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Early enough then if league not until May. Wonder if many teams are back on the pitch yet?

May start for the leagues then?
When's the pre-season cups starting?

Why are there promotion play-offs in Division 2 and 3B but not 3A? Surely it would make sense to have all 3 have the same format?

nasty video doing the rounds of a club minor game

What teams?

See with the forward mark, does the player who caught the mark have to take the free himself after they have played on but referee has deemed no advantage accrued and brings it back to the original mark position?

Back in February we were told by Ulster Council official and referees that if ref decided no advantage had come of the mark after playing on, that anyone could then take the free from the original mark position. I thought this was still the case, but was told otherwise last night.

How many clean catches in 40 plus kickouts?

I can't find stats but there were plenty of clean catches by McGurn and Murdock...

Are you saying the 10 yard chip out to an unmarked corner back is more skilful?? How many of those did we used to get?

I'd rather have a scrappy contest for 50/50 ball in midfield than the 10 yard chip!

Sure if you're a neutral. If you're supporting a team there's no way you'd rather 50/50 balls than guaranteed possession? Especially if the opposition is winning the kickouts constantly

If you subscribe to the belief that every time a team has a shot (a wide or a score) then their opponent should be permitted to gain unchallenged possession, then you're correct.

The real question though surrounds why anyone would subscribe to that belief.

Why would it be unchallenged? Without the option of passing back to the keeper, there's far more incentive to press hard on kickouts. This would still be the case without the unnecessary kickout arc.

While most of the new rules are seeming to have a positive effect on the game (and I mean most - definitely not all), exactly what everyone thought would happen with them is happening.

Stronger teams are absolutely thumping weaker teams. Look at the games in Ulster U20s tonight. This hasn't been seen so much in the National leagues we're teams are playing opposition of a similar standard, but come the Champiosnhip there will be 40+ point beatings handed out and games will be over inside 10 minutes. Weaker teams don't stand any chance at all against the stronger ones anymore under the new rules, and can't even structure themselves not to take a hiding. If these rules are to persist then the Provincial Championships won't last much longer.

Anyone hear anything about Tattyreagh and Errigal Thirds being moved to 3A instead of 3B? Be fit for it in fairness. That 3B is a poor standard.

Who all is to come back in to the Dublin team. Really poor today.

You don't have to be opposed to change to be against some of the rule changes, how they have been implemented, the number of rule changes and that some of the rules are being fundamentally changed as the season progresses.
I watched a challenge match today my understanding is that tomorrow the rules will change and the version of Gaelic football I saw today will never be repeated that cannot be a positive for any sport. The league has been treated as an expirement and club competition at all age groups appear an afterthought.

Don't totally disagree with what you're saying but there are ones want NO change whatsoever. Seriously deluded.
As for league used as an experiment, that lies with the GPA who opposed pre-season competition.
There are pre-league club competitions.. in Tyrone anyway.
Football was watchable during the league albeit is more tweaks needed.
I'm a long time watching football and never seen game in such a bad state as recent years. Horrendous

Serious question - what did you think of the Tyrone Senior championship last year?

[Definietly keep the 50 meter rule for dissent; the abuse refs get is unsustainable]

In general, the new rules have been a significant improvement on the turgid stuff we've been stuck with for the last decade. I'd scrap the forward mark, the handing the ball back to the opposition, the 2-player throw in, and the fly goalie. Definietly keep the 50 meter rule for dissent; the abuse refs get is unsustainable

Why not just book the player like in soccer? Players then walk the right rope for the rest of the game. In some cases managers will take them off rather than sent off. Much better than the moving the ball 50m

The ref should not get abuse and that is why the penalty is that harsh.  Technically, you could have numerous players giving the ref abuse and only receiving a yellow card, but the ref continues to get the abuse.  The FRC want respect for ref normalised with this rule change it would seem which is fair enough.

But sure ya could have 5 players abusing the ref after he's moved it and it's still only moved once? Same principal applies. A player booked is much worse for the team and a better deterrent.

You can also book players and have the 50 meter deterrent

Yes i get that, the point i was making is the op was stating if loads are giving off lot of times only one gets booked, I'm just pointing out the ball in certain circumstances can only be moved to the 13. I just think the soccer rule of if you're abusing the ref or obstruct the free kick or kick it away its a yellow card. It works well, we don't need the 50m

A few games in and I haven't given the 50m rule for dissent

Yeah but you tend to use some common sense and understand players get frustrated. You moved many for the not handing the ball back? What you think on that one come summer lol

Haven't done it and the odd one that 'forgot' I explained come the league this will be different and result in 50m free!

No push backs from either teams when I explained the rules. I think I know the difference between someone acting the twat or genuine mistake, unfortunately the rules don't allow for that and the gurning from the sidelines would be enough to just follow it by the letter..

There are still some that I'm constantly unsure of completely and the 3v3 rule will be impossible at club games unless I see it, have already 'fallen' for the 'they have only 2 back' calls only for it to be incorrect and I've blown and stopped attacking play!

So I'm approaching it with the attitude of if I see it I'll call it only, I don't need reminders as I'll be watching play not always looking behind me

Yeah fair play to you that is clearly the best way to approach it with a bit of common sense but as you say the rules don't give that leeway. I really don't know how you're going to do it in club. The 3v3 is going to be impossible. Good luck with it lol

See there's the problem. If you dont see it you can't blow it, but what if the opposition breach these 3 or 4 times a game and the ref doesn't see it. We breach it once, it's seen and there's a guaranteed point. We lose by 1. Understandably we are going to be livid, we should have had another 3 points.

That's on the rules. It shouldn't be a factor that determines the outcome of a game, but this will happen. This is my problem with the rules, they have to be applicable consistently. People will say it's the same as missing a foul, but it's really not. What one ref sees as a foul another may not, whereas this should be completely black and white - and it definitely isn't and can't be for just one man.

A few tweaks be ok. League games were great improvement on the garbage in recent years. People can complain all they like; thankfully that sh*tshow is behind us.

How many tweaks? Every time they change something there's an unintended consequence that means another change is needed. Where, and when, does it stop?

That's my reading of it as well.
The free should at least be from where the chap interfered with play

See. A mess.

Wish Gavin, his ego and the rest of the arseholes would go away and make a new sport, they're going to f**k Gaelic football.

Blame the coaches who have destroyed our game. Gavin and those other very intelligent thinkers who have been at the top of the game are trying to sort out the mess likes of McGuinness and Harte and coaches who copied them... including idiots managing clubs. . recycle, recycle,  pass it back fuc sake!

Do you think all changes are good? And more importantly, workable at all levels of football?

I think some are very good.

I think others are unnecessary or plainly don't work.

I think that rather than accept this the FRC have gone down the route of doubling down and continually amending those rules to the point where they have become an almost unrefereeabe mess.

They would get far more credit for being willing to acknowledge this and reigning back - not bulldozing forward.

Had they brought in the solo and go, the dissent rules, no pass back to gk in own half, the ability to take kickouts before everyone is outside the 21 and the 2 point arc this year they would have made a good stab at what they where set up to do.

They've made it even more difficult for the referees in my opinion with these amendments

100% agree