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

[Rossfan]

Only for Kilmore's finest Tommy Kenoy........ Kelly would still be a fairly unknown Kerry man.

[BennyHarp]

"If he was that good why didn't he win a second All-Ireland or a third All-Ireland?"

Where do you start with a line like that?

Just shows the complete and utter ignorance of the man. Hardly surprising then that someone with such a backward mind like that is responsible for the black card - it all makes sense now. But seriously...... how on earth did this dinosaur get into a position of responsibility for implementing rule changes to the modern game? He only won one AI ffs, if he was that good he'd have won a second or third!!

First of all rules are changed by delegates at Congress.
Secondly why should GAA decisions only be made by people with 2 or more All Ireland medals?

First of all, yes the dinosaurs voted it in and secondly, why do people who criticise McGee need to have more than 2 AI medals?

[macdanger2]

If you're looking for a rule change to reduce the effectiveness of the blanket defence, how about making the ball 5-20% lighter. This would force the blanket to come out 5-10m leaving a little more space inside. It would also provide more options from the kickout.

While it might be difficult to get the weight right (you don't want to end up like hurling where you can score from your own 45), it's something that would be easily implementable at all grades and grounds.

[westbound]

If you're looking for a rule change to reduce the effectiveness of the blanket defence, how about making the ball 5-20% lighter. This would force the blanket to come out 5-10m leaving a little more space inside. It would also provide more options from the kickout.

While it might be difficult to get the weight right (you don't want to end up like hurling where you can score from your own 45), it's something that would be easily implementable at all grades and grounds.

This is the type of thinking that we need at the top level.
I'm not necessarily saying that this would solve the gaa's ills but this is at least something a bit from left field that might solve a problem.

Something to consider though, if we manage to get rid of the blanket defense, will that lead to Dublin (and the other top teams) giving lower level teams greater hidings because they can't set up a blanket to keep the score down?

[Rossfan]

Senior , Intermediate and Junior All Ireland Championships would sort out the heavy bearings.
You'd still have a few in the Provincials but you can't abolish them and you have to let all participate.
As for the sin bin ( and countdown clock) if it can work for the girleens surely the big professional GAA can get them to work too.

[lenny]

If you're looking for a rule change to reduce the effectiveness of the blanket defence, how about making the ball 5-20% lighter. This would force the blanket to come out 5-10m leaving a little more space inside. It would also provide more options from the kickout.

While it might be difficult to get the weight right (you don't want to end up like hurling where you can score from your own 45), it's something that would be easily implementable at all grades and grounds.

The ball being lighter wouldn't necessarily make it travel further. It needs a certain amount of weight to penetrate the wind and air resistance. A size 4 ball is a good bit lighter - does it travel a lot further? I'm not sure it does. Having said that I saw an Australian rugby league player doing an experiment with a ball filled with helium. They carried out the experiment on a soccer pitch and he was able to easily kick a conversion from one goal line to the opposite end of the pitch. So maybe filling the ball with mainly air but a little added helium would make it travel that bit further. We need all the physics experts to think about this one. 

[BennyHarp]

If you're looking for a rule change to reduce the effectiveness of the blanket defence, how about making the ball 5-20% lighter. This would force the blanket to come out 5-10m leaving a little more space inside. It would also provide more options from the kickout.

While it might be difficult to get the weight right (you don't want to end up like hurling where you can score from your own 45), it's something that would be easily implementable at all grades and grounds.

The ball being lighter wouldn't necessarily make it travel further. It needs a certain amount of weight to penetrate the wind and air resistance. A size 4 ball is a good bit lighter - does it travel a lot further? I'm not sure it does. Having said that I saw an Australian rugby league player doing an experiment with a ball filled with helium. They carried out the experiment on a soccer pitch and he was able to easily kick a conversion from one goal line to the opposite end of the pitch. So maybe filling the ball with mainly air but a little added helium would make it travel that bit further. We need all the physics experts to think about this one.

I think we have officially lost the run of ourselves. I can picture a GAA version of Tom Brady's deflategate, where a goalkeeper kicks a miraculous 100 yard equaliser off the ground to draw an All Ireland final. Months of investigation into the helium levels in the ball ensue for the CCCC.

[muppet]

If you're looking for a rule change to reduce the effectiveness of the blanket defence, how about making the ball 5-20% lighter. This would force the blanket to come out 5-10m leaving a little more space inside. It would also provide more options from the kickout.

While it might be difficult to get the weight right (you don't want to end up like hurling where you can score from your own 45), it's something that would be easily implementable at all grades and grounds.

The ball being lighter wouldn't necessarily make it travel further. It needs a certain amount of weight to penetrate the wind and air resistance. A size 4 ball is a good bit lighter - does it travel a lot further? I'm not sure it does. Having said that I saw an Australian rugby league player doing an experiment with a ball filled with helium. They carried out the experiment on a soccer pitch and he was able to easily kick a conversion from one goal line to the opposite end of the pitch. So maybe filling the ball with mainly air but a little added helium would make it travel that bit further. We need all the physics experts to think about this one.

I think we have officially lost the run of ourselves. I can picture a GAA version of Tom Brady's deflategate, where a goalkeeper kicks a miraculous 100 yard equaliser off the ground to draw an All Ireland final. Months of investigation into the helium levels in the ball ensue for the CCCC.

I think all speeches should be made after inhaling helium.

[sligoman2]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2016/1011/823229-colm-cooper-kerry-black-card/


It seems the Gooch is a fan of the black card...

[Fuzzman]

I think most forwards, especially those who can take on a man and leave him in their wake would be in favour of the black card as it means their marker can't pull them down after they beat them. I'm probably thinking of those cases where a fast corner forward gets out in front of his man, turns him and goes to accelerate away but the defender grabs him around the waste and pulls him down. The black card really puts pressure on the defender to remain disciplined but as we saw with Connolly v Keegan the last day this can be exploited as the forward can feel some contact and then go down quite easily in the hope of the ref awarding a black card.

I think they should change the rule to ONLY award a black card when it's the very obvious cases like two hands around the player two stop his forward momentum or a very deliberate foot trip where the player has got away from his man. I think the idea was good but the wording of it needs to be tightened up.
In my opinion Johnny Coopers foot trip was a black but I'd like to see that being a yellow as there was no clear run through on goal and loads of other bodies around the player whereas if his man comes out and catches it and turns him and accelerated away and he then trips him purposely to stop a clear run on goal then yes that could be a black card.

[Zulu]

I think that's a pretty good solution Fuzzman. I was in favour of giving the black card a go and I think it has been an improvement in some respects. The problem with any deterrent to fouling is that you have a human being (momst ref's are I think!) deciding on whether it's justified or not. That means you are going to get mistakes and with players trying to con refs and put pressure on him to issue the harshest punishment possible for any foul it becomes very difficult for referees to get it right all the time.

Retrospective bans for players diving would go some way to helping referees IMO.

[AZOffaly]

One thing the black card seems to have helped eliminate, or at least curtail, was the cynical fouls way out the field. Those horrible game killers where half forwards and full forwards deliberately foul defenders after a turnover, to avoid being caught on a counter attack. Those were the fouls that were making the game unwatchable in some cases.

I was never really worried about the cynical fouls on a lad breaking through, as a yellow card and a pointed free was normally punishment enough.

[Esmarelda]

I think most forwards, especially those who can take on a man and leave him in their wake would be in favour of the black card as it means their marker can't pull them down after they beat them. I'm probably thinking of those cases where a fast corner forward gets out in front of his man, turns him and goes to accelerate away but the defender grabs him around the waste and pulls him down. The black card really puts pressure on the defender to remain disciplined but as we saw with Connolly v Keegan the last day this can be exploited as the forward can feel some contact and then go down quite easily in the hope of the ref awarding a black card.

I think they should change the rule to ONLY award a black card when it's the very obvious cases like two hands around the player two stop his forward momentum or a very deliberate foot trip where the player has got away from his man. I think the idea was good but the wording of it needs to be tightened up.
In my opinion Johnny Coopers foot trip was a black but I'd like to see that being a yellow as there was no clear run through on goal and loads of other bodies around the player whereas if his man comes out and catches it and turns him and accelerated away and he then trips him purposely to stop a clear run on goal then yes that could be a black card.

I see your point but then we'll have arguments over whether the player was really through on goal. Cooper deserved his black as, knowing the rules, he deliberately tripped his opponent.

One thing the black card seems to have helped eliminate, or at least curtail, was the cynical fouls way out the field. Those horrible game killers where half forwards and full forwards deliberately foul defenders after a turnover, to avoid being caught on a counter attack. Those were the fouls that were making the game unwatchable in some cases.

I was never really worried about the cynical fouls on a lad breaking through, as a yellow card and a pointed free was normally punishment enough.

The problem from day one with this was that the defensive team's mindset changes in the closing stages of a tight game when a black card is readily accepted in exchange for stopping one of these attacks. This is where the sin bin would be more appropriate as the team would be punished by having the play out the remainder of the game a man short with little between the teams.

[AZOffaly]

That's true, but again, I think people are judging it against something it was not going to stop. People ALWAYS foul and have ALWAYS fouled in those scenarios. It would take something significantly game impacting to stop that practice, like an automatic 13m free or something.

However, my point is those frees were happening from minute 1, to allow defensive shapes to be put in place, and that has largely been eliminated.

[Buttofthehill]

Some good points being made. As an aside, I referee club games at a low enough level and the black card has been excellent in terms of 'mouthing' to the officals. Refs can give a black, yellow or even red for verbal abuse and I have found explaining to the captains before hand that a black could be dished out for any verbals to the ref has made it easier and enjoyable to ref. Now it would be a brave ref to give a black for this in an intercounty match - excuse the tangent .