Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
INNOVATIVE.. OR STEP TOO FAR
Radical shake-up on the table & now it’s up to those involved to decide the right way forward
GAELIC FOOTBALL is set for the most radical shakeup in its history if five proposals to fundamentally alter the game are adopted.
The GAA’S standing committee on playing rules didn’t opt for piecemeal tinkering when sitting down to consider how to take the game forward and their five proposals will provide considerable food for thought in the coming weeks.
The committee will “hold detailed discussions with players, coaches, referees and officials” over the course of the month of October, a process which could well see alterations to, or a watering down of, the proposals published yesterday.
The rules will be trialled with college teams over the coming weeks and are likely to be tweaked at the very least.
While it has been common for new rules to be trialled in the past, never have so many been put forward at once.
With yellow and red cards introduced in 1999, this millenium has seen changes like the kickout being standardised and taken from the 13-metre line only, a kicking tee introduced for goalkeepers, penalty kicks moved closer to goal, the black card and a mark for clean catches from kickouts that go beyond the 45.
The early 90s saw frees and sideline balls taken from the hand when previously they were kicked off the ground, a move that improved the game considerably as a spectacle, a decade after handpass goals were outlawed.
The 1994/95 National League trialled a restriction on the handpass, whereby it had to be followed by a kick but it wasn’t retained.
This time the handpass is proposed to be curtailed to three but even that appears to be too restrictive; International Rules limited the handpass at four and then increased it to six.
Sideline kicks to go forward and a mark in the full-back/fullforward lines are also on the table but will struggle for support.
The sin bin has the strongest case and the revamped kickout has its merits in theory but will probably be unworkable at all levels of the game.
Realistically, all five ideas are highly unlikely to make it to next year’s Allianz League, when they are proposed to be trialled with a view to full implementation in 2020.
It would place too much strain on referees and would effectively leave managers preparing teams to play one particular sport in the spring and a very different one in the summer.
“In advance of this document there was extensive research carried out and discussion on the part of the committee’s members during the course of the year,” said David Hassan, chairman of the standing committee.
“Proposed changes are designed to enhance the core skills of Gaelic football. The committee will now embark on a period of consultation with all of the key stakeholders involved.
“This feedback is important, and we also know that the ultimate test of any proposals is when we see them implemented on the field of play.”