The State Of Gaelic Football

[oakleaflad]

Well I don't know what all the fuss is about. There have been a few really turgid games in the league, some okay ones and a few crackers. Last year's championship was pretty much the same. As was last years league and the years before championship etc etc etc.

It has ever been thus, and to suggest that a 0-8 to 0-4 scoreline in a crap game on a horrible evening in March is an aberration and is the death of the game requiring fundamental rule changes won't bear much scrutiny. Ive been to loads of open high scoring games that were sh*te as well.

But sure theres a bandwagon and it gives the media something to climb onto. Last year it was cynical play, next year it ll be something else.

Nothing to see here.

+1
This is the most sensible post on here.

[INDIANA]

Well I don't know what all the fuss is about. There have been a few really turgid games in the league, some okay ones and a few crackers. Last year's championship was pretty much the same. As was last years league and the years before championship etc etc etc.

It has ever been thus, and to suggest that a 0-8 to 0-4 scoreline in a crap game on a horrible evening in March is an aberration and is the death of the game requiring fundamental rule changes won't bear much scrutiny. Ive been to loads of open high scoring games that were sh*te as well.

But sure theres a bandwagon and it gives the media something to climb onto. Last year it was cynical play, next year it ll be something else.

Nothing to see here.

+1
This is the most sensible post on here.

The facts are this is rubbish to watch. Its not  a blanket defence -it's the Alamo in comparison.

Rules need to be changed and soon.

[moysider]

This year's Connacht College's A final was a defensive arm-wrestle.

Summerhill were favourites and had beaten Ros CBS in the league final by 3-11 to 0-9. Summerhill were a blanket/counter-attacking unit all year.
The teams met again in the Championship final and this time Ros decided to play Summerhill at their own game. In one photo I saw only Sligo keeper in his own half. I know it s only a snap shot in time but was not unusual I was told. Anyway it worked and CBS won 8-7 and are now in an AI final. That s a 12 point turnabout in a few weeks by going defensive.

The fact that coaches are doing this type of thing in schools - in Connacht of all places - would suggest it will soon be the normal way to play for many players/teams.

[Throw ball]

Teams are picking and choosing when to use these defensive systems. Mayo v Roscommon was a dire match last year if I remember with Roscommon playing very defensively. When Armagh played them in a game they felt they could win the football was much more open.

The overall judgement on the state of football can only be made at the end of the championship.

[ONeill]

What counties are still playing a relatively traditional style - i.e. at least 3-4 forwards always in the opposition's half?

I don't know about Fermanagh but I'd say Ulster are not in the list.

Meath? Mayo?

[The Raven]

A few simple solutions
1. All frees and sidelines to be kicked off ground
2. Maximum 2 fist passes in a row
3. Forwards must take frees in forward half, backs in defence
4. Kick outs resulting from goals and wides taken from 21yard line, points from 14yard line
5. All kickouts must cross the 50yard line

Worth a go couldn't be any worse than what we have now

1. I dont see how this does anything other than slow the game down.
2.Very difficult to referee and doesnt really do anything to adress the issue of overly defensive strategies, if anything it will lead to alot more aimless kickpassing just to get rid of it.
3.Again and extra thing for the referee to implement, and Im not sure of the benefit (or even that it isnt predominently like that now anyway) What happens if a player starts the game at WHF but is switched to WHB or vice versa?
4.Not sure how there is any advantage in thiseither? its lieka cross between what we have now and the way teh kickouts used to be....
5.There may be some benefit to this, but only if there is some way of preventing teams just crowding the midfeild area.

Worth a go couldn't be any worse than what we have now

Thats the thing, changing rules just for the sake of it and we could indeed have something worse than the current game.
The ultra defensive game is a relatively new development (there was playing defesively before, but never to the extreme we have seen in ths NL campaign), I wouldnt panic just yet.
I would prefer we let the tactics evolve, than change the rules off the back of a few poor games.

To elaborate on my suggestions 1 maybe slowing the game down might be a good thing, less emphasis of fitness and more on skill ie kicking off ground, high fielding, 1 v1 marking not rugby scrums. 2 after  1 or 2 fist passes a kick pass again more skill. 3 reduces this waste of time of goal keepers taking 50's or as I've witnessed in some cases 21 yard frees. Both forwards and backs would need to learn the art of free taking and high fielding skills again. 4 21 yard kick out would help the team conceding the goal and penalise the team kicking the wide. 5 kickouts must cross the 50 eliminates short kickouts which is where a lot of this ultra defensive play begins again returning the skill of high fielding.
Our coaches from under 6 up teach our kids the essential skills of the game kicking, catching, blocking, shooting, toe lift, fist pass, the side step, the solo ( remember that, the good old toe tap, how often do you see that now). We want our players to express themselves, show individuality and flare, great players from the past are remembered for skill, individuality and flare but if things progress the way they are going all we will need is 15 runners who can pass the ball backwards

[BennyHarp]

Slow the game down by having sidelines off the ground and you give players even more time to funnel back. Teams will just kick the ball out knowing it gives them a few seconds to regroup. It'd be like kicking to touch in rugby.

[The Raven]

Slow the game down by having sidelines off the ground and you give players even more time to funnel back. Teams will just kick the ball out knowing it gives them a few seconds to regroup. It'd be like kicking to touch in rugby.

I very much doubt that would happen, more likely it would bring back man to man marking. Surely the last thing any team would want to do is give up possession in their own half

[Jinxy]

What counties are still playing a relatively traditional style - i.e. at least 3-4 forwards always in the opposition's half?

I don't know about Fermanagh but I'd say Ulster are not in the list.

Meath? Mayo?

Our forwards don't move around a whole lot.

[BennyHarp]

Slow the game down by having sidelines off the ground and you give players even more time to funnel back. Teams will just kick the ball out knowing it gives them a few seconds to regroup. It'd be like kicking to touch in rugby.

I very much doubt that would happen, more likely it would bring back man to man marking. Surely the last thing any team would want to do is give up possession in their own half

I was being a bit facetious with my remark about kicking the ball to touch like rugby, but waiting for sideline kicks and defensive free to be taken off the ground would definately give players time to regroup into defensive positions.

[anfheardubh]

There was plenty of sh1te games years ago as well, people are looking through rose tinted glasses

There is nothing wrong with the GAA in the main, apart from the standard of referees which is very poor. Kerry got in to last years final at the expense of Mayo due to some poor decisions

Leave the game alone and it will keep evolving and take different paths in the process,  the main reason that the blanket/mass defence is highly prized is because teams who play against this system dont use fast quick ball in to the forwards, kicked from 40-50 yards which wont allow a defence to set up

Was at the Tyrone Donegal match at the weekend and the only way to describe Tyrone's attacking plan was laboured and lacking speed
Sideways across the pitch which played in to Donegals hand


QUICK FAST LONG BALLS IN TO SPACE 
   
Galway always played a beautiful brand of football but they once had the players to carry this out

[dublin7]

There was plenty of sh1te games years ago as well, people are looking through rose tinted glasses

There is nothing wrong with the GAA in the main, apart from the standard of referees which is very poor. Kerry got in to last years final at the expense of Mayo due to some poor decisions

Leave the game alone and it will keep evolving and take different paths in the process,  the main reason that the blanket/mass defence is highly prized is because teams who play against this system dont use fast quick ball in to the forwards, kicked from 40-50 yards which wont allow a defence to set up

Was at the Tyrone Donegal match at the weekend and the only way to describe Tyrone's attacking plan was laboured and lacking speed
Sideways across the pitch which played in to Donegals hand


QUICK FAST LONG BALLS IN TO SPACE 
   
Galway always played a beautiful brand of football but they once had the players to carry this out

The whole point of the blanket defence is that there is no space! You look up and see 20+ players inside the 45m line and there is no space to hit. The only real way as pointed out previously is to go almost like for like and hope to win as you have better forwards.

[anfheardubh]

There was plenty of sh1te games years ago as well, people are looking through rose tinted glasses

There is nothing wrong with the GAA in the main, apart from the standard of referees which is very poor. Kerry got in to last years final at the expense of Mayo due to some poor decisions

Leave the game alone and it will keep evolving and take different paths in the process,  the main reason that the blanket/mass defence is highly prized is because teams who play against this system dont use fast quick ball in to the forwards, kicked from 40-50 yards which wont allow a defence to set up

Was at the Tyrone Donegal match at the weekend and the only way to describe Tyrone's attacking plan was laboured and lacking speed
Sideways across the pitch which played in to Donegals hand


QUICK FAST LONG BALLS IN TO SPACE 
   
Galway always played a beautiful brand of football but they once had the players to carry this out

The whole point of the blanket defence is that there is no space! You look up and see 20+ players inside the 45m line and there is no space to hit. The only real way as pointed out previously is to go almost like for like and hope to win as you have better forwards.

Mate at some stage within the game the team operating the blanket has to attack and if turned over  there is an abundance of space to attack

[blewuporstuffed]

Slow the game down by having sidelines off the ground and you give players even more time to funnel back. Teams will just kick the ball out knowing it gives them a few seconds to regroup. It'd be like kicking to touch in rugby.

I very much doubt that would happen, more likely it would bring back man to man marking. Surely the last thing any team would want to do is give up possession in their own half

I was being a bit facetious with my remark about kicking the ball to touch like rugby, but waiting for sideline kicks and defensive free to be taken off the ground would definately give players time to regroup into defensive positions.

I cant believe anyone is proposing we go back to frees from the ground. 
The reason that frees from the hand where brought in was to speed the game up and it has certain done that.
If anything, forcing a  team to take the free from the ground would encourage more fouling as it completly disrupts the attack and does away with the chance to use the quick free.

[dublin7]

There was plenty of sh1te games years ago as well, people are looking through rose tinted glasses

There is nothing wrong with the GAA in the main, apart from the standard of referees which is very poor. Kerry got in to last years final at the expense of Mayo due to some poor decisions

Leave the game alone and it will keep evolving and take different paths in the process,  the main reason that the blanket/mass defence is highly prized is because teams who play against this system dont use fast quick ball in to the forwards, kicked from 40-50 yards which wont allow a defence to set up

Was at the Tyrone Donegal match at the weekend and the only way to describe Tyrone's attacking plan was laboured and lacking speed
Sideways across the pitch which played in to Donegals hand


QUICK FAST LONG BALLS IN TO SPACE 
   
Galway always played a beautiful brand of football but they once had the players to carry this out

The whole point of the blanket defence is that there is no space! You look up and see 20+ players inside the 45m line and there is no space to hit. The only real way as pointed out previously is to go almost like for like and hope to win as you have better forwards.

Mate at some stage within the game the team operating the blanket has to attack and if turned over  there is an abundance of space to attack

If you get a turnover in their half of the field they still have most of their players behind the ball. Your idea only works if you can get a on turnover around your own 45 otherwise you are too far back to hit your forwards accurately. What  happens if the team with a blanket defence has a 2/3 point lead in the 2nd half. They are not going to push many men forward. If it was as simple as you suggest teams would have beaten the system long ago