Square ball rule on its way out?

[Eamonnca1]

GAA chiefs to kick 'square ball' rule into touch
By John Campbell
Thursday, 1 December 2011

The controversial 'square ball' rule looks set for the chop after the GAA's high-powered Standing Rules Committee recommended an overhaul.

A new version of the regulation, which will be put to delegates at Congress next April, would see players allowed in the square before the ball, except when the ball is delivered from frees and sideline kicks.

Ironically, the current recommendation sees a return to the rule that was in place for the 2010 leagues before it was heavily defeated at that year's Congress in Newcastle.

However, the folly of that decision has impacted heavily on the last two championship summers.

The official guide states that it is illegal "for an attacking player to enter an opponents' small rectangle before the ball enters it during play".

However, that rule has come under increasing scrutiny following a number of high-profile incidences in the football championship over the course of the summer.

Meath's Graham Geraghty had a 'goal' disallowed during their Leinster championship clash with Kildare, while the Lilies were on the receiving end later in the summer when a legitimate-looking Tomas O'Connor goal during their narrow All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Donegal in August was ruled out.

Kildare were also involved in one of the most controversial incidents of the 2010 championship, when Down's Benny Coulter scored a goal to send Kieran McGeeney's side crashing out of the championship at the All-Ireland semi-final stage.

Previously, the GAA could only make changes to playing rules in years divisible by five, but the Standing Rules Committee, which was formed at last April's Congress, can now make recommendations for alterations as it sees fit.

The other major recommendations from the committee are aimed at speeding the game up.

Congress will mull over the merits of the introduction of 'instantaneous subs', which means teams will no longer have to wait on a break in play to make a switch.

A more radical move towards 'Tap and Go' free-kicks will be trialled extensively next year and will not be brought before Congress until 2013 at the earliest.

You know what really grinds my gears? Rugby puns in GAA headlines.

Anyway. How about it?  It's the devil's job enforcing it.  It's a hard enough job for the umpires to keep an eye on the ball, but to watch the square at the same time? If they talk to each other and agree on who's watching what then you can manage it, but even then it's still hard to tell in a borderline case. For hurling even more so.

[Hardy]

A new version of the regulation, which will be put to delegates at Congress next April, would see players allowed in the square before the ball, except when the ball is delivered from frees and sideline kicks.

Wtf? Why this gratuitous exception/complication?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

A new version of the regulation, which will be put to delegates at Congress next April, would see players allowed in the square before the ball, except when the ball is delivered from frees and sideline kicks.

Wtf? Why this gratuitous exception/complication?

Tut, tut...  don't you know that's because geriatric/somnolent/incapacitated officials have then no good reason to be out of position.

[rrhf]

This will leave hawkeye a one trick pony.  I wouldn't allow any player in the square period

[Rossfan]

A new version of the regulation, which will be put to delegates at Congress next April, would see players allowed in the square before the ball, except when the ball is delivered from frees and sideline kicks.

Wtf? Why this gratuitous exception/complication?

So they can disallow all Meath goals in future to make up  for Sluddengate 

and to annoy you of course

[Moscow Flyer]

so in essence u can just play a big man in the square the whole time standin right in front of the keeper?

[Jinxy]

This will leave hawkeye a one trick pony.  I wouldn't allow any player in the square period

What has hawkeye got to do with this?

[magpie seanie]

This is silly. The obvious solution is to exclude attackers. I thjnk allowing people into the square will lead to more hassle. I feared when this committee was set up they'd do things like this but to be fair it is hard to get even the most sensible rule change through congress.

[Croí na hÉireann]

This is silly. The obvious solution is to exclude attackers. I thjnk allowing people into the square will lead to more hassle. I feared when this committee was set up they'd do things like this but to be fair it is hard to get even the most sensible rule change through congress.

I agree, this was trialled before and wasn't adopted for the simple reason that there is still an element of ambiguity with it. It also didn't improve the game.

The one exception I would allow attackers into the square is where they are in position of the ball, e.g. taking the ball round the keeper or when someone is in possession of the ball in the square, be it another attacker, a defender of the goalkeeper. Sometimes the best solution is the obvious one.

[Go on ya boy ye]

I think the rule is fine as it is, just needs a bit of tweeking on decision making.

If the attacker is camped in the square when the ball is kicked, then straight forward for the umpires.

If the player times his run, the umpires should have no problem making a decison.  I'd say there are @ the same no. of sq.ball decisions as points (wide or not) decisions?

For reference, I know in Ulster anyways, all new wannabe umpires will have to pass several tests.  They'll no longer be the referees choice.  They'll be treated like players, no drink the night before etc. etc.

Forgive me if this is common knowledge.

[DuffleKing]

Do they have to blow into a bag beore a game?

[tommysmith]

Do they have to blow into a bag beore a game?

No i think they are going to have to walk in a straight line and touch the auld nose with their finger.

[Go on ya boy ye]

Do they have to blow into a bag beore a game?

Apparently there'll be random drug testing and everything.

[John79]

(Tongue in cheek) I thought that it had been done away with a few years ago!

[trileacman]

A new version of the regulation, which will be put to delegates at Congress next April, would see players allowed in the square before the ball, except when the ball is delivered from frees and sideline kicks.

Wtf? Why this gratuitous exception/complication?

Team B down by 2 points. They win a free/45/sideline kick in the last minute. Team B flood 6 players inside the small square, drop a long ball in and score a fluky goal.
Team A/ Manager A/ Pundit A (rather than sucking it up, taking his beating and acknowledging that no rules will ever be perfect and they're the best we can do) whinges about this travesty for the rest of the season bringing it to the grave/congress with him.

Of course, this hypothetical situation exists for almost any set of rules, and there is no universal solution. Our best chance is just to simplify the rules and suck it up when we bear the bad side of lady luck. Tyrone are as guilty as anybody of this but there is no rules in the world that will be all things to all men.