This incident is sympthomatic of a wider problem in the GAA i.e. unethical coaching.
Firstly, if players are coached to play within the rules, and coaches actively deal with any of their players who dont, then you get less fouls and so less decisions for the referee to make.
The continual foul play that seems to be systemic at intercounty level also impacts on the referees performance in another way. Because a lot of off the ball stuff happens, the referee is more easily distracted and has to keep an eye on off the ball stuff. If he is keeping his eye on off the ball stuff, then he cannot concentrate as much on the action around the ball. You might say that there wasnt any off the ball stuff happening at the time of the incident, but that doesnt mean the referee hasnt been keeping an eye to make sure. In a bad tempered game, a referee can end up concentrating a lot more on the peripheral stuff than the ball. There is also the fatigue factor. Continual ill tempered play throughout a game will take its toll on the referee's concentration.
All this comes back to coaching. The lack of discipline on the field at GAA matches is a reflection on the caliber of people who coach. Good coaches produce clean players.
Firstly, if players are coached to play within the rules, and coaches actively deal with any of their players who dont, then you get less fouls and so less decisions for the referee to make.
The continual foul play that seems to be systemic at intercounty level also impacts on the referees performance in another way. Because a lot of off the ball stuff happens, the referee is more easily distracted and has to keep an eye on off the ball stuff. If he is keeping his eye on off the ball stuff, then he cannot concentrate as much on the action around the ball. You might say that there wasnt any off the ball stuff happening at the time of the incident, but that doesnt mean the referee hasnt been keeping an eye to make sure. In a bad tempered game, a referee can end up concentrating a lot more on the peripheral stuff than the ball. There is also the fatigue factor. Continual ill tempered play throughout a game will take its toll on the referee's concentration.
All this comes back to coaching. The lack of discipline on the field at GAA matches is a reflection on the caliber of people who coach. Good coaches produce clean players.