Croke Park likely to clamp down on 'endemic' handpass

Hurling referees are likely to be warned by Croke Park officials to clamp down on handpass fouls, which have become endemic in the game, according to referee Barry Kelly.

The enforcing of the handpass continues to be a thorny issue.

Last year, after some high-profile examples early on in the league, the topic was front and centre for a period of time.

Kelly was in Mullingar yesterday to witness Wexford's victory over Westmeath in 1A, and says once again there was little heed paid to the rule.

"I would say yesterday in Mullingar, if there was 100 handpasses, there were 10 done properly," he told the RTÉ GAA podcast.

"Sean Cleere (referee) could easily have blown 30 yesterday. It’s meant to be a release and a strike. It’s meant to be like handball really.

"You look at warm-ups before a game and none of them are being done properly. It is being thrown.

Two-time All-Ireland winner with Tipperary Conor O’Donovan last year called the current handpass rule "unenforceable and unimplementable" and has described it as a malaise in the game, and proposed a rule where players would not be permitted to throw and strike the sliotar with the same hand, forcing them to swap hurley in the execution of the handpass.

Kelly sees merit in this and believes officials could be warned to clamp down on the offence over the coming weeks.

"There’s three rounds of the league left to get some kind of clamp on it. I’m more and more inclined with the Conor O’Donovan type flick it off the hurley because it has become endemic in the game now. It’s now basically just fouling the whole time.

"I know the referees are meeting this Wednesday in Dublin and I think they are going to get it hard and fast from Croke Park."

Two-time All-Ireland winner with Tipeprary Shane