Gaelic Football - Rules & Regulations discussion/clarification

[twohands!!!]

Was the last goal by Kerry in today's League final legal?
When the Kerry player kicked the ball Jason Foley was outside the square, it then deflected off a Mayo player and at the time of the deflection he was inside the square.

I watched the footage back and was able to pause it showing Foley outside the square after the deflection, so clearly not a square ball.

However the rule book could be clearer in it's wording and I think it would have been a harsh interpretation to assess the deflection as the final play.

There is of course no definition of what is or isn't a final play anywhere in the rule book but I would think must people would assume the kick by the Kerry player was the final play.

Looks like the wording could be improved by the addition of the word deliberate so that the rule read

(a) During Play (excluding Set Play), before the final deliberate play of the ball into the small rectangle.

This would mean that even if he was in the square before the ball was deflected but after the other Kerry player had kicked it the goal would stand - I presume most people would be ok with the rule being enforced this way ?

Current rule

4.9 For an attacking player to enter opponents' small rectangle:
(a) During Play (excluding Set Play), before the final play of the ball into the small rectangle.
(b) In Set Play, before the ball enters the small rectangle.

Exceptions:
(i) If an attacking player legally enters the small rectangle, and the ball is played from that area but is returned before the attacking player has time to leave the area, provided he does not play the ball or interfere with the defence, a foul is not committed.
(ii) When a point is scored from outside the small rectangle and the ball is sufficiently high to be out of reach of all players, the score shall be allowed even though an attacking player may have been otherwise illegally within the small rectangle before the ball – provided that the player in question does not interfere with the
defence

[Milltown Row2]

It's handy that your were able to pause it to see whether he was inside or not, the referee hasn't that ability to do that..

Was approached at half time yesterday by one of the umpires from the home team, claiming a free kick should have been disallowed as the player (I think he said) kicked it twice? As in he motioned to kick it, then toe tapped it before settling himself to take it 'again' To be fair I was jotting something into my book but he may have been right..

Obviously he wasn't happy and told me to do my job right

[David McKeown]

It's handy that your were able to pause it to see whether he was inside or not, the referee hasn't that ability to do that..

Was approached at half time yesterday by one of the umpires from the home team, claiming a free kick should have been disallowed as the player (I think he said) kicked it twice? As in he motioned to kick it, then toe tapped it before settling himself to take it 'again' To be fair I was jotting something into my book but he may have been right..

Obviously he wasn't happy and told me to do my job right

I have a real problem with this one. I agree with that umpire but it's rarely enforced (if I am even correct). I've seen it enforced once though in a match between Monaghan and Tyrone in Croke park in the mid to late noughties.

Similarly in the Armagh v Kildare league game I was screaming at McQuillian for not knowing the rules when he allowed a Kildare player to set a ball down for a free kick before changing his mind and opting to take it from the hand. In fairness no one around me seemed to know that wasn't allowed either.

[Milltown Row2]

It's handy that your were able to pause it to see whether he was inside or not, the referee hasn't that ability to do that..

Was approached at half time yesterday by one of the umpires from the home team, claiming a free kick should have been disallowed as the player (I think he said) kicked it twice? As in he motioned to kick it, then toe tapped it before settling himself to take it 'again' To be fair I was jotting something into my book but he may have been right..

Obviously he wasn't happy and told me to do my job right

I have a real problem with this one. I agree with that umpire but it's rarely enforced (if I am even correct). I've seen it enforced once though in a match between Monaghan and Tyrone in Croke park in the mid to late noughties.

Similarly in the Armagh v Kildare league game I was screaming at McQuillian for not knowing the rules when he allowed a Kildare player to set a ball down for a free kick before changing his mind and opting to take it from the hand. In fairness no one around me seemed to know that wasn't allowed either.

There are some rules that need to be written better though, and in fairness if I had have seen it I probably would have allowed it to continue..

[Armagh18]

It's handy that your were able to pause it to see whether he was inside or not, the referee hasn't that ability to do that..

Was approached at half time yesterday by one of the umpires from the home team, claiming a free kick should have been disallowed as the player (I think he said) kicked it twice? As in he motioned to kick it, then toe tapped it before settling himself to take it 'again' To be fair I was jotting something into my book but he may have been right..

Obviously he wasn't happy and told me to do my job right

I have a real problem with this one. I agree with that umpire but it's rarely enforced (if I am even correct). I've seen it enforced once though in a match between Monaghan and Tyrone in Croke park in the mid to late noughties.

Similarly in the Armagh v Kildare league game I was screaming at McQuillian for not knowing the rules when he allowed a Kildare player to set a ball down for a free kick before changing his mind and opting to take it from the hand. In fairness no one around me seemed to know that wasn't allowed either.

Didn't know that one myself re setting the ball down then picking it up. Probably not a whole pile of need for that rule in the first place.

[David McKeown]

It's handy that your were able to pause it to see whether he was inside or not, the referee hasn't that ability to do that..

Was approached at half time yesterday by one of the umpires from the home team, claiming a free kick should have been disallowed as the player (I think he said) kicked it twice? As in he motioned to kick it, then toe tapped it before settling himself to take it 'again' To be fair I was jotting something into my book but he may have been right..

Obviously he wasn't happy and told me to do my job right

I have a real problem with this one. I agree with that umpire but it's rarely enforced (if I am even correct). I've seen it enforced once though in a match between Monaghan and Tyrone in Croke park in the mid to late noughties.

Similarly in the Armagh v Kildare league game I was screaming at McQuillian for not knowing the rules when he allowed a Kildare player to set a ball down for a free kick before changing his mind and opting to take it from the hand. In fairness no one around me seemed to know that wasn't allowed either.

Didn't know that one myself re setting the ball down then picking it up. Probably not a whole pile of need for that rule in the first place.

Yeah but it's there. Once you leave indicate how the kick is to be taken you can't change your Mind. In that instance the Kildare had just taken a kick from the ground. Had placed the ball and addressed it. There was then a gust of wind and he changed his mind.

[themac_23]

It's handy that your were able to pause it to see whether he was inside or not, the referee hasn't that ability to do that..

Was approached at half time yesterday by one of the umpires from the home team, claiming a free kick should have been disallowed as the player (I think he said) kicked it twice? As in he motioned to kick it, then toe tapped it before settling himself to take it 'again' To be fair I was jotting something into my book but he may have been right..

Obviously he wasn't happy and told me to do my job right

I have a real problem with this one. I agree with that umpire but it's rarely enforced (if I am even correct). I've seen it enforced once though in a match between Monaghan and Tyrone in Croke park in the mid to late noughties.

Similarly in the Armagh v Kildare league game I was screaming at McQuillian for not knowing the rules when he allowed a Kildare player to set a ball down for a free kick before changing his mind and opting to take it from the hand. In fairness no one around me seemed to know that wasn't allowed either.

Didn't know that one myself re setting the ball down then picking it up. Probably not a whole pile of need for that rule in the first place.

Think its a fair enough rule, prob to try stop for example a team leaving the ball for a keeper to come up take a free he sets the ball up wastes the guts of 90 secs he then lifts it and plays it back 30 yards, just to stop time wasting id say

[Armagh18]

It's handy that your were able to pause it to see whether he was inside or not, the referee hasn't that ability to do that..

Was approached at half time yesterday by one of the umpires from the home team, claiming a free kick should have been disallowed as the player (I think he said) kicked it twice? As in he motioned to kick it, then toe tapped it before settling himself to take it 'again' To be fair I was jotting something into my book but he may have been right..

Obviously he wasn't happy and told me to do my job right

I have a real problem with this one. I agree with that umpire but it's rarely enforced (if I am even correct). I've seen it enforced once though in a match between Monaghan and Tyrone in Croke park in the mid to late noughties.

Similarly in the Armagh v Kildare league game I was screaming at McQuillian for not knowing the rules when he allowed a Kildare player to set a ball down for a free kick before changing his mind and opting to take it from the hand. In fairness no one around me seemed to know that wasn't allowed either.

Didn't know that one myself re setting the ball down then picking it up. Probably not a whole pile of need for that rule in the first place.

Think its a fair enough rule, prob to try stop for example a team leaving the ball for a keeper to come up take a free he sets the ball up wastes the guts of 90 secs he then lifts it and plays it back 30 yards, just to stop time wasting id say

Fair point, although nothing stopping him going backwards off the ground either lol

[JoG2]

It's handy that your were able to pause it to see whether he was inside or not, the referee hasn't that ability to do that..

Was approached at half time yesterday by one of the umpires from the home team, claiming a free kick should have been disallowed as the player (I think he said) kicked it twice? As in he motioned to kick it, then toe tapped it before settling himself to take it 'again' To be fair I was jotting something into my book but he may have been right..

Obviously he wasn't happy and told me to do my job right

I have a real problem with this one. I agree with that umpire but it's rarely enforced (if I am even correct). I've seen it enforced once though in a match between Monaghan and Tyrone in Croke park in the mid to late noughties.

Similarly in the Armagh v Kildare league game I was screaming at McQuillian for not knowing the rules when he allowed a Kildare player to set a ball down for a free kick before changing his mind and opting to take it from the hand. In fairness no one around me seemed to know that wasn't allowed either.

Didn't know that one myself re setting the ball down then picking it up. Probably not a whole pile of need for that rule in the first place.

Think its a fair enough rule, prob to try stop for example a team leaving the ball for a keeper to come up take a free he sets the ball up wastes the guts of 90 secs he then lifts it and plays it back 30 yards, just to stop time wasting id say

Fair point, although nothing stopping him going backwards off the ground either lol

And they do. If a keeper is coming up to take a free, he shouldn't be allowed to play it short

[Armagh18]

And they do. If a keeper is coming up to take a free, he shouldn't be allowed to play it short

Funnily enough in "rarely enforced rules" at least for football, the amount of times I've seen a free kick being taken where the ball hasn't traveled at least 13 metres before a team mate takes possession of the ball.

Really? You'd see this one called out plenty in my experience, any hint that it might have been too short will normally be jumped on by opposition.

[Rossfan]

The biggest rule breaker is frees from the hand.
The average steal must be 10m now!
Time to use the soccer spray thingy.

[David McKeown]

And they do. If a keeper is coming up to take a free, he shouldn't be allowed to play it short

Funnily enough in "rarely enforced rules" at least for football, the amount of times I've seen a free kick being taken where the ball hasn't traveled at least 13 metres before a team mate takes possession of the ball.

Is that the rule?  I always thought the rule was that the player receiving the ball must have been 13 metres from the kicker when the kick was taken. So they could receive the ball within 13 metres but had they been standing next to the player they couldn't get it no matter how far it was kicked.

[imtommygunn]

I thought you needed to be 13 metres away when kicked not when you receive it.

[David McKeown]

I'm still not sure what the rule is. You have to be 13m away from the kicker when free is taken but could you run 12m towards the kicker say and pick it up one meter away from them?  The quoted rule doesn't really answer the issue.

[Milltown Row2]

I'm still not sure what the rule is. You have to be 13m away from the kicker when free is taken but could you run 12m towards the kicker say and pick it up one meter away from them?  The quoted rule doesn't really answer the issue.

Personally if he's 13m away and manages to sprint 12m when the ball is played then play on!!