Sir, – How long more do we have to wait before the GAA embraces technology fully to assist referees, officials and players?
We are all aware of the many very high-profile cases where referees and officials unintentionally made the incorrect decision which had a huge impact on the outcome of games. The Leinster senior football final of a number of years ago between Meath and Louth is a typical example.
There must be something fundamentally wrong with a system whereby viewers at home can see a replay of the incident within seconds and this is not available to the most important person of them all – the referee.
The GAA has nothing to fear by emulating rugby where the referee calls for video assistance to assist him/her make the correct decision. The proper use of technology assists rather than undermines the referee and officials. As late as last Sunday we saw the impact of a wrong decision by an official on the outcome of the Limerick-Cork senior football championship match.
A lot has changed for US women since 2016. What does that mean for Kamala Harris?
Forty years of the Dart: ‘Dealing with the public is one of the hardest things anyone can do’
Mark Francis: Acoustic Oceans review – A fascinating development in the Irish artist’s decades-spanning career
Fake phone calls, meeting pretend-presidents and being ambushed by your parents on TV: The rituals of All-Ireland week
No one doubts the very difficult job referees have and the judicious use of technology could assist them greatly. We all have seen numerous examples where players run down the clock by various methods. I believe firmly the timing of games should be taken out of the hands of the referee and the clock should be stopped on certain occasions as in rugby, for example, when the referee is talking to a player or when a player is lying prostrate on the ground injured or feigning injury. – Yours, etc,
SEÁN DE BRÚN,
Cill Airne,
Co Chiarraí.