Gaelic Football - Rules & Regulations discussion/clarification

[thewobbler]

I'd suggest anyone who genuinely believes the older rules produced more exciting football, should be forced to sit through full videos of MacRory cup matches from 2020 to 2025.

If after that you honestly football was exciting, well you probably look forward to the stations of the cross and such like as a great day out, and there's just no helping you.

[J70]

95% of "gaeldom" vs GAAboard 7.

So you think the new rules don't need any changes?

Doesn't matter what I think as they've been voted in for 5 years haven't they?

They're a breath of fresh air compared to the stagnant sh1te we endured up to 2024.

Do you honestly believe that?  I think it was far more exciting. Games ebbed and flowed a lot better back then. I suppose it's all a matter of preference.

I believe it.

The game was becoming unwatchable.

Speaking personally, in the summer of 2022 I was just about done with it, including watching the Donegal senior team.

And I wasn't the only one from our county, given the very poor attendances in '22 and '23 (it wasn't just the management and county board upheaval that year).

I actually missed the 2024 AI Final due to family committments (first one I've missed watching live in decades), and the consensus was that it was so poor and dull that I never bothered to watch it.

How many times did we hear of people at the games just chatting to each other while the endless back and forth across the pitch shite was going on?

Just because we've had a few bouts of possession keeping in the finals at the weekend doesn't mean that should be looking to go back to the way it was.

If we do, I for one am out. I've better things to do.

[Rossfan]

You can't get up from a TV match to make tay these days.
Up to 2024 you could have gone to the shop, bought a bun, came back, made they tay and then watch the last 7 or 8 minutes.

David, there might be some people who'd prefer the smell of a septic tank than a flower bed.

[David McKeown]

95% of "gaeldom" vs GAAboard 7.

So you think the new rules don't need any changes?

Doesn't matter what I think as they've been voted in for 5 years haven't they?

They're a breath of fresh air compared to the stagnant sh1te we endured up to 2024.

Do you honestly believe that?  I think it was far more exciting. Games ebbed and flowed a lot better back then. I suppose it's all a matter of preference.

I believe it.

The game was becoming unwatchable.

Speaking personally, in the summer of 2022 I was just about done with it, including watching the Donegal senior team.

And I wasn't the only one from our county, given the very poor attendances in '22 and '23 (it wasn't just the management and county board upheaval that year).

I actually missed the 2024 AI Final due to family committments (first one I've missed watching live in decades), and the consensus was that it was so poor and dull that I never bothered to watch it.

How many times did we hear of people at the games just chatting to each other while the endless back and forth across the pitch shite was going on?

Just because we've had a few bouts of possession keeping in the finals at the weekend doesn't mean that should be looking to go back to the way it was.

If we do, I for one am out. I've better things to do.

Fair enough, I am obviously biased but I would rewatch the 2024 final regularly and its an absolutely excellent game that could go either way right down the wire. The goal also means so much more than it does now.  The RTE panel particularly the commentators rave how about how good it is whilst commentating.  Yes there were plenty of poor games this decade but there were plenty of great games.  Taking the knock outs in 2024 alone Dublin v Galway, Armagh v Kerry and Armagh v Galway were all excellent.  The connacht final that year was also great.

I think there's a real cult of the new that underpins a lot of support for games under the new rules and whilst there have been some great games theres been plenty of awful ones as well.  Galway v Meath was about the only game in the knock out phases last year for me that came close to the quality of those three games i mentioned in 2024.

Taking the connacht final in 2024 v 2025 as a prime example.  There were more scores in 24, there were more lead changes in 2024 and there was a smaller gap in 24 but it doesnt get the plaudits that the 25 game gets. For me 24 was the vastly superior game.

The real issue I have though is every good game now seems to be because the rules are great and every bad game seems to be unrelated to the rules.

As I have said happy to give it more time and my position has softened over the last 12 months but I havent seen any real improvement from the new rules save for the solo and go

[thewobbler]

David if you've rewatched the game multiple times then you can't have missed the commentators talking about the pigeons.

Yes. During an AI final they were talking about pigeons. Because nothing else was happening.

[David McKeown]

You can't get up from a TV match to make tay these days.
Up to 2024 you could have gone to the shop, bought a bun, came back, made they tay and then watch the last 7 or 8 minutes.

David, there might be some people who'd prefer the smell of a septic tank than a flower bed.

As I have said before im a life longer holder of minority opinions but I still prefer the old rules save for the solo and go.  Games now seem to be one team gets ahead the other comes back and the game is a battle to see can the team ahead hold on or can the team behind comeback.  Points and goals have been devalued and officiating and weather conditions play a much more significant role.  After all I think the whole thing is a matter of opinion

[marty34]

Query. Can an outfielder use a tee hitting a free off the ground?

And is there a specific rule on this?

[David McKeown]

David if you've rewatched the game multiple times then you can't have missed the commentators talking about the pigeons.

Yes. During an AI final they were talking about pigeons. Because nothing else was happening.

They make one reference to the pigeon after the game restarts from the stoppage for clearing the pigeon.  Its not reflective of the game as a whole. Fitzmaurice at one stage called in the best final in recent memory.  Certainly it was far superior to last years affair

[The Boy Wonder]

The over-emphasis that Mickey Harte placed on possession football started the deterioration of Gaelic Football.
Up to then the team in possession almost always moved the ball in a forward direction and to a large extent the backs stayed back and the forwards stayed forward.

Just look back on YouTube at the 2011 Donegal v Kildare All-Ireland Quarter-Final for a game to warm the heart.

[JoG2]

Query. Can an outfielder use a tee hitting a free off the ground?

And is there a specific rule on this?

No and if an outfield player takes the goal kick, it has to be off the ground (nearly sure)

[GTP]

The Meath systemic fouling might but that's the first time I can recall seeing it this year
They did the same at the end if the first round league game against Derry.

[David McKeown]

The Meath systemic fouling might but that's the first time I can recall seeing it this year
They did the same at the end if the first round league game against Derry.

I did not see that game