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Referee abuse rates high in GAA as link found to mental health issues in new study

"Ultimately, none of us want to be at a stage where we can't play our games because there aren't enough referees"; Dr Noel Brick of Ulster University discusses his new study which highlights the link between referee abuse and mental health issues in Gaelic games

2 August 2020; Referee Thomas Murphy checks his watch during the Galway County Senior Football Championship Group 4A Round 1 match between Corofin and Oughterard at Pearse Stadium in Galway. GAA matches continue to take place in front of a limited number of people due to the ongoing Coronavirus restrictions. Photo by Piaras .. M..dheach/Sportsfile
Image: The GAA's top brass have raised concerns around the numbers of referees in the sports

"Without the referee there is no match. And just because that is a cliché doesn't mean it's any less true."

GAA director general Tom Ryan sounded a warning in his annual report last February. With dwindling numbers of referees across the board, they are looking to combat a high drop-off rate, and actively encourage new recruits.

The association's president, Larry McCarthy, has also been vocal on the issue, calling for government legislation to tackle online abuse of match officials, along with players.

A new study has revealed the extent of referee abuse in Gaelic games at present, noting how 94.29 per cent of 438 referees surveyed have experienced verbal abuse, with an alarming 23.06 per cent reporting physical abuse.

"It was eye-opening when I was writing the results and starting to pull all this together," co-author of the report Noel Brick, a lecturer and researcher in sport and exercise psychology at Ulster University, explains to Sky Sports.

"One of the big things for me is the awareness around it, and making people aware that this is the amount of abuse that referees get. Secondly, more importantly, the impact on referees and how it affects their mental health.

"In terms of verbal abuse, 94 per cent is pretty similar to previous studies. There was a study a few years ago with English soccer referees, and again that figure was about 94-95 per cent.

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"Worryingly, around physical abuse, some of the figures there are very high, higher than some other sports.

"The equivalent figure for soccer referees was about 19 per cent. There was a study done on French and Dutch referees, and it was about 15-16 per cent for physical abuse. Twenty-three per cent is higher than the studies that have been published in this area.

"Thankfully, and I say that with caution because any experience of physical abuse is something we don't want, but 85 per cent said it was once or twice in their career. The majority have experienced it once or twice. It was one figure that jumped out at us. Certainly higher by comparison than other sports. This is certainly very concerning."

Study results

Of 438 respondents, 94.29 per cent and 23.06 per cent had experienced verbal and physical abuse respectively during their career.

Of those who experienced abuse, 5.08 per cent (verbal abuse) and 12.87 per cent (physical abuse) screened positive for distress the week after.

The findings went on to show a direct link between referees suffering abuse during a match, and subsequent mental health issues.

"It [jumps off the page]," Brick says. "This is the first study anywhere in the world that looks at the relationships between the abuse a referee might experience on the pitch and how it impacts on their mental health afterwards.

"What we found was, firstly for verbal abuse, there's a direct link between frequency of abuse, and lower wellbeing and stronger intentions to quit.

"So verbal abuse directly influenced their wellbeing and their intention to quit.

"Then for verbal and physical abuse...the stress it caused, higher anxiety, higher depression, lower wellbeing and stronger intentions to quit. The reason that is important is that one thing we know that verbal abuse can directly impact their wellbeing.

"It's not something that just stays on the pitch. It's distressing. Verbal abuse, for example harassment or threats of harm, that doesn't just stay with you for a week. It's much longer than that. Same with physical abuse.

"When it comes to reducing or limiting abuse, highlighting those things for me is really important."

17 June 2022; Referee Kevin Jordan performs the coin toss before the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship Semi-Final match between Offaly and Clare at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Piaras .. M..dheach/Sportsfile
Image: Issues such as anxiety and depression have increased due to incidents during matches

Understanding sources of the abuse

Interestingly, those playing the game are not the most culpable when it comes to committing verbal abuse.

According to the survey, the primary offenders are managers or coaches across the board, followed in second place by spectators.

Meanwhile, it was predominantly players who engaged in the physical incidents.

"If we're looking at ways of reducing the level of abuse, it's interesting to know who the main perpetrators of that abuse [are], that you have to target," Brick says.

"Secondly, the physical abuse, the reason why players is higher is purely because they're closer to the referee on the pitch, and that's the pattern you see in other sports. When someone is closer, it's more likely there will be physical abuse.

"We know that physical abuse can escalate from what starts as verbal abuse. So understanding how physical abuse happens, I think you also have to understand how verbal abuse starts and where it comes from.

"The target there is coaches, managers, spectators being the top two for verbal abuse. I think it's important that we approach towards reducing or eliminating abuse."

1 March 2020; A general view of referee cards ahead of the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A Round 5 match between Tipperary and Waterford at Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Image: The GAA launched a Referee Development Plan to increat the number of match officials

No quick fix

There is no easy solution apparent.

However, studies like this one can highlight what is a real problem for sports organisations in Ireland, the effects of which could be significantly felt in the coming years.

"An Oireacthas report published in June...had educational strategies about increasing awareness of the effects of abuse, and the importance of reducing abuse," Brick states.

"Ultimately, none of us want to be at a stage where we can't play our games because there aren't enough referees. But a lot of sports highlighted that the trends are pointing towards that. That's also in other sports as well. Not just [GAA].

"The FAI reported that within two years of qualifying from their beginners refereeing course, 66 per cent of their referees quit the sport. That was a staggering number, two thirds within two years of their training. Abuse is one of the main reasons for that, because they tend to experience more abuse, younger referees.

"Education is one of the key things in terms of reducing abuse. For me, it's about how we support referees. Yes, the main goal is reducing and eliminating abuse. But then it's also about how we support our referees, education and training strategies to deal with that distress and manage that distress, that they feel support their mental health.

"I'm sure everyone would agree we'd love to eliminate abuse, and that's what we want. But there's a recognition that that will take time, and who knows, you may never get there. It's important that we support our referees as well to deal with whatever they do experience."

The full study on referee abuse by Noel Brick, Gavin Breslin, Mark Shevlin and Stephen Shannon can be found here.

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