There was a time not long ago when appealing a red card in the League of Ireland was a waste of paper, ink, and hope.
Decisions were almost never overturned, regardless of the evidence, and the prevailing view among players and managers was simple: once the referee's decision was made, the matter was closed.
You reluctantly took your suspension, grumbled under your breath, and moved on.
But in the past few weeks, the once unthinkable has happened. Two red cards – both issued to Sligo Rovers players – have been rescinded.
Hopefully this isn’t just a blip but a part of a broader trend, with three red cards overturned in recent weeks in total, one for Treaty United in their recent defeat to Bray in the First Division.
The most encouraging element of this shift isn’t just that justice is being done, but that common sense seems to be prevailing.
It’s easy to forget that the game itself, for all its passion and tribalism, is still a sport played by humans and officiated by humans. Mistakes happen.
What’s changing now is the willingness to acknowledge those mistakes and put them right.
That’s healthy for the league. For too long, the perception has been that officials were insulated from the consequences of poor decisions – that accountability stopped at the touchline.
Now, with the appeals process showing a genuine willingness to correct errors, there’s a new incentive for referees to get the big calls right in the first place.
Accountability, in theory, should raise standards. When a referee knows that a dismissal may be pored over on Monday and potentially wiped from the record, the natural response is to tighten focus.
It’s not about referees becoming timid – the game needs officials with authority – but about ensuring the decision-making process matches the level the league is aspiring to reach.
Because make no mistake, the League of Ireland is on the rise. Attendances are climbing, club facilities are slowly improving, and the quality of play has taken noticeable steps forward.
But refereeing, by most measures, hasn’t kept pace. The gap between the players’ performance levels and the officials’ consistency is too wide.
If the league is to keep its upward momentum, every aspect, from coaching to officiating, has to come with it.
One truth often lost in the weekly arguments about refereeing is that officials need help, not just criticism.
They don’t have the financial resources, infrastructural support, or development pathways that referees in bigger leagues enjoy.
Some will inevitably shout for VAR as the magic fix. It shouldn’t be.
One of the great joys of the League of Ireland is its raw authenticity – goals celebrated without a minute’s delay for a potential offside, supporters reacting in real time without waiting for a screen to tell them whether they can cheer.
Bringing in referees from Northern Ireland or further afield on a semi-regular basis would inject fresh perspectives, expose our officials to different styles of game management, and – crucially – raise the competitive standard
Even at the highest levels of the game, VAR has shown that it can make the wrong call after multiple replays. Bringing it here would be a buzzkill for our supporters, and a costly one at that.
Instead, the focus should be on practical, affordable improvements. One idea worth exploring further is the referee exchange programme already in place with other associations.
Why not lean into it? Bringing in referees from Northern Ireland or further afield on a semi-regular basis would inject fresh perspectives, expose our officials to different styles of game management, and – crucially – raise the competitive standard.
If you know there’s a chance a visiting referee might take your place for high-profile fixtures, you’re more likely to sharpen your own performances to keep hold of them.
It’s not about creating a culture of fear; it’s about building an environment where excellence is expected and supported.
But action needs to happen for improvements to be made.
For Sligo Rovers, the recent reprieves for their players might prove the difference between survival and relegation.
That’s how big the stakes are. For every club, knowing that a wrongful dismissal can be challenged and fairly assessed adds an element of trust to the competition.
Supporters can accept a referee missing a handball in the chaos of the box. What they can’t accept is the sense that nothing will be done about a blatantly obvious mistake after the fact.
Refereeing will never be perfect – the human element ensures that.
But this new willingness to overturn wrong decisions marks a shift within the league.
It says that the league is maturing, that it values fairness over stubbornness, and that it’s ready to hold its officials to the same standard it demands of its players and managers.
The next step is making sure referees have the tools, training, and exposure to match the demands of a league that’s finally starting to believe in itself.
If we get that right, the conversation in years to come won’t be about rescinded red cards – it’ll be about how rarely they’re needed in the first place.
Watch Derry City v Drogheda United in the Sports Direct FAI Cup on Saturday from 7.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
