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Most would agree theres not a lot wrong with hurling. But...the handpass has to be addressed soon. Its allowing  a short passing game (throws) and the secondary effects of that are spare hand fouls, pulling and draging, rucks etc. The game needs to be cleaned up due to all the above and starting with banning the handpasses from the same hand as holding the ball is definately worth a try? At least a proper trial? Tackle should be hooking and blocking not using your hands to stop a player off loading a throw type handpass.

The handpass rule is that the ball must be released and struck with a definite striking action of the hand. If referees enforced this existing rule, there is no need for a new one.

The problem with the existing rule is that its not clear cut. Its what the ref sees as clear seperation and we know now that there are several pundits ready to slate a ref if he makes a tight call which is then highlighted in slo motion as incorrect. Some say the ref should lean twoards only calling it if hes 100% sure which has got us where we are now. If he leans tworads blowing all suspected passes then we have controverlsy galore. For me the throw type handpass (not all handpasses) should be banned. For me this type of hand pass, whether theres seperation or not, is nothing more than a glorified throw. There are several other more skilfull, more attractive and more legal ways of handpassing a ball.

Fabulous hurling by Tipp esp in the second half.
Is it time for Harnedy, Leehane and Kingston and dare I say it Hoggy to go now?...Some of them continue to fail to show up on big days

The lead up to this match is sounding very similar to 2024 when Cork were being tipped to win resoundingly. Hmmm

As a sporting contest its absolutely terrible.
Antrim used to be more competitive in all ireland semi finals!
But sure these are the sort of scorefests some people find entertaining.

There is no room for mediocrity in Hurling. Thats what makes it great when 2 top teams collide. Not today though. Dublin will learn...hurling is not an easy sport to play and there are no handy allirelands to be won. I hope they learn and come again and stay at the top table for the sake of the game at least.

Most would agree theres not a lot wrong with hurling. But...the handpass has to be addressed soon. Its allowing  a short passing game (throws) and the secondary effects of that are spare hand fouls, pulling and draging, rucks etc. The game needs to be cleaned up due to all the above and starting with banning the handpasses from the same hand as holding the ball is definately worth a try? At least a proper trial? Tackle should be hooking and blocking not using your hands to stop a player off loading a throw type handpass.

Peter Queally has called for change in the structure of the hurling championship after his Waterford team were left redundant in May for the fourth successive year.

Would it help if they were knocked out in the same format in July or August? That is the question really.

Honestly my main query with the current structure is why is there a playoff if kerry win the joe mc how is that fair that after winning they still might not get into munster.
Also I think the connaught and ulster championships should be brought back for the weaker counties or maybe even allow Antrim or galway to enter a second team or a team from only from junior and intermediate clubs

The current structure is completely unfair on kerry if they win just make munster 6 teams like leinster and allow kerry to ask to be relegated if they are getting bad beatings in munster

IF kerry win. There are may bigger ifs in the GAA

I heard a person claim that Galway has a hurling area of 30 000 people which can hardly be true with a population of 277 000 people

dRINK tALK

Finals ahould be in CP.

Lipservice to hurling once again.

Willie Maher should have been on the case.

Really? If it was in CP would they get anymore than the 45k in Cork? Not many Id say for a league final. All I hear this week is why the football was played in CP and not in Limerick. No pleasing everyone!

No. Cork GAA don't want fans to miss out watching the rugby game. Hence they not going to change the time of game to clash.

Do Cork CB really believe that they care more about the egg ball in D4, than repaying their stadium debts?

Why not just come out and tell the truth.

Hurling league is pointless, with same teams playing every single year.

Yaps

Number of League winners in last 10 Years
Hurling =5
Football=4

I wonder how long it is before the hurling side of the house start talking about adopting the rules on dissent.

It was a minor shock to see how much more general messing and pointless foolishness went on in the Galway Tipperary game compared to any of the football games.

It really highlighted how "harsh" punishments can immediately remove problem areas from the game.

I'll be gobsmacked if there isn't a hurling review committee in place by the end of the year.

It doesnt need a review comittee to implement a rule like this. If it works for football then Im sure it will work for hurling. If were going to have a hurling review then lets look at the more glaring problems like throwing and steps.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2024/11/23/johnny-murphy-on-refereeing-the-all-ireland-final-hand-on-heart-i-was-happy-with-the-way-it-went/

Good read this. And he mentions the throws aswell.

"Did he throw it? Did he not throw it? There must be clear and decisive separation [between the hand and the ball]. Clear and decisive is not a millimetre, it's three inches."

"But policing it is like handing out speeding tickets: every penalised player feels like a victim."

"That conflict has many miles to travel. Do players and managers know the rules? All of them? Not even on a need-to-know basis. Since the black card was introduced, for example, ignorance of its applications is widespread."

Johnny is a damn good ref and needs to be listened to.....

So lets just allow throws altogether and not be fooling ourselves

I think and it's been shown a good few times, that the majority of these throws are legitimate hand passes but it's that minimal separation that's missed.

Examples have shown plenty of wrongful calls of throw balls

Examples where the video had to be slowed down to a few frames per second to find the seperation. We never slow it down and exammine all the other throws unless there a free for it so how can you be so sure the rest of them have speration. Anyways as Ive said before even if theres a mm of seperation its still a throw and dont kid yoourslef its somehow a magical skill.

So lets just allow throws altogether and not be fooling ourselves

Good old fashioned hurling at its best in Armagh last night. Watching the ballygunner game now and the amount of throwing and short passing 'modern day' hurling would make you puke.

The handpasses are just about legal though.
The only way to stop it is a rule change.

No rule changes are required.  For a change in the GAA, the rules as written are absolutely fine, but referees are not interpreting them properly.

This is a hill I'm prepared to die on.

If a player releases the ball by a millimeter before striking it, it is a valid pass. It looks a throw ball to most people.

If you remember during the summer in the Kilkenny semi-final v Clare the poor referee blew up two players for throw balls, one was against Eoin Cody who was lying on his back tight to the sideline and for all intense purposed it did look like a throw ball in real time but on the slow motion there was a definitive gap/release of the ball before the hand strike and a fantastic piece of skill.

Referees are damned if they do and damned if they don't so the only way to fix it is a rule change.

If it looked like a throw in real time then IT IS A FOUL

It doesn't matter what the slow-mo shows

I agree but it seems many dont and that includes some refs. A ref recently interviwed by Colm parksinson said he only blows for what hes sure is a throw and not the majority that look like thows. So if they are not sure then they dont blow, which will never work in the long term. Only a rule change will sort it but there simply not enough of support right now for change...