According to
The Irish Times, the referee is often "centre stage" during All-Ireland SFC finals. Men who referee a final that ends in a draw cannot also referee the replay. This rule was highlighted in 2019, when
David Gough — thought by consensus to have had a good game — was replaced by
Conor Lane for the replay.
Colm O'Rourke in the
Sunday Independent column, "The GAA's view that the referee of a drawn game cannot take the replay defies common sense and logic. Why disqualify a referee when he has done a good job? If the referee is not up to it then certainly he should be left off, but when there is almost universal agreement that he is the best referee in the country then give him all the big games and replays too. The players want the best referees".
Brian White was the first to benefit from the rule change when he got to referee the 2000 replay. Referees are chosen by the
Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) for their impartiality and their assessed performance scores over that championship season. A clue to the identity of the final referee may be found among those chosen to referee All-Ireland quarter-finals. A referee who has officiated at one of the semi-finals is traditionally overlooked when deciding the referee for the same year's final. When the decision is made, the identity of the referee chosen is revealed following the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals and ahead of the final. A period of media attention may ensue, sometimes even before the announcement has been made. ==Traditions==