Are referees striking a balance with handpass in hurling?

Were Cork denied 1-01 because Thomas Walsh incorrectly blew two legal handpasses, or did the referee make the correct call by the letter of the law?

It's a debate that would undoubtedly have been louder had the Rebels failed to knock Limerick off their perch in an engrossing All-Ireland hurling semi-final, but the refereeing of the handpass is becoming a huge issue in the game.

Some, like former Cork goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack, believe the modern inter-county player has evolved the skill to the point where referees are struggling to keep up.

Alan Connolly's overhand pass to Brian Hayes for what would have been his second goal was penalised by Walsh, despite what Cusack described as 'clear separation'.

"Alan Connolly there, that's a brilliant skill. What do we want him to do? Stop? Kick it? Do we want to see more kicking in the game?

"We saw a number of those over the weekend, and you just wonder where that noise is coming from into the referees' ears that they're making decisions like this."

Cusack and his fellow Sunday Game pundit Shane Dowling were frustrated with how the handpass was refereed in both semi-finals, but others - such as former referee Barry Kelly - would argue that Walsh and Liam Gordon on Saturday are blowing because they are not seeing a clear strike of the ball.

To that end Kelly is backing a motion being brought to next year's congress, which would see it become a foul to "either handpass the ball or palm the ball directly from the same hand that is holding the ball".

Effectively you would have to pass the ball off the hurl or with your non-holding hand.

Cusack is wary of such a seismic change.

"Before there are any decisions or any thought of decisions around the handpass, you need to get the top, top players