Leinster Council chairman John Horan has questioned the implementation of the black card in Gaelic football.

Introduced last year with the intention of reducing the level of cynical fouling, as the guilty player must be replaced, the problem of late seems to be the reluctance of referees to use this new tool.

“I’ve had numerous discussions with people over the course of the national league and they were all agreed that there seemed to be a reluctance over the use of the black card,” said Horan at the Leinster championship launch in Farmleigh House.

"The card was introduced with a specific aim: to rid the game of cynical fouls and behaviour. And I'd encourage referees to produce the black card in these instances and maybe keep Joe Brolly from boring us on television," Horan said. There were instances where the black card, for fouls or even "provocative language", could have been shown during last Saturday's under-21 All-Ireland football final. Four yellow cards were shown.

“It is now becoming a source of debate,” Horan said. “Is the black card being implemented? From seeing last Saturday’s match there were incidents in that match that looked like a black cards. Certainly the fella [Richie Feeney] from Castlebar Mitchels must feel very aggrieved ... It was correct to send him off but he must be seeing the similar incidents and wondering.

“I don’t know what’s going on but I hate to think we have brought it in and are not going to use it. I think the support is in place [for referees]. I am quite mystified.”