Major fall in referee cards issued

The GAA released figures yesterday showing a significant decrease in yellow and red cards from last year's Allianz football and hurling leagues. The situation is a direct result of the experimental rules that were introduced for this year's league but the relevance for the future is negated as the experiments, in the current format, will definitely not be introduced on a permanent basis.

A 10-minute sin bin punishment was used for pre-season intercounty competitions in Leinster, Munster and Connacht but it was scrapped and replaced by a system whereby a player was substituted after a yellow card. The idea was heavily described by intercounty managers as unworkable and is not even on the Congress clár for debate.

The statistics will not offer any similar comparisons in the near future as rule experiments are not allowed for at least five years.

Only a distant relation will be debated this Saturday at Croke Park as a motion from Cork calls for a sin bin to be reintroduced if a player receives two yellow cards.

In football, yellow cards fell by 52 per cent, from 628 in 2004 to 302, with red cards slipping from 45 to nine over the seven rounds of games. In hurling, yellow cards were reduced by 37 per cent, from 279 to 175, while red cards went from 19 to nine.

Scoring increased across both codes with 220 extra points in football, which was offset by 29 fewer goals than in 2004. The hurling league saw a significant leap of 48 goals and 223 points from the previous year.