Exprimental Football Rules

[screenexile]

I regard to the "there was some contact, he was entitled to go down" attitude I have to say that the important issue is that Gaelic and Soccer are very different games. Even a slight nudge can have a serious impact on your ability to control the ball and use it in soccer. The same can not be said in Gaelic as you have the ball in your hands, and control is much more assured and it takes a fairly hefty blow to make you fumble it. I think in soccer you are entitled to go down under fairly light contact but in Gaelic if you go down it is quite rightly your responsibility to get rid of the ball or be blown for over-carrying unless the impact was indeed enough to force you down.

No you're not! If the contact is enough to make you naturally fall to the ground then that's fine. Anything else is bull!

[Rossfan]

Now that we've all had our beef or bellyaching - what happens next?
Will Central Council meet to discuss these proposals and put some of them or all of them or what down as motions for Congress?
It's probably too late for most Counties to discuss at their conventions.
I would suggest that all Co Boards be asked to have a special convention to discuss and pass any motions for or against as they see fit and then a Special Congress to consider such motions.
The recommendations in relation to competitions etc that's coming in January should also be included in those Specials.
Otherwise the whole thing will be buried in the generality of Congress and won't get proper consideration.( like happened a few years ago). 

[macdanger2]

Now that we've all had our beef or bellyaching - what happens next?

As far as I know, the results of the Gaaboard poll are final

[Rossfan]

Now that we've all had our beef or bellyaching - what happens next?

As far as I know, the results of the Gaaboard poll are final

So it's 21 aside plus point posts etc from 1/1/2013 then?

[The Trap]

In my opinion there is not much wrong with the game or the rules at the moment, the problem is with the refereeing.
Now first of all i will state categorically that AT PRESENT i would not be a referee. That is because there is absolutely no incentive to do so and in my opinion you have to be half mad to fill this role.
In order to raise the standard of referees their match fees should be at a level that would attract highly suitable people (e.g. football intelligent ex players).
What do i mean by a fee level? Commensurate to the under the county payments club and county management teams get.
Referees should learn their trade at youth level say at £30 per game. Then £50 for reserve games and £70 for a senior game. If you are good enough to referee at county level this should move to £200 for a National League game and £500 for a championship match.
For anyone who says this is not affordable to clubs, I would say it could be negotiated along with affiliation fees/takings at club championship games/county games.

[trileacman]

In my opinion there is not much wrong with the game or the rules at the moment, the problem is with the refereeing.
Now first of all i will state categorically that AT PRESENT i would not be a referee. That is because there is absolutely no incentive to do so and in my opinion you have to be half mad to fill this role.
In order to raise the standard of referees their match fees should be at a level that would attract highly suitable people (e.g. football intelligent ex players).
What do i mean by a fee level? Commensurate to the under the county payments club and county management teams get.
Referees should learn their trade at youth level say at £30 per game. Then £50 for reserve games and £70 for a senior game. If you are good enough to referee at county level this should move to £200 for a National League game and £500 for a championship match.
For anyone who says this is not affordable to clubs, I would say it could be negotiated along with affiliation fees/takings at club championship games/county games.

If we cleared the ambiguity out of the rulebook the referees we have now might be good enough. I don't see what money's got to do with it, there's hardly a plethora of brilliant refs out there who are holding back because there's no money in it. Likewise I don't think the lads we have now are doing it for the pay they be getting.

[Throw ball]

On the sin-bin thing and it having being "tried twice and failed" - my memory of the last time is that it was tried in a couple of rounds of the league (or maybe pre-league competitions?) and in a few games a whole load of players got the bin; cue uproar from the likes of MH and JO'C and the rule is binned. I honestly can't recall the previous incarnation of it.

I think a 5 minute sin-bin should be trialled properly i.e. clear instruction given to players before throw-in by the ref on what they will be pulled for. Then give it the full league to see how it goes, I think you'd find that teams won't be long stopping fouling when it's costing them games.

If my memory serves me right the sin bin was tried throughout the 2005 national league. Armagh won their only div 1 national league title that year.

[Itchy]

I am going to buck the trend here and say the following. I think Eugene McGee is one of the good guys and I think he writes well about GAA affairs and was a good selection to lead this project. I think the team went about this the right way. The asked the fans what the thought and everyone of us was free to answer the questionnaire they laid out. How many on here moaning about the changes took the time to fill it in?

I think there is a lot of good in these rules. I think the mark is a great idea and it was a joke it was abandoned in a previous attempt. I know I like to see a big man soar through the air and catch a ball under pressure. I hate to see that man then get mauled by 5 defenders and get done for over-carrying. Fielding is a spectacular skill of the game which the rules should  protect. We see less and less fielding these days.

The yellow card for an "intentional" foul is fine in theory. My fear is that the standard of refereeing is so absolutely brutal that the use of "cop on" to determine what is intentional and what is not is unlikely to work. The problem is that the referees the GAA promotes are whistle happy, by the book types. Just go to some U21 games this year and you'll see this is where the GAA tries them out and often ruin games in the process. I think the idea of giving a guy an early shower for pulling and dragging off the ball is good but I can't see our referees implementing it properly.

The countdown clock is long over due. I hate it when you see the board go up for 2 minutes of injury time, 90s of which is wasted by a freetaker or another injury and the ref just blows it up exactly on 72 mins.

I'm a bit baffled where the calls for 70 minutes in club games came from, I can't imagine the survey put that forward as a problem.

Its a shame that something could not have been suggested to curb the scourge of the handpass abuse but I can see how putting a rule in place that could be implemented would be very difficult.

In general I think the GAA should give these rules a good chance in the league even when the inevitable moaning from Mickey Harte starts. Our game has become ugly and boring and I think we need to try and bring the skills of the game to the fore and stop teams of racehorses becoming the norm.

[rodney trotter]

I am going to buck the trend here and say the following. I think Eugene McGee is one of the good guys and I think he writes well about GAA affairs and was a good selection to lead this project. I think the team went about this the right way. The asked the fans what the thought and everyone of us was free to answer the questionnaire they laid out. How many on here moaning about the changes took the time to fill it in?

I think there is a lot of good in these rules. I think the mark is a great idea and it was a joke it was abandoned in a previous attempt. I know I like to see a big man soar through the air and catch a ball under pressure. I hate to see that man then get mauled by 5 defenders and get done for over-carrying. Fielding is a spectacular skill of the game which the rules should  protect. We see less and less fielding these days.

The yellow card for an "intentional" foul is fine in theory. My fear is that the standard of refereeing is so absolutely brutal that the use of "cop on" to determine what is intentional and what is not is unlikely to work. The problem is that the referees the GAA promotes are whistle happy, by the book types. Just go to some U21 games this year and you'll see this is where the GAA tries them out and often ruin games in the process. I think the idea of giving a guy an early shower for pulling and dragging off the ball is good but I can't see our referees implementing it properly.

The countdown clock is long over due. I hate it when you see the board go up for 2 minutes of injury time, 90s of which is wasted by a freetaker or another injury and the ref just blows it up exactly on 72 mins.

I'm a bit baffled where the calls for 70 minutes in club games came from, I can't imagine the survey put that forward as a problem.

Its a shame that something could not have been suggested to curb the scourge of the handpass abuse but I can see how putting a rule in place that could be implemented would be very difficult.

In general I think the GAA should give these rules a good chance in the league even when the inevitable moaning from Mickey Harte starts. Our game has become ugly and boring and I think we need to try and bring the skills of the game to the fore and stop teams of racehorses becoming the norm.

I'd agree with a lot of that. McGee usually talks sense. The coundtown clock is a must, saw a game this year in Breffni, 4 mins added on and the ref blew after 2. Crazy stuff like that wouldn't be happening with the Clock in action.

Lots of respect for Mickey Harte, but wouldn't agree with alot he says. Didn't like the way he ran down the International Rules a few years ago, or Not letting the Tyone players playing with the Colleges in the McKenna Cup (not that it matters to me). Colleges are let have the full pick of players in O'Byrne , FBD, and McGrath Cup.

[Onlooker]

Itchy, you are on the ball with regard to referees and that is why I am completely opposed to players being sent off for 1 yellow card.  You are dead right when you say that the referees that are being promoted by the GAA are the whistle happy guys.  The newer refs that I have seen in the last few years are hopeless.  IMO this is a major problem for the GAA and until Croke Park recognises that we have a refereeing problem, nothing will be done to remedy it.

[nrico2006]

I am going to buck the trend here and say the following. I think Eugene McGee is one of the good guys and I think he writes well about GAA affairs and was a good selection to lead this project. I think the team went about this the right way. The asked the fans what the thought and everyone of us was free to answer the questionnaire they laid out. How many on here moaning about the changes took the time to fill it in?

I think there is a lot of good in these rules. I think the mark is a great idea and it was a joke it was abandoned in a previous attempt. I know I like to see a big man soar through the air and catch a ball under pressure. I hate to see that man then get mauled by 5 defenders and get done for over-carrying. Fielding is a spectacular skill of the game which the rules should  protect. We see less and less fielding these days.

The yellow card for an "intentional" foul is fine in theory. My fear is that the standard of refereeing is so absolutely brutal that the use of "cop on" to determine what is intentional and what is not is unlikely to work. The problem is that the referees the GAA promotes are whistle happy, by the book types. Just go to some U21 games this year and you'll see this is where the GAA tries them out and often ruin games in the process. I think the idea of giving a guy an early shower for pulling and dragging off the ball is good but I can't see our referees implementing it properly.

The countdown clock is long over due. I hate it when you see the board go up for 2 minutes of injury time, 90s of which is wasted by a freetaker or another injury and the ref just blows it up exactly on 72 mins.

I'm a bit baffled where the calls for 70 minutes in club games came from, I can't imagine the survey put that forward as a problem.

Its a shame that something could not have been suggested to curb the scourge of the handpass abuse but I can see how putting a rule in place that could be implemented would be very difficult.

In general I think the GAA should give these rules a good chance in the league even when the inevitable moaning from Mickey Harte starts. Our game has become ugly and boring and I think we need to try and bring the skills of the game to the fore and stop teams of racehorses becoming the norm.

Why should there ever have been a difference in the length of a club and county game, you wouldn't see many (if any) other sports around the world with such a stupid set-up.

I agree with the clock, should have been implemented a long time ago.

Regarding the mark though, as mentioned before why bring a rule in to protect a certain skill whenever coaches and players have worked hard to nullify the oppositions use of this skill.  It should be up to the coach and players of every team to come up with ways of winning the clean catch.  You don't see as much kick passing in football now as you would have 20 years ago, why not bring in a rule where you cannot go within 5 yards of a player who is going to attempt a kick pass? 

[screenexile]

I am going to buck the trend here and say the following. I think Eugene McGee is one of the good guys and I think he writes well about GAA affairs and was a good selection to lead this project. I think the team went about this the right way. The asked the fans what the thought and everyone of us was free to answer the questionnaire they laid out. How many on here moaning about the changes took the time to fill it in?

I think there is a lot of good in these rules. I think the mark is a great idea and it was a joke it was abandoned in a previous attempt. I know I like to see a big man soar through the air and catch a ball under pressure. I hate to see that man then get mauled by 5 defenders and get done for over-carrying. Fielding is a spectacular skill of the game which the rules should  protect. We see less and less fielding these days.

The yellow card for an "intentional" foul is fine in theory. My fear is that the standard of refereeing is so absolutely brutal that the use of "cop on" to determine what is intentional and what is not is unlikely to work. The problem is that the referees the GAA promotes are whistle happy, by the book types. Just go to some U21 games this year and you'll see this is where the GAA tries them out and often ruin games in the process. I think the idea of giving a guy an early shower for pulling and dragging off the ball is good but I can't see our referees implementing it properly.

The countdown clock is long over due. I hate it when you see the board go up for 2 minutes of injury time, 90s of which is wasted by a freetaker or another injury and the ref just blows it up exactly on 72 mins.

I'm a bit baffled where the calls for 70 minutes in club games came from, I can't imagine the survey put that forward as a problem.

Its a shame that something could not have been suggested to curb the scourge of the handpass abuse but I can see how putting a rule in place that could be implemented would be very difficult.

In general I think the GAA should give these rules a good chance in the league even when the inevitable moaning from Mickey Harte starts. Our game has become ugly and boring and I think we need to try and bring the skills of the game to the fore and stop teams of racehorses becoming the norm.

I'd agree with a lot of that. McGee usually talks sense. The coundtown clock is a must, saw a game this year in Breffni, 4 mins added on and the ref blew after 2. Crazy stuff like that wouldn't be happening with the Clock in action.

Lots of respect for Mickey Harte, but wouldn't agree with alot he says. Didn't like the way he ran down the International Rules a few years ago, or Not letting the Tyone players playing with the Colleges in the McKenna Cup (not that it matters to me). Colleges are let have the full pick of players in O'Byrne , FBD, and McGrath Cup.

Indeed. He's turned into a moaner at this stage. "Keep the rules as they are" "I don't like International Rules" "I like the Railway Cup" "I don't like the Universities". Each column on a Friday is some version of these!!

Bottom line is had the proposed rule changes been introduced at the time Tyrone would not have 3 All Irelands. He's becoming like a broken record at this stage and is too stuck in the mud to see that some of these ideas have merit.

[Hound]

The countdown clock is long over due. I hate it when you see the board go up for 2 minutes of injury time, 90s of which is wasted by a freetaker or another injury and the ref just blows it up exactly on 72 mins.

The countdown clock is going to drive some people crazy when they realise it does NOT stop when the ball is not in play. It will end up causing more furore than any other rule because of the mis perceptions about the current rules.

The clock only stops for injuries and deliberate time wasting. The clock will not stop for the likes of Stephen Cluxton jogging up to take a 45 or when the likes of MJ Tierney is taking an age to line himself up for a free or for when a keeper goes looking for a ball then looking for a tee to take a kickout, or for when the ref calls someone over to ask his name, write his name down and show him a yellow card - the clock keeps ticking! (at least in ladies football it does)

[nrico2006]

I am going to buck the trend here and say the following. I think Eugene McGee is one of the good guys and I think he writes well about GAA affairs and was a good selection to lead this project. I think the team went about this the right way. The asked the fans what the thought and everyone of us was free to answer the questionnaire they laid out. How many on here moaning about the changes took the time to fill it in?

I think there is a lot of good in these rules. I think the mark is a great idea and it was a joke it was abandoned in a previous attempt. I know I like to see a big man soar through the air and catch a ball under pressure. I hate to see that man then get mauled by 5 defenders and get done for over-carrying. Fielding is a spectacular skill of the game which the rules should  protect. We see less and less fielding these days.

The yellow card for an "intentional" foul is fine in theory. My fear is that the standard of refereeing is so absolutely brutal that the use of "cop on" to determine what is intentional and what is not is unlikely to work. The problem is that the referees the GAA promotes are whistle happy, by the book types. Just go to some U21 games this year and you'll see this is where the GAA tries them out and often ruin games in the process. I think the idea of giving a guy an early shower for pulling and dragging off the ball is good but I can't see our referees implementing it properly.

The countdown clock is long over due. I hate it when you see the board go up for 2 minutes of injury time, 90s of which is wasted by a freetaker or another injury and the ref just blows it up exactly on 72 mins.

I'm a bit baffled where the calls for 70 minutes in club games came from, I can't imagine the survey put that forward as a problem.

Its a shame that something could not have been suggested to curb the scourge of the handpass abuse but I can see how putting a rule in place that could be implemented would be very difficult.

In general I think the GAA should give these rules a good chance in the league even when the inevitable moaning from Mickey Harte starts. Our game has become ugly and boring and I think we need to try and bring the skills of the game to the fore and stop teams of racehorses becoming the norm.

I'd agree with a lot of that. McGee usually talks sense. The coundtown clock is a must, saw a game this year in Breffni, 4 mins added on and the ref blew after 2. Crazy stuff like that wouldn't be happening with the Clock in action.

Lots of respect for Mickey Harte, but wouldn't agree with alot he says. Didn't like the way he ran down the International Rules a few years ago, or Not letting the Tyone players playing with the Colleges in the McKenna Cup (not that it matters to me). Colleges are let have the full pick of players in O'Byrne , FBD, and McGrath Cup.

Indeed. He's turned into a moaner at this stage. "Keep the rules as they are" "I don't like International Rules" "I like the Railway Cup" "I don't like the Universities". Each column on a Friday is some version of these!!

Bottom line is had the proposed rule changes been introduced at the time Tyrone would not have 3 All Irelands. He's becoming like a broken record at this stage and is too stuck in the mud to see that some of these ideas have merit.

I agree that Harte's column is the most boring and useless one I have ever read.  But saying Tyrone wouldn't have won 3 All Irelands with the proposed rule changes is balls. 

[PAULD123]

I don't think you can say that if the proposed rules existed back then that Tyrone would not have won their All-Irelands. Tyrone were the fastest, fittest and most professional team in Ireland at the time. They had players like Jordan, O'Neill, Dooher, Cavanagh, McAnallan.... The panel oozed class, and of course Peter Canavan.

I understand your point but you forget that the Tyrone system was tactically devised by an Astute Micky Harte to maximise the winning potential for the rules that were there. Just as the Donegal system has been tactically devised by an Astute Jim McGuinnes to maximise the winning potential for the rules that are there. The key point is that ability of the coach to deal with the rules, not the rules themselves. With different rules but the same superb quality of players to choose from I think it is easily imaginable that Tyrone could well have won those three All-Irelands, albeit with slightly modified tactics but that's what Mickey Harte was there for, and if the rules were different he would simply have applied his team in a different way but still have been one of the best in the country.