When it comes to hurling, the sport is becoming increasingly difficult to officiate for GAA referees.
The game is increasing in speed all the time, meaning it is tough for refs to closely monitor all areas of the pitch. As well as that, the increased physicality of the players involved is also adding to the issue.
Of course, many referees have opted to adopt a 'let it flow' approach, especially when it comes to the biggest games. That is something that supporters enjoy, but it also leads to some of the rules of the sport being neglected.
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GAA referee explains scale on which key hurling rule is being broken
The hand pass has been an issue of contention in hurling for quite some time now, with steps being taken in recent times to address this.
A rule was recently trialled in third level competitions that changed the law around the hand pass, while a motion will go before congress this month that would require players to hand pass the ball directly off the hurl or with their non-holding hand.
This would certainly help ease the problems GAA officials are having in enforcing the rule, something Barry Kelly believes is becoming an even bigger issue with each passing season.
Speaking to RTÉ, the former inter-county referee summed up just how common illegal hand passes are becoming at the highest level.
The handpass itself was not a big factor when it was down at 10 or 15 per game. But now it is an intrinsic part of a team’s make-up and weaponry.
The rule calls for a clear strike of the ball with the hand but in fact it has just become a release. And if you actually watch club or county teams in warm ups, they make no attempt to even try to strike...
At the moment there are 100 handpasses a game, three-quarters are fouls and they are going unpunished...
We’ve just become accepting of it. And if a ref blows three or four per game, the crowd get on to him. It’s not fair on refs, especially the younger and newer ones...
There would be no doubt about the ability to make a clear strike. At the moment we are asking refs to do a job that is impossible.
It will be interesting to see if this new motion passes at congress, with the GAA often hesitant to introduce rule changes at the highest level.
Despite this, it's clear that something needs to be done to tackle illegal hand passes in hurling.
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