Rule changes for hurling

[didlyi]

If ever there was an example that changes or tweaks are required it was last sundays Munster Final. A brilliant occasion and a brilliant contest almost ruined by fouling. We cant continue to blame the refs. The 'let the the game flow' rhetoric is short sighted and probably the reason we have a problem. Every game needs applied rules.
Heres hoping the HRC listens to what the supporters have to say on the survey as they now have a voice.

[johnnycool]

If ever there was an example that changes or tweaks are required it was last sundays Munster Final. A brilliant occasion and a brilliant contest almost ruined by fouling. We cant continue to blame the refs. The 'let the the game flow' rhetoric is short sighted and probably the reason we have a problem. Every game needs applied rules.
Heres hoping the HRC listens to what the supporters have to say on the survey as they now have a voice.

The tackle in hurling has turned into a free for all, arm pulling etc going on and it seems the GAA have backed James Owens after the Munster final by giving him the Clare v Dublin quarter final.

If teams don't adapt to the style of refereeing then that's on them, not the referee applying the rules that we do have.

[marty34]

Referees, like players, will have good and bad games. That's life.

There's two sets of thoughts:

1. Play on...let it flow etc.

2. Referee applies the rules.


I think it's up to management and players moreso to 'read' a referee in the first 5 mins of a game. See which of the above he's doing and adapt their game to suit.  Good teams like Limerick do that.


The first thing BOC came out with after the game was castigating the situation at the end. Whinging and complaining like a broken record. At the start of the season he was on about it being a physical game etc. Always whinging. Needs to get over it.


Regarding the free at the end, Cork messed about with who was taking it initially then they messed about with the final pass. They should have asked the ref. and then lumped it in. My thought would be a referee will always give and extra 20 seconds on the play when it's in an around the 21. Basically to see how it breaks. He's not going to blow time up when it's dropping in there.   

[Milltown Row2]

Referees, like players, will have good and bad games. That's life.

There's two sets of thoughts:

1. Play on...let it flow etc.

2. Referee applies the rules.


I think it's up to management and players moreso to 'read' a referee in the first 5 mins of a game. See which of the above he's doing and adapt their game to suit.  Good teams like Limerick do that.


The first thing BOC came out with after the game was castigating the situation at the end. Whinging and complaining like a broken record. At the start of the season he was on about it being a physical game etc. Always whinging. Needs to get over it.


Regarding the free at the end, Cork messed about with who was taking it initially then they messed about with the final pass. They should have asked the ref. and then lumped it in. My thought would be a referee will always give and extra 20 seconds on the play when it's in an around the 21. Basically to see how it breaks. He's not going to blow time up when it's dropping in there.   

He moved to that position when the free was given, he was never going to move up that distance if he was just going to blow once the free was taken, they thought they'd be clever and he just blew.

[Lamps]

A bit of consistency would be a start. Owens reffed the Munster final like it was a match in Leinster. Very little contact and physicality was allowed.

[johnnycool]

A bit of consistency would be a start. Owens reffed the Munster final like it was a match in Leinster. Very little contact and physicality was allowed.

Most of the fouls he blew up were for the spare arm tackles, i.e. someone pulling on the arms of their opponents preventing them from playing the ball fairly.

That's not physicality, it's pulling and dragging.

And yes, he did give some soft free's I didn't think were free's but he was right 90% of the time.

[Lamps]

A bit of consistency would be a start. Owens reffed the Munster final like it was a match in Leinster. Very little contact and physicality was allowed.

Most of the fouls he blew up were for the spare arm tackles, i.e. someone pulling on the arms of their opponents preventing them from playing the ball fairly.

That's not physicality, it's pulling and dragging.

And yes, he did give some soft free's I didn't think were free's but he was right 90% of the time.

The spare arm tackling started because referees stopped blowing for steps and charging many years ago.
Kilkenny under Cody bullied referees to leave them at it.

[Don Cockburn]

Shane Dowling column: Football identified a problem and tackled it - hurling hasn't
It is not even a debate - the football championship has been far superior to the hurling championship in 2026

Shane Dowling

17:47, 22 Jun 2026

I was away on a family holiday this weekend. I managed to negotiate two hours off for myself. The plan was simple: find a sports bar, sit down, and watch Clare against Dublin. That was the plan. The reality was different.

The bar was packed with televisions. Hurling was on one side. Mayo against Meath was on the other. I parked myself in front of a telly for the All-Ireland quarter-final. But every time a roar went up, it was coming from the football. Eventually, I found myself turning my head away from the hurling and watching Mayo and Meath instead.

What does that tell us? It tells us football has changed. And it tells us hurling needs to.

The new football rules have transformed the game. Matches are watchable again. They are exciting. There is jeopardy. There is space. There is unpredictability. Most importantly, there is entertainment. Football identified a problem and tackled it. Hurling hasn't.

Clare and Dublin was another example. The conceding of puck-outs has become a scourge. Teams are happy to allow an opposition goalkeeper pick out a defender standing 20 yards away. Nobody presses. Nobody contests. The ball goes sideways. Then sideways again. The sting is gone from the game. And this wasn't an isolated case. Too many championship matches this year have followed the same script.

Clare are now in an All-Ireland semi-final. Fair play to them. But they were hammered twice in Munster. That tells its own story about the championship.

So let's not dance around the obvious. Football has been better than hurling this season. By a distance. That's not a debate. It's reality.

Football had the courage to conduct a major review. It accepted that the game had drifted. It accepted that supporters weren't enjoying what they were watching. The result has been one of the most entertaining football championships in years. There is a committee examining hurling. Good. Now let's see some action.

Darragh Fitzgibbon was asked recently about possible changes and his view was that hurling is fine. You can understand that response from a current player. What else can he say? But as an ex-inter county player, I strongly believe the game needs a serious review. People don't like change. Every suggestion is met with the same argument: "Hurling is fine." No. It isn't.

Liam Sheedy made the point that hurling is over 140 years old. That's true. But the game that existed 140 years ago is not the game we have now. Players are bigger. Players are stronger. Players are fitter. Coaches are more sophisticated. Everything has evolved except parts of the rulebook. Nobody is calling for 15 changes. We don't need a revolution. But we do need tweaks. Football went from being deeply frustrating to genuinely enjoyable because people weren't afraid to act. Why should hurling be different?

Take the issue of players looking for frees. It has become one of the most irritating parts of the modern game. Let's be honest about it. Players actively seek contact. They grab an opponent's arm. They hook onto a hurley. Then the arms go into the air and they appeal for a free. And too often they get one.

Here's my confession. If I was playing, I'd probably do the same. Players will always exploit whatever the rules allow. That's not the problem. The problem is officials continue to reward it. Referees should be reviewing clips every week. They should be identifying these incidents and agreeing to stamp them out. One referee with the courage to blow against it consistently would make a huge difference. Because supporters can see what's happening. And they are tired of it.

The same applies to puck-outs. The short puck-out has become a curse. It slows games down. It removes contests. It reduces jeopardy. Maybe the answer isn't obvious. But surely it's worth discussing. Football wasn't afraid to have those conversations. And look at the result.

Then there is the bigger picture. GAA president Jarlath Burns recently said hurling has never been stronger and pointed to counties like Kildare, Laois and Carlow making breakthroughs. I don't agree. Kildare spent one season at the top table and are back in the Joe McDonagh Cup. That isn't a breakthrough.

The reality is that hurling will probably never be a genuinely competitive game in more than 12 to 14 counties. That's not being negative. That's being realistic. So support those counties. Invest heavily in them. Give them every chance to close the gap.

But counties also need to look at themselves. Take Dublin. The population is there. The resources are there. The funding is there. At some stage, results have to follow.

For me, this has been the poorest hurling championship in a very long time. Maybe since those bleak years around the start of the last decade when crowds were drifting away and too many games were forgettable.

The players are not the problem. The commitment is extraordinary. The conditioning is extraordinary. The preparation is extraordinary. But the game itself needs help. Not radical change. Not endless tinkering. Just sensible adjustments.

Tackle the scourge of players hunting frees. Address the short puck-out. Increase the contest. Increase the jeopardy. Increase the entertainment. Don't be afraid of change. Football wasn't.

And that's how we ended up in a situation where a lifelong hurling man walked into a sports bar to watch Clare against Dublin and somehow spent the afternoon glued to Mayo against Meath.

[didlyi]

Thanks Shane Dowling for telling us largely what we know already. He doesnt really offer any soloutions to any of the problems identified. A Load of rubbish!

[marty34]

Shane Dowling column: Football identified a problem and tackled it - hurling hasn't
It is not even a debate - the football championship has been far superior to the hurling championship in 2026

Shane Dowling

17:47, 22 Jun 2026

I was away on a family holiday this weekend. I managed to negotiate two hours off for myself. The plan was simple: find a sports bar, sit down, and watch Clare against Dublin. That was the plan. The reality was different.

The bar was packed with televisions. Hurling was on one side. Mayo against Meath was on the other. I parked myself in front of a telly for the All-Ireland quarter-final. But every time a roar went up, it was coming from the football. Eventually, I found myself turning my head away from the hurling and watching Mayo and Meath instead.

What does that tell us? It tells us football has changed. And it tells us hurling needs to.

The new football rules have transformed the game. Matches are watchable again. They are exciting. There is jeopardy. There is space. There is unpredictability. Most importantly, there is entertainment. Football identified a problem and tackled it. Hurling hasn't.

Clare and Dublin was another example. The conceding of puck-outs has become a scourge. Teams are happy to allow an opposition goalkeeper pick out a defender standing 20 yards away. Nobody presses. Nobody contests. The ball goes sideways. Then sideways again. The sting is gone from the game. And this wasn't an isolated case. Too many championship matches this year have followed the same script.

Clare are now in an All-Ireland semi-final. Fair play to them. But they were hammered twice in Munster. That tells its own story about the championship.

So let's not dance around the obvious. Football has been better than hurling this season. By a distance. That's not a debate. It's reality.

Football had the courage to conduct a major review. It accepted that the game had drifted. It accepted that supporters weren't enjoying what they were watching. The result has been one of the most entertaining football championships in years. There is a committee examining hurling. Good. Now let's see some action.

Darragh Fitzgibbon was asked recently about possible changes and his view was that hurling is fine. You can understand that response from a current player. What else can he say? But as an ex-inter county player, I strongly believe the game needs a serious review. People don't like change. Every suggestion is met with the same argument: "Hurling is fine." No. It isn't.

Liam Sheedy made the point that hurling is over 140 years old. That's true. But the game that existed 140 years ago is not the game we have now. Players are bigger. Players are stronger. Players are fitter. Coaches are more sophisticated. Everything has evolved except parts of the rulebook. Nobody is calling for 15 changes. We don't need a revolution. But we do need tweaks. Football went from being deeply frustrating to genuinely enjoyable because people weren't afraid to act. Why should hurling be different?

Take the issue of players looking for frees. It has become one of the most irritating parts of the modern game. Let's be honest about it. Players actively seek contact. They grab an opponent's arm. They hook onto a hurley. Then the arms go into the air and they appeal for a free. And too often they get one.

Here's my confession. If I was playing, I'd probably do the same. Players will always exploit whatever the rules allow. That's not the problem. The problem is officials continue to reward it. Referees should be reviewing clips every week. They should be identifying these incidents and agreeing to stamp them out. One referee with the courage to blow against it consistently would make a huge difference. Because supporters can see what's happening. And they are tired of it.

The same applies to puck-outs. The short puck-out has become a curse. It slows games down. It removes contests. It reduces jeopardy. Maybe the answer isn't obvious. But surely it's worth discussing. Football wasn't afraid to have those conversations. And look at the result.

Then there is the bigger picture. GAA president Jarlath Burns recently said hurling has never been stronger and pointed to counties like Kildare, Laois and Carlow making breakthroughs. I don't agree. Kildare spent one season at the top table and are back in the Joe McDonagh Cup. That isn't a breakthrough.

The reality is that hurling will probably never be a genuinely competitive game in more than 12 to 14 counties. That's not being negative. That's being realistic. So support those counties. Invest heavily in them. Give them every chance to close the gap.

But counties also need to look at themselves. Take Dublin. The population is there. The resources are there. The funding is there. At some stage, results have to follow.

For me, this has been the poorest hurling championship in a very long time. Maybe since those bleak years around the start of the last decade when crowds were drifting away and too many games were forgettable.

The players are not the problem. The commitment is extraordinary. The conditioning is extraordinary. The preparation is extraordinary. But the game itself needs help. Not radical change. Not endless tinkering. Just sensible adjustments.

Tackle the scourge of players hunting frees. Address the short puck-out. Increase the contest. Increase the jeopardy. Increase the entertainment. Don't be afraid of change. Football wasn't.

And that's how we ended up in a situation where a lifelong hurling man walked into a sports bar to watch Clare against Dublin and somehow spent the afternoon glued to Mayo against Meath.

Shane Dowling talking a lot.....and saying nothing at the same time.

[Milltown Row2]

The only real improvements to the game are for the other teams around the likes of Cork and limerick, to up their performances and develop better players from the youth up.. There are no specific rules that will ensure games are tight, a heavier ball, though I feel that means that they will work hard on their strength to get the same distance, shorter/tighter pitches, but not sure that is feasible..

Short puck outs (as a keeper he did his fair share) yeah ban them, but tell me why they will improve it, not playing the ball back to the keeper during the game, ok, again tell me why that will improve the game and make it better.

What we have is a situation when Kilkenny were dominating teams and no one was able to compete, like Dublin in the football, mad for working out how to make it better for everyone else..

The answer came when that Kilkenny/Dublin brilliance and cycle ended as they naturally do, few years of different winners and then 'the game needs changing'

Teams, coaches, development officers needs to work harder to meet the standards of the modern day giants and be ready to take over when they have had their day in the sun..

Kerry could be the next team asking the footballing fraternity do we need change?

Football has been good, there are less teams in due to only div 1 and 2 teams in the mix for Sam so its a tighter  game and the two pointer allows teams to get a run at teams 

[EoinW]

I guess we were spoiled by those Munster championship games a few years ago.  If we can't get that Excitement Hit every game then the game must be in crisis.

The only problem I've seen recently is how uncompetitive Leinster teams have become.  If Cork beats Galway then Munster will have swept them in championship games for the second time in three years.  Dublin upsetting Limerick last year is Leinster's sole win.  8-1 for Munster.

I'd suggest allowing 4th place teams being allowed in the AI series.  It doesn't fix anything, however it addresses the problem that Waterford never have a chance in spite of being a better team than Offaly or Dublin.

I'd suggest 4th place teams play and 3rd place teams play.  Winning 3rd place team advances to QF.  Losing 3rd and winning 4th place meet to decide the other Quarter Finalist.

Regarding the complaint about too much fouling, there really is too much possession in the game because over carrying infractions are not called.  Both sports!  In one of the minor games last weekend a player scored a goal after taking 8 steps!

Allow defenders to be more physical, then players will be discouraged from hanging onto the ball so much.  In the current game, anytime someone falls down the referee feels obliged to call a foul.

BTW enforce over carrying infractions!  Can't anyone in Ireland count?

As for football being more entertaining now...give me a break!  Anything can be exciting if you make scoring limitless.  Because of the massive rule changes, football feels so artificial now.  Like watching roller derby or indoor soccer as a kid.  Plus it's unfair to compare it to hurling when the fans who love the changes are still enjoying the novelty of it all.  Also how exciting will Kerry games be if they have another cake walk to another championship?

[marty34]

I just think we need to leave hurling competitions alone for a few years. I'm not talking about rules here.
 

If a championship season is not a 10/10, then people need to be thinking of changes for the pursuit of perfection. Life not like that.


Just leave it. 

[johnnycool]

Hear me out.

Play the Munster and Leinster championships as straight knockout competitions prior to the AI series.

Winning and getting to the final gives you seeding points.

And then we have two pots of round robin games with a mix of Leinster (Connacht and hopefully Ulster) and all the Munster counties with the seeded teams kept apart in the groups.

6 teams in each pot with 5 games each, top team from each group straight to the AI semi-finals, with the 3rd v 2nd cross over from each group in the quarter finals.

That way the provincials still have a bit of meaning and we get to see the likes of Waterford and other teams longer into the competitions.

Camogie had a similar system last year, but I think they've changed their format slightly for this year.

[ClubScene13]

Munster Council will never agree to anything like that. It's a bit like Ulster football, years of complaining about the easy path Kerry would have to Croke Park while simultaneously refusing to consider any format changes. It's hard to give up the golden goose