CHAMPIONSHIP 2009 NEWS:TWO LEADING referees have denied that time-keeping duties are a problem for match officials and would be happy to continue with the responsibility. Wexford's Dickie Murphy and Pat McEnaney from Monaghan, who have between them taken charge of seven All-Ireland football and hurling finals, both believe since the advent of the time boards, signalling the amount of added time, there has been little controversy.
That changed at the weekend with Marty Duffy criticised for not playing sufficient additional time in Croke Park after the Dublin-Meath match had been held up over an injury to Dublin’s Mark Davoren, who was eventually stretchered off but only two minutes’ injury-time was signalled.
In Killarney Laois’s Maurice Deegan was criticised for playing nearly a minute over time at the end of the Kerry-Cork Munster semi-final. According to McEnaney, Deegan had in fact informed the sideline that he would be playing an additional three minutes but that because of a mix-up only two were announced.
“I don’t think overall it’s a problem,” said the Monaghan referee. “Since the time boards were introduced there’s been very little controversy. It’s one of those annoying little things that we preach day in and day out to pay attention and if we announce two or three minutes – play it.
“At the weekend there was an error in communication in Killarney because Maurice Deegan signalled three minutes but the time board came up as two.”
Murphy believes that the time boards have increased public focus on the amount of time being added on but says he has never found it a difficult burden. He is, however, not concerned at the thought of referees losing the responsibility.
“If it’s gone, it’s gone but I don’t see it as a major problem. It hardly ever arises in club games. I think it’s because since the time boards came in everyone is watching the amount of injury time played. It’s the same for people watching on television.”
Meanwhile, Michael Curley the chair of the National Referees Committee went farther than the two referees and said that he would support moves to transfer the time-keeping function.
“The ref is the time-keeper at the moment and it’s quite an onerous task when he’s trying to keep tabs on everything else that’s happening. I would have no problem with taking time-keeping out of the hands of referees and in fact, I would favour it.”
He also revealed that Duffy should have played four minutes of additional time at Croke Park: “I spoke to Marty afterwards and he did tell me that the watch stopped on him. It has happened before to me and other refs. We always have two. We let one run, stop the other and use that to determine the time left. Marty went over to the sideline once or twice to try to get as much detail as he could. He added on just over two and a half minutes of what should have been four.”
Murphy said that he would have no difficulties with introducing the countdown clock used in women’s football.
“The clock works well in women’s football. If it was brought in it wouldn’t worry me. I don’t see it as a resigning issue! It would take a while to get used to signalling stoppages to the time keeper and that could be a problem in the heat of a championship match but I’m sure we’d get used to it. Maybe it could be tried out in next year’s leagues and introduced for the championship.”
The automated clock was introduced in women’s football for the 1998 championship after a controversial 13 minutes of injury time was played at the end of the previous year’s All-Ireland final between Monaghan and Waterford – although video and stopwatch analysis vindicated the decision.
Helen O’Rourke, director general of the women’s association, said that the countdown clock has been a great success “It’s used in All-Ireland, provincial and qualifying matches as well as the senior All-Ireland club matches. It took a while to get used to but everyone’s got into the habit now. We’ve had no difficulties with it.”
The clock requires the referee to signal when he wants the clock to be stopped for breaks in play. Initially in the women’s game an extra official was assigned to the time-keeper and if the referee omitted to stop the clock that official would do so.
If a free is awarded or a shot for a score is in the air, the end-of-match hooter is delayed until the kick has been taken. This differs from International Rules where any attempt at a score must similarly be allowed before the match is declared over but the siren still sounds as soon as time is up even if play continues.
