The State Of Gaelic Football

[Johnnybegood]

Closed fist hand pass only

[rrhf]

Minimum 5 players allowed in each half at all times.

[smelmoth]

if the consequences of not doing anythong is games like the dubs last night or the one I witnessed in Armagh (or Donegal vs Monaghan or many other games played in better conditions than last night's) then the status quo merchants should also be hit on the head with the wet fish

[smelmoth]

13 a side has the possibility of bridging the gap between best teams and worst teams, making it more competitive and SHOULD encourage quick attacking football due to the extra space

13 aside will just encourage more carrying the ball through the hand and more selections based on capacity to run rather than the wider skills of the game. A backward step.

I disagree
More space means more likely to bring the foot back to football.

Why?

When teams have space today they run through it not hit the ball over it.

If they have less men up front why would they hit it more?

[Wildweasel74]

Derry have no problem playing open football but they have fell to Donegal 3 times from 2011 against a very defensive setup. Attacking football struggles to break it down, Am sure if teams like Dongeal, Tyrone, Cavan and Monaghan played open more other teams wouldn't follow, funny though its only Kerry from outside ulster who reverted to a  defensive set up but again only to match what they are playing against. I Blame Jim McGuinness

[thewobbler]

if the consequences of not doing anythong is games like the dubs last night or the one I witnessed in Armagh (or Donegal vs Monaghan or many other games played in better conditions than last night's) then the status quo merchants should also be hit on the head with the wet fish

I'm not saying maintain the status quo. I'm saying stop coming up with half-baked, not-thought-out "ideas" that if implemented would make the game worse.

Last night's game might have been an abomination, but here's something to remember - right up to the last throes, Derry could have won the game. Meanwhile over in the Leinster Championship, Dublin are at double scores at that stage - in every game.

[INDIANA]

The one rule change I would like to see more than any other is that if anyone proposes a rule change without exploring its consequences, they should be hit over the head 25 times with a wet fish.

Increasing the worth of a goal would only invite two major negatives: 1. Teams doing everything they can to protect the square, and 2. an increased number of games won the the less deserving side who fluke a couple of goals.

Removing backwards passing is utterly insane. When you tackle someone and dispossess them, you should be able to accrue that advantage any way you choose. There are umpteen scenarios in football where not being able to then play the balls backwards to a runner would actually see you at a disadvantage, as holding onto the ball is the same as a turkey shoot. So why dispossess in the first place? Also there'd be referees battered all across the country for interpreting a sideways pass as either backwards or not at crucial stages of the game.

As for anyone intent on adding sequence interruption rules (e.g. limit on hand passes, or force people to kick possession over 45s), all I can is the type of you would ruin sport. If you think Gaelic football is hard on the eye now, imagine it with a further litany of stoppages for something which is not a technical, aggressive or dissenting action.

Reducing the teams to 13 a side is the most horrible idea of all. Gaelic football is no fun to play - even at Junior B level - unless you're fit and creating more space on the field would make playing the game beyond unattractive for anyone who is slow or unfit. You miss the old days of big full backs and long balls? Well you'd never see either again.

So again, I ask, don't just shout ideas. Consider them before you speak of them. Every action has a reaction.

Your point about the goals is nonsense. Absolute nonsense. Any team that accrues more points then the opposition deserves to win the game. Again it shows the defensive mindset in some of the posters here.

Increasing a goal to 4 points would be a step in the right direction.

The other one I would use is that any free given away by anyone bar the named 6 backs in the attacking half of the field is automatically a 21 yard free straight in front of the posts.

[Throw ball]

if the consequences of not doing anythong is games like the dubs last night or the one I witnessed in Armagh (or Donegal vs Monaghan or many other games played in better conditions than last night's) then the status quo merchants should also be hit on the head with the wet fish

To be fair the rules had nothing to do with the quality of football in Armagh last night. Just poor play, terrible weather and a referee.

[thewobbler]

The one rule change I would like to see more than any other is that if anyone proposes a rule change without exploring its consequences, they should be hit over the head 25 times with a wet fish.

Increasing the worth of a goal would only invite two major negatives: 1. Teams doing everything they can to protect the square, and 2. an increased number of games won the the less deserving side who fluke a couple of goals.

Removing backwards passing is utterly insane. When you tackle someone and dispossess them, you should be able to accrue that advantage any way you choose. There are umpteen scenarios in football where not being able to then play the balls backwards to a runner would actually see you at a disadvantage, as holding onto the ball is the same as a turkey shoot. So why dispossess in the first place? Also there'd be referees battered all across the country for interpreting a sideways pass as either backwards or not at crucial stages of the game.

As for anyone intent on adding sequence interruption rules (e.g. limit on hand passes, or force people to kick possession over 45s), all I can is the type of you would ruin sport. If you think Gaelic football is hard on the eye now, imagine it with a further litany of stoppages for something which is not a technical, aggressive or dissenting action.

Reducing the teams to 13 a side is the most horrible idea of all. Gaelic football is no fun to play - even at Junior B level - unless you're fit and creating more space on the field would make playing the game beyond unattractive for anyone who is slow or unfit. You miss the old days of big full backs and long balls? Well you'd never see either again.

So again, I ask, don't just shout ideas. Consider them before you speak of them. Every action has a reaction.

Your point about the goals is nonsense. Absolute nonsense. Any team that accrues more points then the opposition deserves to win the game. Again it shows the defensive mindset in some of the posters here.

Increasing a goal to 4 points would be a step in the right direction.

The other one I would use is that any free given away by anyone bar the named 6 backs in the attacking half of the field is automatically a 21 yard free straight in front of the posts.

Sorry to tell you Indiana but you need to find a new sport. Gaelic football has a dual scoring system which (by accident or by design, who knows?) means that the better team usually win most games, but that a team trailing a match has a route back into it.

Despite this, last year's AI final was one of the worst matches I've ever seen, simply because the early goal gave Kerry enough space to play the most negative brand of football imaginable.

Had that goal been worth 4 pts, they would probably have found an unimaginably horrific  new way to ruin the game. So while you're a little sore that teams have found a way to stifle your beloved Dublin, you don't seem to understand why they're able to play this way.


Re your other point, you should really just go and watch shooting practice at training, and not bother with games at all.

[Wildweasel74]

Would Kerry have played negative if they were up against anybody else but Donegal, they played open enough against mayo in 2 classics in the semi.

[INDIANA]

The one rule change I would like to see more than any other is that if anyone proposes a rule change without exploring its consequences, they should be hit over the head 25 times with a wet fish.

Increasing the worth of a goal would only invite two major negatives: 1. Teams doing everything they can to protect the square, and 2. an increased number of games won the the less deserving side who fluke a couple of goals.

Removing backwards passing is utterly insane. When you tackle someone and dispossess them, you should be able to accrue that advantage any way you choose. There are umpteen scenarios in football where not being able to then play the balls backwards to a runner would actually see you at a disadvantage, as holding onto the ball is the same as a turkey shoot. So why dispossess in the first place? Also there'd be referees battered all across the country for interpreting a sideways pass as either backwards or not at crucial stages of the game.

As for anyone intent on adding sequence interruption rules (e.g. limit on hand passes, or force people to kick possession over 45s), all I can is the type of you would ruin sport. If you think Gaelic football is hard on the eye now, imagine it with a further litany of stoppages for something which is not a technical, aggressive or dissenting action.

Reducing the teams to 13 a side is the most horrible idea of all. Gaelic football is no fun to play - even at Junior B level - unless you're fit and creating more space on the field would make playing the game beyond unattractive for anyone who is slow or unfit. You miss the old days of big full backs and long balls? Well you'd never see either again.

So again, I ask, don't just shout ideas. Consider them before you speak of them. Every action has a reaction.

Your point about the goals is nonsense. Absolute nonsense. Any team that accrues more points then the opposition deserves to win the game. Again it shows the defensive mindset in some of the posters here.

Increasing a goal to 4 points would be a step in the right direction.

The other one I would use is that any free given away by anyone bar the named 6 backs in the attacking half of the field is automatically a 21 yard free straight in front of the posts.

Sorry to tell you Indiana but you need to find a new sport. Gaelic football has a dual scoring system which (by accident or by design, who knows?) means that the better team usually win most games, but that a team trailing a match has a route back into it.

Despite this, last year's AI final was one of the worst matches I've ever seen, simply because the early goal gave Kerry enough space to play the most negative brand of football imaginable.

Had that goal been worth 4 pts, they would probably have found an unimaginably horrific  new way to ruin the game. So while you're a little sore that teams have found a way to stifle your beloved Dublin, you don't seem to understand why they're able to play this way.


Re your other point, you should really just go and watch shooting practice at training, and not bother with games at all.

Spoken with the true arrogance of a Northern GAA man who is watching his province slowly decline into the sinking sea of shite of a type of game they created and told everyone else this is the way forward.

As I said before setup your own Association up there between 6-7 counties. We won't miss you. If the Border was re-created tomorrow with the premise that that teams couldn't travel north or south of the border you wouldn't be missed. Gaelic Football would become a better game and a better sport too.

[DuffleKing]

The one rule change I would like to see more than any other is that if anyone proposes a rule change without exploring its consequences, they should be hit over the head 25 times with a wet fish.

Increasing the worth of a goal would only invite two major negatives: 1. Teams doing everything they can to protect the square, and 2. an increased number of games won the the less deserving side who fluke a couple of goals.

Removing backwards passing is utterly insane. When you tackle someone and dispossess them, you should be able to accrue that advantage any way you choose. There are umpteen scenarios in football where not being able to then play the balls backwards to a runner would actually see you at a disadvantage, as holding onto the ball is the same as a turkey shoot. So why dispossess in the first place? Also there'd be referees battered all across the country for interpreting a sideways pass as either backwards or not at crucial stages of the game.

As for anyone intent on adding sequence interruption rules (e.g. limit on hand passes, or force people to kick possession over 45s), all I can is the type of you would ruin sport. If you think Gaelic football is hard on the eye now, imagine it with a further litany of stoppages for something which is not a technical, aggressive or dissenting action.

Reducing the teams to 13 a side is the most horrible idea of all. Gaelic football is no fun to play - even at Junior B level - unless you're fit and creating more space on the field would make playing the game beyond unattractive for anyone who is slow or unfit. You miss the old days of big full backs and long balls? Well you'd never see either again.

So again, I ask, don't just shout ideas. Consider them before you speak of them. Every action has a reaction.

Your point about the goals is nonsense. Absolute nonsense. Any team that accrues more points then the opposition deserves to win the game. Again it shows the defensive mindset in some of the posters here.

Increasing a goal to 4 points would be a step in the right direction.

The other one I would use is that any free given away by anyone bar the named 6 backs in the attacking half of the field is automatically a 21 yard free straight in front of the posts.

Don't even know where to start with that nonsense

[smelmoth]

if the consequences of not doing anythong is games like the dubs last night or the one I witnessed in Armagh (or Donegal vs Monaghan or many other games played in better conditions than last night's) then the status quo merchants should also be hit on the head with the wet fish

To be fair the rules had nothing to do with the quality of football in Armagh last night. Just poor play, terrible weather and a referee.

Really???

With the wind in the first half Louth kicked the ball into their FF line twice.
With the wind in the second half Armagh kicked the ball in 6 times. One of which was accurate.

If the rules were different (a long the lines of the suggestions above) you don't think both teams would have played differently and prepared differently? I would be amazed if you held that view.

The conditions and the performance of the ref are accepted but the set up of the 2 teams was a critical factor in a dreadful spectacle.

[INDIANA]

The one rule change I would like to see more than any other is that if anyone proposes a rule change without exploring its consequences, they should be hit over the head 25 times with a wet fish.

Increasing the worth of a goal would only invite two major negatives: 1. Teams doing everything they can to protect the square, and 2. an increased number of games won the the less deserving side who fluke a couple of goals.

Removing backwards passing is utterly insane. When you tackle someone and dispossess them, you should be able to accrue that advantage any way you choose. There are umpteen scenarios in football where not being able to then play the balls backwards to a runner would actually see you at a disadvantage, as holding onto the ball is the same as a turkey shoot. So why dispossess in the first place? Also there'd be referees battered all across the country for interpreting a sideways pass as either backwards or not at crucial stages of the game.

As for anyone intent on adding sequence interruption rules (e.g. limit on hand passes, or force people to kick possession over 45s), all I can is the type of you would ruin sport. If you think Gaelic football is hard on the eye now, imagine it with a further litany of stoppages for something which is not a technical, aggressive or dissenting action.

Reducing the teams to 13 a side is the most horrible idea of all. Gaelic football is no fun to play - even at Junior B level - unless you're fit and creating more space on the field would make playing the game beyond unattractive for anyone who is slow or unfit. You miss the old days of big full backs and long balls? Well you'd never see either again.

So again, I ask, don't just shout ideas. Consider them before you speak of them. Every action has a reaction.

Your point about the goals is nonsense. Absolute nonsense. Any team that accrues more points then the opposition deserves to win the game. Again it shows the defensive mindset in some of the posters here.

Increasing a goal to 4 points would be a step in the right direction.

The other one I would use is that any free given away by anyone bar the named 6 backs in the attacking half of the field is automatically a 21 yard free straight in front of the posts.

Don't even know where to start with that nonsense

Would stop a lot of the lazy fouling by wing forwards (forward being the operative word where they have number 12 of their back but probably can't point  a 14 yard free in front of the posts)- if they are from Ulster they definitely can't score anyway.
All you have is forwards standing in the attacking half of the field fouling just outside scoring range. Now you'll probably tell us their is some skill in that. I just wonder how much more of this shit you can keep shovelling. They don't make any attempt to tackle properly and they are told actively to foul and take turns in it. And this is an organised tactic by many teams at club and county level

At least it looks like 2 teams from Ulster will be relegated from Div 1 - a step in the right direction.

[thewobbler]

You're absolutely right Indiana.

Of course you're so effing blinkered you don't even realise that the least competitive, most vacuous GAA competion in Ireland is the Leinster SFC, something that nordies cannot influence - and a competition that would die within a few years if the prize of an AI semi final don't exist.

You're also so bigoted that you'll ignore completely that Dublin won the 2013 AI only because they stopped trying to play Mayo at 15 v 15 at half time and went for blanket defence with counter attack, and that Kerry of 2014 were the most cynical and defensive side ever to win a trophy.

Go back to your bubble.