New hurling dissent rules explained

By John Harrington

Ahead of this weekend’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A and Division 1B Finals, it’s worth remembering that the new rules around dissent ratified at GAA Congress are now in effect.

Previously when a player dissented (argued or complained) with a referee’s decision the referee could move the ball 13 metres closer to the opposing goal.

Now the referee can move the ball forward 30 metres instead of 13 metres.

This can only be done once for the same incident and if the dissent continues by the same player or another player on the same team then that player will be yellow-carded.

Members of team management can now also be penalised under the Dissent Rule if they do any of the following:

• Challenge the authority of any match official.
• Threaten or use abusive or provocative language towards an opposing player or team official.
• Threaten or use abusive language towards any match official.
• Engage in disruptive conduct (for example, behaviour that delays or interferes with the game).
• Physically interfere with any match official in a minor way.
• Assault a match official in any way.

If a member of team management commits any of the above offences during play then a free puck is awarded to the opposing team on the offending team’s 20-metre line.

If they do it before the game starts, at half-time, or before extra-time, then play will start or restart with a free puck to the opposing team from the offending team’s 20-metre line.

It’s not relevant to this weekend’s matches, but it’s also worth noting that the new Dissent Rule includes extra sanctions for the Under-18 and younger grades.

In those grades if a player is guilty of dissent then they are black-carded and sin-binned for 10 minutes and may be replaced by a temporary substitute while they are in the sin bin.

* Further information on the new dissent rules in hurling can be viewed and downloaded below.