Gaelic Football - Rules & Regulations discussion/clarification

[Keyser soze]

Quite a lot of the side to side 'shite' is already foot passing.

[AustinPowers]

From an article in the Irish Times by a player who participated in the sandbox games
"Then, for the final 20 minutes, another rule was introduced: a player receiving a hand pass would have to kick pass. In other words a team could not play two hand passes in a row.

This led to more chaos, more verticality and more turnovers, and it was probably the most enjoyable part to play in."

- You would hope that an entire sport wouldn't be changed on the basis of a 20 minute trial.

Of all the potential rule changes discussed the past 2 years, this is by some distance the most seismic.

I don't even know if it's a bad idea or not, for it's just too big to consider properly. I do see how it would hand some of the initiatives back to defenders: it's one less option to consider on every other tackle.

But I don't know how a club in e.g. coastal Donegal would go about resetting their entire footballing principles, nor do I see how a 25 year old could rewire 20 years of practice without regularly losing the plot. And my biggest worry of all would be that we would inevitably see handpassing being replaced by ponderous and ugly 5 yard kick passes.

We can't loose the three man weave!

I wouldn't agree with this potential change at all, while I like a kicking based game there is a lot of skill and beauty in a well executed, swift running or hand passing game.

It's the side to side stuff that is shite and that Dan happen in a kicking game!

Jesus just bring in a shot clock.


.

Even with all the rule changes which have been welcomed by most the latter stages of the championship were disappointing. The biggest issue I have is it's still way too easy for teams to keep possession. We're now seeing teams getting the ball with 2 minutes to the halftime hooter and they just play keep ball until the hooter goes and then they try for a score. With the better teams it's impossible to get the ball off them. That's why this rule of a hand pass followed by a kick pass is definitely worth looking at. The game will more than likely be more scrappy and disjointed but there should be more contests for possession. It's definitely worth looking at anyway because the scourge of long periods of possession is still in the game and it's boring to watch.

Yes that example of Kerry keeping ball for 2 minutes before hooter ,  this new kicking rule would  just change things from   constant handpassing  to just fist-kick-fist-kick for 2 minutes instead. 

The game is  ultimately a possession based game. You're   not going to change  that no matter what you do

[blanketattack]

The new rule of solo and go was designed to move the game quicker, dealing with an incident after play is common enough (even before the new rules)when brought to a ref's attention by linesmen or umpires.

Personally, if dealing with a black or red, regardless of the potential of an advantage I'll stop play

But it's still ok to allow play to develop which now with the new rules advantage is whatever the ref feels.

In the case above it was one phase, not sure the ref would allow multiple phases, as in more restarts.

Solo and go also balanced out the inequality from how free-kicks benefitted the perpetrating team because they had a numerical advantage when the free was taken, 15 v 14 plus it forced a kick pass which has a higher turnover potential.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Quite a lot of the side to side 'shite' is already foot passing.

And it happens because the defending team builds a campsite in the D and doesn't even try to get the ball back outside of it. They are the cnuts that want looked about, not the team who is trying to break it down.
The idea that players should just brainlessly take the ball into the middle of that spiders web to make it a better game is ridiculous.
No better way to encourage negative, defensive tactics than to put restrictions on the attacking team.

[Milltown Row2]

The new rule of solo and go was designed to move the game quicker, dealing with an incident after play is common enough (even before the new rules)when brought to a ref's attention by linesmen or umpires.

Personally, if dealing with a black or red, regardless of the potential of an advantage I'll stop play

But it's still ok to allow play to develop which now with the new rules advantage is whatever the ref feels.

In the case above it was one phase, not sure the ref would allow multiple phases, as in more restarts.

Solo and go also balanced out the inequality from how free-kicks benefitted the perpetrating team because they had a numerical advantage when the free was taken, 15 v 14 plus it forced a kick pass which has a higher turnover potential.

All hearsay as we don't or wont have known how it would have actually played out.. 

[Wildweasel74]

This ref having a f**king shocker in the camogie last 5/10mins. Literally giving Cork everything. Are these hurling level refs?

[imtommygunn]

It's a fairly chaotic game. I have never seen a camogie ref let so much go. (I don't watch loads but watch a bit)

[Wildweasel74]

G the Galway girl through on goal with the Cork full bck pulling her Jersey the whole cut and he didn't even book her, that was ridiculous call. Not sure how Cork No.7 still on the field, stuck in everything.

[Wildweasel74]

That lad shouldn't be reffing any game. Should been 3/4 frees there either way, gave none. Cork girl charged out straight over the Galway girl, no free, he gave the excate same free against Galway less than 10mins ago.

[imtommygunn]

Yeah I don't think the ref doing a great job. I think he lost control m

[An Watcher]

Put any premier league game to shame.  Some challenges

[Wildweasel74]

Watching highlights there. Galway forward pushes the Cork goalkeeper over as she going down to get the sliothar, obvious free, ref doesn't blow and the Galway lady scores a point. On commentary, they cant believe it's not a free and the goalkeeper looking at the ref with a WTF look.

[onefineday]

I heard Pat Spillane say Jim Gavin thought of his role as "making the best amateur game to play and watch on the planet".


Given the source I wondered if this is true. Seems like an odd brief. What is with Irish people and their desperate need to gush about gaelic games?

"Best in the world".

Silly comparing sports this way, everyone is different. That's an incredible stat on Down.

There were also more handpasses in this year's final than last year!

Yeah I think I heard Gavin on a podcast at the start of the year and said that was his aim.

That was the remit/challenge handed down by the president of the GAA when he formed the committee straight after his appointment, so it came from jarlath, not Jim.

The latest rules trials are simply a response to the feedback surveys and trials of some of the more common suggestions that were put forward. You'd imagine that the most likely change is the 4pt goal which was in the original proposals but were withdrawn because congress wasn't going to support due to delegates poor grasp of maths!!
I'd have liked to have seen the back court rule trialled all year as that surely has potential to be the antidote to lateral passing, but as someone said, it's too late in the day to bring something so radical in which has to stay for the next 5 years when we have no insights into its real world impacts.

One final thing, these going through en masse is not a done deal. Congress will vote and I presume a 2/3rds majority is needed, you'd imagine there will be horse trading before an acceptable package to be put before congress is agreed. The FRC will provide the review and the stats,and make proposals, but ultimately, counties and blocks of like-minded counties will decide what is retained and what is jettisoned.

[GTP]

I heard Pat Spillane say Jim Gavin thought of his role as "making the best amateur game to play and watch on the planet".


Given the source I wondered if this is true. Seems like an odd brief. What is with Irish people and their desperate need to gush about gaelic games?

"Best in the world".

Silly comparing sports this way, everyone is different. That's an incredible stat on Down.

There were also more handpasses in this year's final than last year!

Yeah I think I heard Gavin on a podcast at the start of the year and said that was his aim.

That was the remit/challenge handed down by the president of the GAA when he formed the committee straight after his appointment, so it came from jarlath, not Jim.

The latest rules trials are simply a response to the feedback surveys and trials of some of the more common suggestions that were put forward. You'd imagine that the most likely change is the 4pt goal which was in the original proposals but were withdrawn because congress wasn't going to support due to delegates poor grasp of maths!!
I'd have liked to have seen the back court rule trialled all year as that surely has potential to be the antidote to lateral passing, but as someone said, it's too late in the day to bring something so radical in which has to stay for the next 5 years when we have no insights into its real world impacts.

One final thing, these going through en masse is not a done deal. Congress will vote and I presume a 2/3rds majority is needed, you'd imagine there will be horse trading before an acceptable package to be put before congress is agreed. The FRC will provide the review and the stats,and make proposals, but ultimately, counties and blocks of like-minded counties will decide what is retained and what is jettisoned.

Introducing any new rule, amendment to the rules, or dropping individual rules within the enhanced package will be a situation where we have no insights into the real world impacts. A four point goal may sound good to some but with no trial should never be considered. There have been too many changes to judge cause and effect and the only wise thing Congress should do is accept the rules as they are now and allow them to be altered in annual reviews (or even mid-season) if needed.

[David McKeown]

A 4 point goal isn't just a mathematical issue though. It fundamentally undermines further the relative value of a point.

The more scores in a game the less impact each score makes.

By way of example. In the 2024 final a point amounted to between 7 and 8 % of a teams total score. So it was significant to score a point.

In the 2025 final a point amounted to between 3.5% and 5% of a teams total score.

If you increase goals to 4 points then you run the risk of there being little to no point (excuse the pun) of going for points. That's something that needs trialled for me