free every three minutes or so. That’s 23 frees, about a dozen to each team, which is about acceptable to the ‘let the game flow’ merchants. And so what’s a free one minute is waved away a minute later at the other end of the field.
It concerned me during the summer on RTE television when Cyril Farrell was very quick to silence Dónal Óg Cusack when the latter made the point that the rules needed to be observed (I can't remember the match in question). Cusack is well on the way to be hurling’s greatest analyst.
Another issue is that some reporters who don’t understand the game rank the performance of a referee in inverse proportion to the number of frees awarded, which is crazy logic. One local paper in this county has appointed itself as a referee’s assessor and generally uses the ‘inverse proportion’ method above.
Now, I don’t expect Eimhin Kelly, or anyone else for that matter, to be allowed solo run unhindered through an opposition defence. And I do realise that the rules were designed a hundred years ago, ever before anyone ever put a ball on a hurl and ran with it, and so there is little a defender can do legally with a forward running at him. But I do expect a level of protection be provided for each player by referees.
Eimhin Kelly is recovering at home tonight and will be alright. And maybe some time in the future a chairman will present a cup, thank the referee and note he did a good job protecting the players.