HURLING TODAY

https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/sport/655875/tipperary-hurling-is-facing-into-a-period-of-major-uncertainty-says-westside.html

Those who know me will know that I don't post on hurling threads as I've lost all interest in a game I once loved.
I lost interest because the game now is not hurling IMHO.
The good news is that Conor O Donovan posted a well written letter on the subject in yesterday's S'Indo and he
is making an effort to stop this throw ball and hopefully the equally unwatchable 'rucks'.

I think nobody denies that the hand pass is a major, major problem. I don’t think it takes from the spectacle, as the rucks do, but referees are unable to police it properly, so something has to be done.

Solutions I’ve seen offered are: hand passing the ball off the hurley only or banning the hand pass outright and just passing with the hurley. They tried a few years ago to codify the hand pass by insisting that a clear striking action must be seen. Unfortunately referees declined to enforce it so now we have what we have.

I cannot imagine how rucks might be sorted out. The referee can stop play and give a throw in, but with so many players allowed around, this very often just develops straight into another ruck.  Again I would blame the referees for not enforcing the rules. As far as I know, only two players are allowed for a throw-in and while referees will sometimes wave players back, they will more often that not just turn around and throw the ball in between random players. I know it’s an amateur game, but that doesn’t mean it has to be officiated in an amateur way. A warning, followed by yellow cards would quickly sort that problem out.

In fact, I think that referees are given too free a hand on how they manage games. They should all be singing from the same hymn book. No referee should have his own “style”.

You don’t say what Conor O’Sullivan’s solutions are, so it impossible to say whether they are good ideas, or not. Any chance you might throw them up?

T. Leaf wrote:I think nobody denies that the hand pass is a major, major problem. I don’t think it takes from the spectacle, as the rucks do, but referees are unable to police it properly, so something has to be done.

Solutions I’ve seen offered are: hand passing the ball off the hurley only or banning the hand pass outright and just passing with the hurley. They tried a few years ago to codify the hand pass by insisting that a clear striking action must be seen. Unfortunately referees declined to enforce it so now we have what we have.

I cannot imagine how rucks might be sorted out. The referee can stop play and give a throw in, but with so many players allowed around, this very often just develops straight into another ruck.  Again I would blame the referees for not enforcing the rules. As far as I know, only two players are allowed for a throw-in and while referees will sometimes wave players back, they will more often that not just turn around and throw the ball in between random players. I know it’s an amateur game, but that doesn’t mean it has to be officiated in an amateur way. A warning, followed by yellow cards would quickly sort that problem out.

In fact, I think that referees are given too free a hand on how they manage games. They should all be singing from the same hymn book. No referee should have his own “style”.

You don’t say what Conor O’Sullivan’s solutions are, so it impossible to say whether they are good ideas, or not. Any chance you might throw them up?

Did you read that link I posted. He's O Donovan BTW, former Tipp full back with 2 All Irelands.
His solution is there. Very simple. Cannot hit the ball with the hand that holds it or words to that effect.

Good proposal. Should be trialed at least.

Ranty wrote:

T. Leaf wrote:I think nobody denies that the hand pass is a major, major problem. I don’t think it takes from the spectacle, as the rucks do, but referees are unable to police it properly, so something has to be done.

Solutions I’ve seen offered are: hand passing the ball off the hurley only or banning the hand pass outright and just passing with the hurley. They tried a few years ago to codify the hand pass by insisting that a clear striking action must be seen. Unfortunately referees declined to enforce it so now we have what we have.

I cannot imagine how rucks might be sorted out. The referee can stop play and give a throw in, but with so many players allowed around, this very often just develops straight into another ruck.  Again I would blame the referees for not enforcing the rules. As far as I know, only two players are allowed for a throw-in and while referees will sometimes wave players back, they will more often that not just turn around and throw the ball in between random players. I know it’s an amateur game, but that doesn’t mean it has to be officiated in an amateur way. A warning, followed by yellow cards would quickly sort that problem out.

In fact, I think that referees are given too free a hand on how they manage games. They should all be singing from the same hymn book. No referee should have his own “style”.

You don’t say what Conor O’Sullivan’s solutions are, so it impossible to say whether they are good ideas, or not. Any chance you might throw them up?

Did you read that link I posted.   He's O Donovan BTW, former Tipp full back with 2 All Irelands.
His solution is there.   Very simple.   Cannot hit the ball with the hand that holds it or words to that effect.

Sorry. I thought it was in a letter to the Independent, so I searched vainly for such a letter

However I now see this is what you meant:

“By now Conor’s suggestion is well-known. He wants to introduce a technical rule which states that it is a foul to either hand pass the ball or palm the ball directly from the same hand that is holding the ball.”

However, referees again have their part to play. Sometimes a player has his hurley hand held by an opponent and hears no whistle from the referee, so he has no option but to pass the ball with one hand. Sometimes it is struck and sometimes it is thrown. O’Donovan’s proposition is not startling nor new. Hand passing the ball off the hurley covers this aspect of it.

However, referees again have their part to play. Sometimes a player has his hurley hand held by an opponent and hears no whistle from the referee, so he has no option but to pass the ball with one hand.

I always though that was a foul, but apparently not nowadays. In any case the situation you quote is the exception rather than the rule and they now throw it around like snuff at a wake.
I happen to think that Conor O Donovan and 100 signatures of hurling people must carry some weight and if he's unhappy with the state of hurling there's good reason to think he might know a little bit about the game.

Interesting developments.

The proposed handpass change - handpassing seems to come into it at around under 12 to under 14. One of the reasons i think its so prevalent is that teams use it now as a warm up and a game type situation, ive often seen the mini games in the warm up in the tight square, possession type game where its all handpass. A fairly easy game to set up and run.

The ruck is a more complicated thing to stop. Why is it more prevalent now at intercounty? Is it because the play is so condensed in the middle third - are there rucks down inside the 21 yard lines? Is it because players are so fit that they get after the ball more?

Anyway, im 100% for trialing out rule changes in Leagues etc

Tipp Ex wrote:Interesting developments.

The proposed handpass change - handpassing seems to come into it at around under 12 to under 14. One of the reasons i think its so prevalent is that teams use it now as a warm up and a game type situation, ive often seen the mini games in the warm up in the tight square, possession type game where its all handpass. A fairly easy game to set up and run.

The ruck is a more complicated thing to stop. Why is it more prevalent now at intercounty? Is it because the play is so condensed in the middle third - are there rucks down inside the 21 yard lines? Is it because players are so fit that they get after the ball more?

Anyway, im 100% for trialing out rule changes in Leagues etc

I don't know what age you are 'tipp', but in my day there were no rucks because everybody pulled on the ball whether
it was low or high. That is unless a player was alone and unmarked. It was an exciting spectacle with plenty broken
hurleys and end to end excitement. In a fairly recent all ireland final I saw Jerry O Connor penalised for an overhead pull without any danger of hitting another player. This new game is nothing short of a joke and it cant last.

Ranty wrote:However, referees again have their part to play. Sometimes a player has his hurley hand held by an opponent and hears no whistle from the referee, so he has no option but to pass the ball with one hand.

I always though that was a foul, but apparently not nowadays.    In any case the situation you quote is the exception rather than the rule and they now throw it around like snuff at a wake.
I happen to think that Conor O Donovan and 100 signatures of hurling people must carry some weight and if he's unhappy with the state of hurling there's good reason to think he might know a little bit about the game.

Sure we all played the game at some time, Ranty, to a greater or lesser degree, so we all know a bit about it to a greater or lesser degree. I got hold of a copy of the playing rules back in the 'sixties and read through it, so I did, at the time, have a reasonable understanding of the rules. Many players got their understanding of the rules from what the referee allowed them to do. For many players, this is still the case. You see where this is heading?

I would hazard a guess that 0% of players have ever read the rule book