National Football League Discussion

The bit that amuses me is the GAA actually have a 'melee' defined as five or more players. Has to be one of the most stereotypical GAA administration type of solution. Imagine trying to explain 'melee's'. 'fracas' and 'schmozzles' to someone not familiar with Gaelic Football! It is hard enough for people watch the games to know the difference!

What was more annoying was that Joanne went to the ad break saying they'd have coverage of Down v Galway in the next part.

Said coverage consisted solely of showing one Paul Conroy point!

In fairness to RTE the "League Sunday" show has come on in leaps and bound over the last number of years.

What used to just be a 30 min show showing a few highlights of the games that were already on Eir and TG4 has expanded to an almost two hour show with lots of analysis etc.

It equals the Sunday Game in quality.

Last week which was a football only weekend was about 2 hours long they did show some level of Div 3 and 4 content even though I did not watch it all.

This week saw the return of the NHL and with week 2 of the NFL also on I guess they did not have enough time to go as far as Div 3 and 4 with football highlights but they did discuss the state of affairs in Div 3 and 4 with the two panelists.

Poor refereeing clearly, yet the referee who applied the rules is getting abuse from you.

David Gough is the best referee in the country. He had the courage to make the decision yesterday to apply the rules when others have bottled it. He deserves praise not criticism.

The abuse match officials get is a blight on the sport. It needs to be tackled. Without referees we have no game yet they are subjected to physical and verbal abuse on a regular basis. The online abuse they receive at time is libelous. It is time for the GAA to back the most important people in the sport and take a zero tolerance approach to abuse of match officials.

Up to the melee, I didn't think Gough covered himself in glory. There were at least 2 high tackles that could have resulted in red cards. There were a good few high tackles in the game: melees/ pulling & dragging, constant fouling are only a minor blight in comparison to a lad getting clotheslined and possible head/ neck injuries. A forearm smash to the side of the face is no fun...but but but it was an open palm ref...

100% behind Gough's melee treatment though.

If anything, he pulled out of sending another Tyrone player off after the melee, there was a high tackle by a player whose name escapes me that was already on a yellow, and he gave the free and just said ah forget it.

On the TV coverage, just show the games if time is tight, forget the analysis. There is lots of time during the week for analysis, between newspapers, radio and podcasts. Colm O'Rourke and Pateen spouting about intensity is a worn format after 25 years, just show the games.

Only this weekend, there were melees in the Cork/Clare (hurling), Dublin/Kerry, and from what I heard a right proper one at the Roscommon/Meath game, which continued apparently after the game. None of these games saw red cards AFAIK, save for Andy McEntee, and none featured Ulster teams either.

As said above, I've no bother either with Golderick enforcing the rules, but it has to be consistent - teams can't be entering a lottery on whether they will be sent off and suspended. Of course, they could just have manners.....

I found the GAA Official Rule book here

Under

• 7.2 Infractions - part (b) misconduct at games by players - Category III (VI) - contributing to melee
• --
• 
  
• Penalties

(1) A one match suspension in the same Code and at the same Level, applicable to the next game in the same Competition, even if that game occurs in the following year’s competition.

 (2) Minimum on Repeat Infraction - A Two Match Suspension in the same Code and at the same Level, applicable to the next games in the same Competition in which the

Repeat Infraction occurred, even if one or both game(s) occur(s) in the following year’s competition.

 Exceptions to (1) and (2) above:

 Arising from the National League, the InterCounty Senior Championship or from a combination of both Competitions (all in the same Code), the above Penalties shall be substituted by:

(1) Minimum: A One Match Suspension in the same Code and at the same Level applicable to the next game in the combination of the National League/ Inter-County Senior Championship, even if the game occurs in the following year.

 (2) Minimum on Repeat Infraction:

A Two Match Suspension in the same Code and at the same Level applicable to the next games in the combination of the National League/Inter-County Senior Championship, even if one or both games occur(s) in the following year.

-----

From the above newspaper article (2014)-

"RED AND YELLOW CARDS

Red cards remain the same but to refresh people's minds here are the fouls for which a red card is warranted.

1. Striking or attempting to strike with arm, elbow, hand, knee or head.

2. Kicking or attempting to kick with minimal force or with force or causing injury.

3. Behaving in any way which is dangerous to an opponent.

4. Spitting at an opponent.

5. Contributing to a melee.

6. Stamping.

7. Inflicting injury recklessly.

8. Abusive language towards a Referee, Umpire, Linesman or Sideline Official.

Football people should note that while abusive language to an official is a straight red card, to remonstrate with a match official in an aggressive manner is a black card, and this will be explained in greater detail below."

--

Note there is another newspaper article on it from the Irish Independent recently but it is subscriber only.

David Gough, of course, a mix up on my part, and I haven't critisised him at all, I've said all along he was right in his actions. My point is though this isn't some new direction from the referees group, there were several other incidents this weekend alone where similar punishment wasn't meted out. In that sense, the Tyrone lads can count themselves a little unfortunate, but at the end of the day they took a chance they'd get away with it so I personally have little sympathy for them in this instance, 'If you can't do the time etc.... '

Players and teams do play differently with different referees though, even at club level. They will know in general what referees like and don't like, and will adjust accordingly.

They need a rule for melees or similar that the ref blows a whistle, let's say three times, then players have to remain where they are on the field, no running in to join the fray. If that existed then refs would have a chance to identify the troublemakers among smaller collections of players. People running half the length of the field to join in has to stop.

You're prob right. I must be too naïve.

You have to wonder what type of sledging goes on in a game like Armagh v Tyrone especially in 2022 with Tyrone obviously being much more successful than Armagh. Tyrone wouldn't be easy to sledge with their recent success but I suppose they would try to aggravate them some way.

I always imagine that when Northern teams play southerners the southerners use political jibes to annoy the players. This can't be done in a game like Armagh Tyrone.

Here is a recent brawl from my area. This is partially the reason why I would never pay to attend organised sport again as it is all about ego. I can see it for what it is, these young men can't handle another player making fun of his tattoo or haircut I bet so they lash out as they can't deal with someone making a chip at their ego. Organised sport isn't really my scene anymore, I am too misanthropic for it these days.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=faLFnVvaCis

I will give you one thing it must be the first time misanthropic was ever used in a GAA thread in history!

It is normally the northern teams that end up going OTT it is kind of their tradition at this stage. Personally I like a bit of needle but it does get silly when it crosses a certain line.

Dont even need the RTEplayer. RTE news would be doing nothing that time of night and sport is news

Diarmuid O'Connor brilliant for Mayo so far.

Well considering 3 of their starting 6 forwards are injured they're not doing too bad.

I think DOC's performances regularly get taken for granted, he can make stuff look so easy that it sometimes gets overlooked.

He certainly looks back to his best.

Dublin are really gone to the dogs.

In previous league campaigns they may not have set the world a light but they were competitive v Kerry and always beat Mayo, and they never looked in danger of going down.

But this year is different, they lost heavily to Armagh and Kerry and were terrible against a Mayo team with a good number of fringe/experiential players in.

Some of the shot taking last night was brutal, as was some of the missed placed passes and mistakes overall.

Not the stuff I've seen from a Dublin team since the afternoon of the startled earwigs.

Something is seriously wrong, and they need to sort it out as there is no way they are beating Kerry in a All Ireland SF if they even get that far.

The 2 fellas on TG4 look gas standing on the pitch. Look like a father and son about to do one of them lockdown TikTok videos or something

You're embarrassing yourself. Anyone that knows anything about GAA football and follows it to a decent extent knows that Ryan O'Donohue is a quality player. He is an excellent playmaker and is always looking to help the team bring the ball forward by showing for the ball in a determined manner, rather than a half-a$$ed manner. And for someone who isn't tall, he has great strength when he gets the ball.

I know it's difficult for the tribesmen to see their rival neighbours on the up, whilst Galway battle away in the runners' up league. But try to show a little constraint and you'll come away the better person for it. Had a quick look at your previous posts to see if you are just some spoofer. And the first thread that comes up is you getting a warning on this site. And then on about appealing it cause you think that labelling an amateur sportsperson "devoid of any personality" is not personal abuse. As I say - embarrassing.

Jesus who would of thought Dublin would be in a relagation dog fight

They could say goodbye to using Croke Park every home game if they Division 2 football next year

Agree. Croker is no advantage to Dublin now.