Sheedy believes awarding a penalty for such cynical fouls inside the 21-metre line is sufficient punishment
Liam Sheedy believes the sin bin should be removed from hurling as the “double whammy” punishment for cynical fouling is excessive.
His Tipperary side were awarded a penalty to take a lead they never relinquished in their Munster semi-final victory over Clare, who saw Aidan McCarthy sin-binned for a foul controversially adjudged to have denied a goal-scoring opportunity.
Sheedy believes awarding a penalty for such cynical fouls inside the 21-metre line is sufficient punishment and reiterated his wish for hurling to be played as 15 v 15 as much as possible. He previously chaired the GAA’s Hurling 2020 committee which, in 2015, recommended allowing a player sent-off for two yellow cards to be replaced. That motion was defeated at Congress.
“I wouldn’t have the sin bin. I think a penalty is the reward, especially the way it’s structured... I’ve seen some guys were saying he was closer to the Ennis Road than he was to the goals the last day on social media.
“In that instance, it’s very hard for somebody to be sent (to the sin bin) so the penalty is a harsh enough call and is a reward for the team.
“The one thing we found in Hurling 2020 was that the game is best played when it’s 15 on 15. So we should be trying to facilitate 15-on-15 competition without having dirty play or cynical play.
“(The sin bin) is a bit of a double whammy. I like the idea of 15 on 15 all of the time and if you get a penalty for somebody that’s fouled inside the 21 or out on the sideline, that’s a nice reward.”
Four-time All-Ireland Hurling final referee Brian Gavin wrote in his Irish Examiner column after the game that the “Championship could be lost to farcical sin-bin calls”.
Sheedy didn’t agree when that opinion was put to him.
“There was a penalty call between Wexford and Kilkenny and I sat down on the couch and thought it was an exceptional game of hurling and it certainly wasn’t lost on that.
“The game is in a really good place. The quality of players and the physical conditioning of players in all counties is at an exceptional level.
“You’ve got Antrim making progress, you’ve got Kildare starting to win underage. Sometimes we’re very quick to look at glass-half-empty, look at what’s not working, but there’s an awful lot going right in the GAA, especially in the hurling world, and I think we’ve loads to look forward to.
“The Championship to date has thrown up some really good matches. I’m happy to be going in the front side of the house at the moment when you look at all the sharks in the pool in the other side of the draw.
“Hurling is in a good place. There’s always going to be a bit of controversy. We had it in 2019 in a certain semi-final I was involved in (Tipperary v Wexford) so there’s always going to be ups and downs, swings and roundabouts.
“Ultimately, you’ll get the breaks some days, you mightn’t get them other days, but referees have a really hard job to do and they’re doing it to a really, really high standard.”
Sheedy also dismissed the suggestion of introducing a video-assistant referee to hurling, as in soccer.
“It’s ruining the big ball game across the water and it certainly doesn’t add to the atmosphere.
“Having to wait for a minute or two? We stand waiting for Hawk-Eye for a minute or two to see whether it’s Tá or Níl so adding longer to that suspense? I don’t see it. It’s not for me.” As for matters on the field of play when Tipperary face Limerick in Sunday’s Munster final, Sheedy is hopeful that Niall O’Meara will be available for selection.
The versatile Kilruane MacDonagh’s player has returned to training after having his appendix removed and adds to Sheedy’s options for another specialist ball-winner in the half-forward line.
Paul Maher has also returned to training while John Meagher is unlikely to prove his fitness in time for Sunday as he bids to return from a hamstring injury. Neither has featured for Tipperary since last year.
