Donegal woman Michelle Bennett to head up GAA referee technology committee

A Donegal woman has been appointed to chair a new GAA committee which has been tasked with looking into the use of technology to assist in refereeing decisions in the sport going forward.

Michelle Bennett, who is currently a member of the Referees’ Development Committee in Croke Park, has been asked by President Larry McCarthy to head up a new committee and produce a report on the use of technology.

The issue of using technology such as TMO (Television Match Official) was first raised a few years ago in a motion from the Sean O’Heslins, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim club which requested the Ard Chomhairle to appoint, as a matter of urgency, a committee to consider the implementation of a TMO (Television Match Official) using existing TV coverage only.  That motion also asked that this committee produce recommendations in regard to future use of this technology and also examine any rule changes that may be required, depending on the situations where TMO use is recommended.

The use of TMO is already in use in the sport of rugby while VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is the aid used in soccer.

At the moment the only technology available to referees is Hawk Eye and that is only available in  Croke Park and Thurles.

With GAA games now available in most homes through the free to air channels and also GAAGO, scrutiny of refereeing decisions during analysis brings the spotlight on many decisions.

With that in mind the appointment of the committee by the GAA President is a big and important step forward for the Association.

Michelle Bennett has been to the forefront of referee appointments and development at Donegal and Croke Park level now for some 15 years. Her involvement in Donegal has been at Divisional level and also as Referees’ Administrator.

She will be joined on the new committee by well-known referee Maurice Deegan of Laois; Johnny Ryan, Tipperary; Michael McMahon of Monaghan and Bernard Smith from Croke Park.

“It will be up to us to have a fact-finding mission and report back to the President. We will take back recommendations to An tUachtarán to see what might or might not work.

“It is a game changer if it comes in, but it is not something that is going to happen in the short term. Hopefully, in the future it will be another aid or resource to referees,” she said.

The Ardara native is already into her third year on the committee looking after referees in Croke Park, but this new appointment is an even bigger step.

“I’m on the Referees’ National Development Committee. That is recruiting and retaining referees and their development to the highest level which they can attain,” said Michelle, who is also part of Pat Horan’s Referee Advisory Committee.

A Donegal woman has been appointed to chair a new GAA committee which has been tasked with looking into the use of technology to assist in refereeing decisions in the sport going forward.

Michelle Bennett, who is currently a member of the Referees’ Development Committee in Croke Park, has been asked by President Larry McCarthy to head up a new committee and produce a report on the use of technology.

The issue of using technology such as TMO (Television Match Official) was first raised a few years ago in a motion from the Sean O’Heslins, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim club which requested the Ard Chomhairle to appoint, as a matter of urgency, a committee to consider the implementation of a TMO (Television Match Official) using existing TV coverage only.  That motion also asked that this committee produce recommendations in regard to future use of this technology and also examine any rule changes that may be required, depending on the situations where TMO use is recommended.

The use of TMO is already in use in the sport of rugby while VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is the aid used in soccer.

At the moment the only technology available to referees is Hawk Eye and that is only available in  Croke Park and Thurles.

With GAA games now available in most homes through the free to air channels and also GAAGO, scrutiny of refereeing decisions during analysis brings the spotlight on many decisions.

With that in mind the appointment of the committee by the GAA President is a big and important step forward for the Association.

Michelle Bennett has been to the forefront of referee appointments and development at Donegal and Croke Park level now for some 15 years. Her involvement in Donegal has been at Divisional level and also as Referees’ Administrator.

She will be joined on the new committee by well-known referee Maurice Deegan of Laois; Johnny Ryan, Tipperary; Michael McMahon of Monaghan and Bernard Smith from Croke Park.

“It will be up to us to have a fact-finding mission and report back to the President. We will take back recommendations to An tUachtarán to see what might or might not work.

“It is a game changer if it comes in, but it is not something that is going to happen in the short term. Hopefully, in the future it will be another aid or resource to referees,” she said.

The Ardara native is already into her third year on the committee looking after referees in Croke Park, but this new appointment is an even bigger step.

“I’m on the Referees’ National Development Committee. That is recruiting and retaining referees and their development to the highest level which they can attain,” said Michelle, who is also part of Pat Horan’s Referee Advisory Committee.