So what do ye think of the black card rule now?

[sligoman2]

Is the player receiving a black card considered sent off, or merely replaced? If sent off, he is not allowed participate in any of the post- game activities. Normally not a big deal, right?

Cavan captain was black carded tonight and he was allowed to collect the cup.  I think black card means replaced, so no harm done tonight.  Has anyone any experience of a captain being sent off by red card and then not allowed to receive the cup?  There would be a riot, no?

I remember it happening in a Markey cup final.The captain sent of for a second yellow in extra time, and wasnt allowed to lift the cup then.
I thought it was a particularly harsh thing to happen at schools level.

That's a dumb rule and should be abolished.  It makes no sense like the rule in golf if you are ready to putt and the wind blows your ball it's a penalty. 

I do agree with the comments on over carrying and I have noticed it myself.  7 or 8 steps are what most players can take without being fouled and i think 4 is too few and refs don't enforce it.  They should change the rule and then enforce it

[sligoman2]

http://m.rte.ie/sport/touch/gaa/football/2014/0410/608084-black-card/

Interesting article on rte today about how scores are up and card are down.

[BennyHarp]

Equally interesting article from Kevin Cassidy;

WHEN the black card was introduced I decided to hold my counsel on the issue until I had watched a few games at county and club level.
Two weeks ago my club Gaoth Dobhair were playing in the opening round of Comortas Peile Na Gaeltachta away to Glenswilly. The game was evenly balanced and with our league programme about to come into full swing in Donegal I felt it was time to sample my first taste of competitive football for 2014.
I was introduced as a substitute with 20 minutes left. Approximately 45 seconds later I was back standing on the sideline again shouting at my troops having received a black card.
Since taking up my role as player manager this year I have spent time studying the offences that come under the black card rule and I must say I was puzzled when I saw the referee waving a black card above my head.
When asked what it was for I was told it was for cynical play. Considering I was reaching out for a misplaced pass from one of my team-mates and this happened in the opposition's half of the field I found it difficult to agree with him.
I did not argue as when this rule was introduced I said from the start that the referees were going to be the real losers in this situation. Their job was hard enough without introducing this carry on as well.
Let me be clear, I am all for positive football and providing the opportunity for skilful players to express themselves. People might say, 'What's that man talking about. Sure didn't he help bring negative football to a new level playing the way he did in 2011 when Jim McGuinness took over?'
My answer is that it's no great secret I was totally against the way we set up. I have stated publicly on a number of occasions that I didn't enjoy playing that way, but we also knew that with the players at our disposal it was the only way to achieve success.
Was there a need for this rule to be introduced? Was it media driven? And will it really improve our game? I don't think there was a real need for this to be brought in if we had properly imposed the rules that were in place. You would arrive at the same outcome, clamping down on cynical play and systematic fouling.
After my colleague Joe Brolly's rant on RTE about the Sean Cavanagh rugby tackle in the All-Ireland quarter-final his crusade grew legs and suddenly this new rule was introduced and was going to change the way Gaelic football is played.
Anyone who thinks that this new rule means a player bearing down on goal in the last few minutes of a championship match this summer is not going to be hauled down is living on another planet.
When weighing up the pros and cons of the rule I am afraid it just doesn't wash for me. Yes, to date in the league there have been more high scoring games and free flowing football, but I feel that come championship when the stakes are higher we will see the numbers coming back into kilter.
One major gripe I have with it is that it takes the physicality out of our game. Players can no longer go wholeheartedly into tackles. If you were to fly in your fate lies in the hands of the referee and depending on the way he see it you could be watching the rest of the game from the sideline.
Spectators go to games to see forwards scoring fantastic points but they also love to see defenders putting their body on the line and throwing themselves into crunching tackles. Francie Bellew on his game was worth the admission price alone just to see him putting his body on the line time after time. With this new rule players like Francie will be surplus to requirements. As a result our games will lack intensity, with players afraid to tackle for fear of being sidelined.
When this rule came in my main area of concern was for the referees and how it would be dealt with not only at county level but at club level also. As stated earlier referees have a tough enough job as it is and now they have to deal with this.
From my experience of it a club level to date I am actually disgusted by what I have witnessed. What you have now is when any player is fouled you have players from the opposing team screaming in the referees face that it's a black card.
We played a league match last weekend and half way through the game the opposition's midfielder came bursting down the middle with the ball. As I have done a thousand times before I met the player with everything I had in an attempt to disposes him. Yes, it was a foul, I was a split-second late, but it just about worth a free kick. Within seconds the referee was surrounded by players demanding I get a black card.
Under extreme pressure the referee showed me a yellow card. In days gone by the player I fouled would have been awarded a free and the game would have continued, but now we have a situation where every foul is being punished by a card and it's a lottery as to which one you will get.
For me the jury is still out on the issue, but one thing I will miss this summer is the intensity and physicality that only a crunching tackle from the likes of a big Francie can create.

- See more at: http://gaeliclife.com/2014/04/kevin-cassidy-a-farewell-to-francie/#sthash.Eek634fX.dpuf

[Zulu]

Disagree with Kevin. What was happening was defenders were throwing themselves in without any real attempt to play the ball because if you managed to dispossess the attacker great but if not you'd stop him in his tracks anyway which was just as good and there was no deterrent to defending this way.  Now there is a greater onus on you to try and play the ball in the tackle but the opportunity to level him with a shoulder is still there.

[DuffleKing]

Excellent Kevin

[Hardy]

I couldn't disagree with Kevin as he says practically everything I was saying before this wrongheaded clampdown on defending was introduced.

<Referees'> job was hard enough without introducing this carry on as well.

Was it media driven? And will it really improve our game? I don't think there was a real need for this to be brought in if we had properly imposed the rules that were in place.

Anyone who thinks that this new rule means a player bearing down on goal in the last few minutes of a championship match this summer is not going to be hauled down is living on another planet.

It takes the physicality out of our game. Players can no longer go wholeheartedly into tackles.

Our games will lack intensity, with players afraid to tackle for fear of being sidelined.

[magpie seanie]

I couldn't disagree with Kevin as he says practically everything I was saying before this wrongheaded clampdown on defending was introduced.

<Referees'> job was hard enough without introducing this carry on as well.

Was it media driven? And will it really improve our game? I don't think there was a real need for this to be brought in if we had properly imposed the rules that were in place.

Anyone who thinks that this new rule means a player bearing down on goal in the last few minutes of a championship match this summer is not going to be hauled down is living on another planet.

It takes the physicality out of our game. Players can no longer go wholeheartedly into tackles.

Our games will lack intensity, with players afraid to tackle for fear of being sidelined.

While I agree with all the above and did from the outset of this silliness, the bit in bold is key. They're still not enforcing all of the rules.

[Johnnybegood]

We'll done lads and lassies in an excellent thread.
Some great posts!
Personally I feel as an amateur sport we should strive to play our games fairly and in a sporting way at all levels, for me in theory the black card is a necessary safeguard  for this, but in truth all players and mentors need to pull their own weight and at least genuinely  try to play the game within the rules. Genuine attempts for the ball should never be punished by a black card and thankfully so far haven't seem to be.
Gesturing to a ref to card a player akin to a certain mayo player v Dublin or any other player doing likewise should be vilified,
The steps rule should be enforced.
So far In the games I've seen so far the rule has been enforced well and the refs also need time to adjust to the rule change.
Fair sporting tough physical games will hopefully be the result of the rule change and passion in the play will be brought to the fore in the right way!

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

There is really no point in having the black card rule, or any other rules for that matter, while the GAA continues to appoint the same officials.

[Johnnybegood]

There is really no point in having the black card rule, or any other rules for that matter, while the GAA continues to appoint the same officials.

rarly do I hear winners giving out about the ref

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

There is really no point in having the black card rule, or any other rules for that matter, while the GAA continues to appoint the same officials.

rarly do I hear winners giving out about the ref

I haven't seen one Derry poster speak positively of Mr Hughes' performance today. One literally has no idea what colour card, if any, he would brandish after blowing for a free.

[Hound]

I couldn't disagree with Kevin as he says practically everything I was saying before this wrongheaded clampdown on defending was introduced.

Love to hear an example of how the black card impacts on legitmate defending Hardy?

Is it not being allowed to trip a lad up with no intention to go near the ball that you object to? Or is it the off-the-ball takeouts that you want to see more of?

Obviously havent seen any football Hardy this year if you think black card impacts on the physicality of defending!

Sly tripping or off the ball nonsense is what the black card targets, not physicality. And the refs are doing a good job in the main in officiating this.
Must also be said the the black card offences are so clearly set out, that its arguably one of the easiest areas to officiate.

[AZOffaly]

I couldn't disagree with Kevin as he says practically everything I was saying before this wrongheaded clampdown on defending was introduced.

Love to hear an example of how the black card impacts on legitmate defending Hardy?

Is it not being allowed to trip a lad up with no intention to go near the ball that you object to? Or is it the off-the-ball takeouts that you want to see more of?

Obviously havent seen any football Hardy this year if you think black card impacts on the physicality of defending!

Sly tripping or off the ball nonsense is what the black card targets, not physicality. And the refs are doing a good job in the main in officiating this.
Must also be said the the black card offences are so clearly set out, that its arguably one of the easiest areas to officiate.

This would be my opinion too. I know the fear is that honest attempts to win the ball will be misinterpreted as cynical fouls, but to be honest I find it hard to see how an honest, mis timed attempt to win a ball would result in a drag down that can be judged deliberate.

I am worried about a big incident that will turn out to be a dive though.

[muppet]

There is really no point in having the black card rule, or any other rules for that matter, while the GAA continues to appoint the same officials.

rarly do I hear winners giving out about the ref

I haven't seen one Derry poster speak positively of Mr Hughes' performance today. One literally has no idea what colour card, if any, he would brandish after blowing for a free.

The ref was absolutely atrocious. I agree completely with the above but would add that any referee that thinks our games are non-contact sports should f#uck off back to soccer.

[Hardy]

I've been meaning to respond to Hound and AZ but no spare time to put together what I want to say. It's not about the black card rules per se, but about the mentality the new initiatives represent that's manifesting itself in penalising honest physicality, indulging attackers in stepping And promoting an attitude that more scoring means all this is working for the best. Maybe say something more sensible when I have time.