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If the idea is to stamp out tactical fouls, how about a 20 meter free in front of the sticks and possession returned to the team suffering the foul?

Whether or not this idea is passable, all you need to stamp out a pattern of behavior is to make the punishment for the foul more costly than the benefit.

Lads, I've recently completed the Gaa Referee Course for my sins.

The purpose of the rule is twofold -

1. The deal with cynical fouling. You can get a Black Card for three different cynical fouls: (a) Deliberate Trip of an opponent, (b) Deliberate Pull down of an opponent, ie Sean Cavanagh in Croke Park last year and (c) Deliberate Body Collide to take a player out of the movement of the play, ie if a player hand passes to a teammate and a defender steps into his running path to prevent him receiving the ball back.

2. To deal with Non Cynical Fouls - (a) threatening or verbal abuse or threatening gestures towards a player or opponent and (b) to remonstrate with a referee or match official.

It should be also borne in mind that the Black Card is more punitive than a Yellow. Yellow plus Black = Red. A player given a Black Card must be substituted (only if it's his first card in the game and only if he's one of the first three black cards to be received by the team during the game including extra time). If he's the fourth player he can't be replaced during ordinary time. He can be replaced at the start of extra time but if another player receives a black card he can't be replaced....

My only problem with the Black Card is the differential it creates between Football and Hurling. If you commit one if the Non Cynical Fouls above in Hurling its a Yellow Card but in Football you're off the pitch.