Tipperary Referee Recruitment 2023
Tipperary GAA is currently seeking applications from interested individuals to participate in the upcoming Referee Recruitment for Tipperary in 2023, to address the future refereeing needs within the Premier County.
With the growth in popularity of Gaelic Games, the demand for match officials is increasing. With over four thousand games being played in our county on an annual basis, the role of the referee is a particularly important cog of the wheel to ensure all games take place. However, we are seeing a drop in our current crop of officials, due to injury, work life balance and age related factors. During the last GAA season in 2022, a number of games had to be cancelled due to no referee available. This was very unfair to the clubs affected in these fixtures. Out of the 71 clubs in Tipperary, we have 13 clubs without referees. This represents 18% which is not acceptable. Our target is that every club has an active referee. We are at a crisis in Tipperary in relation to the number of qualified active referees.
Basic Club Referee Training Courses are provided every year by trained Referee Tutors in County Tipperary. Last year we trained 18 new recruits following a break of two years due to Covid. The first two Modules will be completed online by the student in the comfort of their own home, while the next two modules will be completed as a group in Thurles. Timeframe is these is early March. The course is developed in conjunction with Croke Park and supported through the Provincial Munster Referees Administrators.
The Training Course is now open to interested candidates to register.
NEW REFEREES FOUNDATION COURSE Training as a Club Referee involves the following modules:
Rules of Specification / The Play / Scores/ Powers and Duties of the Referee Technical Fouls / Set Play / Aggressive Fouls / Dissent / Referee’s Report / Rules Test / Fitness Test
Modules are “classroom” based and involve online participation by the prospective referees. A timed Rules Test is centrally organised by Croke Park, which the participants complete “on-line”, with a pass-mark set which must be achieved for successful progression.
An initial trial Fitness Test, i.e. a “BANGSBO or BEEP Test” will be organised at a later date, in order to familiarise new entrants with the levels required. A standard test will be used later in the year to monitor progression with a view to the achievement of a minimum standard required for qualification.
Following completion of the Training Course the successful candidate is certified as qualified by Coiste Ríaracháin Réiteoirí Contae Tiobrad Árann as a Club Level Referee. Newly qualified Foundation Referees will be appointed to referee games as allocated by the Referees Administration Committee.
We are now seeking applications from interested individuals, who are considering taking up the role as Club Referee and applications must be submitted through their respective Club Secretary on the relevant Application Form which is available online on the Tipperary GAA website.
Please note all applications must be accompanied by a cheque for €100, from the applicant’s home club, which will be refunded after officiating at ten games. Completed application forms accompanied by €100 cheque only should be forwarded to John Ryan (B) Tipperary Referees Administration Committee, Lár na Páirce, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
All clubs who do not currently have a referee in their club are encouraged to trawl their membership for prospective candidates.
Please contact your club secretary or any of the recruitment committee if you want to be included in this year’s course.
REFEREE RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE John Ryan Chairperson (West Division) 086 241 7763, Philip Kelly Secretary (North Division) 087 286 3683, Michael Kennedy (South Division) 087 990 7661, Davy Ryan (West Division) 086 303 8882, Seamus Delaney (Mid Division) 087 639 6698, Alan Tierney (North Division) 087 415 9247.
Or from any member of the Referees Administration Committee; John Ryan (Chairperson), Philip Kelly (Secretary) Franny Quinn (Divisional Administrator West), Nicholas Moroney (Divisional Administrator South), Ciaran Timmons (Divisional Administrator North), Martin Bourke (Divisional Administrator Mid)
You can download the new referees application form by clicking on the following link: Foundation Club Referee application form 2023
By Jonathan Cullen Fri 27th Jan
