Former Waterford manager Derek McGrath has revealed the difficulties players and managers face when trying to appeal refereeing decisions.
The enforcement and interpretation of hurling’s rules came under the spotlight after Tony Kelly was controversially sent off against Tipperary in Clare’s opening Allianz League game following a collision with Padraic Maher.
The 2013 Hurler of the Year will miss the Banner's clash against Kilkenny after his one-match ban was upheld.
"I’ve been up there myself over the last five years, as a team manager trying to appeal or find different avenues of appeal and different technicalities," McGrath told RTÉ’s Saturday Sport.
"The words we used on the television last Sunday night, myself and Anthony Daly, were 'innocuous', 'accidental', 'momentum-based', which I still feel and yet when you go to the corridors of power those words don’t stand up.
"If it’s simply misuse of the hurley or dangerous play, you have to serve your time and it’s very hard to overturn those unless you have, as the CCC will call it, compelling evidence against the referee's report."
McGrath was also concerned about pressure being put on refs to focus on certain elements of the rules.
"In my opinion we need to be careful, in terms of following what is arguably the best year of hurling ever to put the pressure on the referees, from above almost, that they need to watch particular incidents.
"I think there is too much pressure and there is no need for it, albeit I understand the disparity in terms of the implementation of the rules."
