Did Kilkenny (and Limerick) Ruin Hurling?

It's not teams ruining hurling. It's a lack of implementation of the rules and the fact that marginal reffing calls can decide games due to the ability to score from such distance.

The 2nd issue can be sorted easily by designating technical fouls as indirect frees. The first needs a Directive from croke park to have refs implement the rules. Grabbing the arm, throwing the ball, slapping the hand holding the sliothar, slapping the body and arms of a player you're chasing. All issues that need to be dealt with. Limerick and KK wouldn't be winning as much as they have if these basic fouls were being policed.

Letting the game flow should be up to players, not the ref. You want a fluid game, stop fouling. It's not a refs job to keep the game moving.

No, it would only be for technical fouls like steps, taking the ball to hand 3 times, foul handpass. Frees where you pull a guy or trip etc would be direct.

We have situations now where a guy gets a ball, is immediately surrounded by Three players who all are in contact with him, which itself is a foul, he has no chance to get rid of the ball and ends up with a free against him for overcarrying. Potential game changing decisions in the wrong direction.

Throws would be far more likely called if the free was indirect. Refs are afraid to get it wrong therefore giving a score to the defending team.

Barging is another huge problem in the game. You can't stand your ground anymore. The ball carrier can run headlong into you, get an advantage called, keep pumping his legs for another 8 to 10 steps and eventually gets a shot away or a free in when the free should have went the other way. Defender probably gets booked as well.

I think Limerick have simply raised the bar like Kilkenny once did when catching up with Cork for titles.

You could see Clare adapt to the new level in the way they covered eachother in marking, and last week was not the usual walkover that some think. That late rebound off the goalpost would have closed the gap to two points if it was just a little bit more left.

That's the margin closing, but Kilkenny have more to do as they're still wedded to their down the middle for the goal instinct which is less effective against a Limerick that takes every point opportunity from midfield.

the problem i have with the current rules has nothing to do with referees unless its james ownes , there are too many rules then the referees accessors urge mach day referees to let the game go , so which rules are supposed to be let go and which allowed

the problem is no one knows ,everyone blames the ref on the day and the lads making the rules laugh away in the background

its never told to the public what they are actually looking for , i was reading brian gavin's assessment in the examiner of the game last sunday and he taught lyons had a really good game , personally i am not 100% sure what the referees association want

what would help i feel , is if an ex referee like gavin was brought on to the sunday game to discuss such decisions and explain maybe that the directive had been sent out to the referees to let as much go as possible or whatever , they do it alot on soccer Saturday with dermot gallagher which i think is excellent , he has the likes of paul merson and kris boyd put in there place a few times over the season