National Forum

Lack Of Physicality In Football

(Oldest Posts First)

Is it just me or have you noticed that refs are of late clamping down on physical play. I know that the days of lads boxing the head off each other is gone, but it's meant to be a contact sport. In my opinion, it's playing into the hands of teams trying to buy frees. Yes the tackle needs to be better defined -a lack of definition makes it harder for refs to call it- but we don't want the sport to become non-contact either!

Fontofwisdom (Cavan) - Posts: 73 - 31/03/2023 16:01:23    2468025

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Replying To Fontofwisdom:  "Is it just me or have you noticed that refs are of late clamping down on physical play. I know that the days of lads boxing the head off each other is gone, but it's meant to be a contact sport. In my opinion, it's playing into the hands of teams trying to buy frees. Yes the tackle needs to be better defined -a lack of definition makes it harder for refs to call it- but we don't want the sport to become non-contact either!"
You must be joking, the hits players take nowadays would buckle players in the past. No comparison. The Tyrone midfielder Kennedy took a frontal hit down in front of us against Armagh and the crowd felt it. He played on.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 1701 - 01/04/2023 12:28:52    2468109

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Replying To Saynothing:  "You must be joking, the hits players take nowadays would buckle players in the past. No comparison. The Tyrone midfielder Kennedy took a frontal hit down in front of us against Armagh and the crowd felt it. He played on."
I'm not taking about the general collisions. I mean in the tackle. Any shoulder, meaning the ones that used to be legal, 50/50 competition for the ball, competition for kickout inevitably ends in a free. I wouldn't include Armagh though. They play a hybrid game that includes martial arts, wrestling, judo. Only joking of course.

Fontofwisdom (Cavan) - Posts: 73 - 01/04/2023 15:07:26    2468136

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Replying To Fontofwisdom:  "I'm not taking about the general collisions. I mean in the tackle. Any shoulder, meaning the ones that used to be legal, 50/50 competition for the ball, competition for kickout inevitably ends in a free. I wouldn't include Armagh though. They play a hybrid game that includes martial arts, wrestling, judo. Only joking of course."
Cavan, where all the hard men hang out.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 1701 - 01/04/2023 16:14:23    2468146

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Replying To Fontofwisdom:  "Is it just me or have you noticed that refs are of late clamping down on physical play. I know that the days of lads boxing the head off each other is gone, but it's meant to be a contact sport. In my opinion, it's playing into the hands of teams trying to buy frees. Yes the tackle needs to be better defined -a lack of definition makes it harder for refs to call it- but we don't want the sport to become non-contact either!"
I never understand the term 'buying frees' years ago we used to say you 'sold' a dummy,
better words for what you describe is diving and cheating.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 2375 - 01/04/2023 20:51:34    2468194

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Replying To Tirchonaill1:  "I never understand the term 'buying frees' years ago we used to say you 'sold' a dummy,
better words for what you describe is diving and cheating."
Agree totally. I was trying to be kind though.

Fontofwisdom (Cavan) - Posts: 73 - 01/04/2023 21:10:14    2468200

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Replying To Fontofwisdom:  "Is it just me or have you noticed that refs are of late clamping down on physical play. I know that the days of lads boxing the head off each other is gone, but it's meant to be a contact sport. In my opinion, it's playing into the hands of teams trying to buy frees. Yes the tackle needs to be better defined -a lack of definition makes it harder for refs to call it- but we don't want the sport to become non-contact either!"
The tackle is properly defined. It's more of a case that it is not coached properly, or refereed consistently. There are clear guidelines in the rules on how to dispossess an opponent - everything else should be a free.

Now, some people might not like the current definition, but that's another day's work!

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 02/04/2023 08:50:51    2468211

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Replying To football first:  "The tackle is properly defined. It's more of a case that it is not coached properly, or refereed consistently. There are clear guidelines in the rules on how to dispossess an opponent - everything else should be a free.

Now, some people might not like the current definition, but that's another day's work!"
If you managed to sit through the Cavan Fermanagh game for example, noting that it was far from a classic, you'd notice that the game was stopped every 10 seconds for frees. It made a game lacking in bite even less of a spectacle.

Fontofwisdom (Cavan) - Posts: 73 - 02/04/2023 10:13:28    2468220

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Replying To football first:  "The tackle is properly defined. It's more of a case that it is not coached properly, or refereed consistently. There are clear guidelines in the rules on how to dispossess an opponent - everything else should be a free.

Now, some people might not like the current definition, but that's another day's work!"
So, in plain language, how do you tackle/dispossess a player in full flight?

Aibrean (Kerry) - Posts: 227 - 02/04/2023 11:24:52    2468225

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Replying To Fontofwisdom:  "I'm not taking about the general collisions. I mean in the tackle. Any shoulder, meaning the ones that used to be legal, 50/50 competition for the ball, competition for kickout inevitably ends in a free. I wouldn't include Armagh though. They play a hybrid game that includes martial arts, wrestling, judo. Only joking of course."
Modern players are too fast and too agile, and shoulders have outlived their purpose. Remember how, in the 70s and 80s, a man seeing his marker measuring him for a shoulder, would set himself and absorb the shoulder, as a way of showing that he wasn't bothered by it. Nowadays, the intended shoulder target spins away from the shoulder hit - largely because he wants to keep the ball alive and the game moving - and as a result the shoulder tackle will often be illegal, i.e., partly to the front or back - or potentially very dangerous, into the head. The opportunities for a clean shoulder have diminished so much that imho it should just be banned.

I would like to see 2 changes:

- a ban on double marking - only one person can mark another person at any one time - 2 markers on an opponent should be a free. That'd give forwards an opportunity to show some old-fashioned skills, humiliating defenders by giving them 'twisted blood' etc, instead of the current spectacle where talented forwards are habitually triple-marked and people are getting frees merely for catching the ball.

- allow AFL style drag-down tackles. That'd ensure the person in possession would have to go fast. And, of course, if the attempted pull down misses, the man in possession is clean through. All we get at the moment is an un-regulated scrum.

points50swiththeargyllsonthewrongfeet (Tyrone) - Posts: 159 - 02/04/2023 11:32:50    2468226

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Replying To Fontofwisdom:  "If you managed to sit through the Cavan Fermanagh game for example, noting that it was far from a classic, you'd notice that the game was stopped every 10 seconds for frees. It made a game lacking in bite even less of a spectacle."
Are you seriously saying there were over 450 frees? I thought it wasn't a bad match.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 1701 - 02/04/2023 12:01:58    2468232

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Replying To football first:  "The tackle is properly defined. It's more of a case that it is not coached properly, or refereed consistently. There are clear guidelines in the rules on how to dispossess an opponent - everything else should be a free.

Now, some people might not like the current definition, but that's another day's work!"
But that is the issue. If the rules were applied to the letter as defined, there would be no game worth watching.
In reality, players carrying the ball into a tackle often take more than 4 steps without a hop or solo, and most opponents tackle the ball carrier with what would be considered fouls according to the rule book.
At the pace the game is played, it would be extremely difficult for either of these not to occur regularly.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 1753 - 02/04/2023 13:01:00    2468239

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Replying To Saynothing:  "Are you seriously saying there were over 450 frees? I thought it wasn't a bad match."
Obviously not.

Fontofwisdom (Cavan) - Posts: 73 - 02/04/2023 13:36:57    2468245

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