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Some Updates On The Football Review

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Interesting article in the irish times by a player who played in it.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2025/08/04/a-mind-changer-in-the-post-puke-football-era-what-it-was-like-playing-in-the-frcs-sandbox-game/

He is correct about the mindset change required to remove handpassing from our game.

He recommends the back pass limitation but didnt like the 4 point goal.

WOuld be interesting to know what the kick out changes were

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1565 - 06/08/2025 10:23:54    2630242

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "Interesting article in the irish times by a player who played in it.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2025/08/04/a-mind-changer-in-the-post-puke-football-era-what-it-was-like-playing-in-the-frcs-sandbox-game/

He is correct about the mindset change required to remove handpassing from our game.

He recommends the back pass limitation but didnt like the 4 point goal.

WOuld be interesting to know what the kick out changes were"
Interesting.

Personally I can understand why there's now the need to re-consider giving 4 points for a goal but now I wonder will anyone be really that bothered taking a nice one point score anymore? Will we lose that?

I hope not but it seems like one point might be too little reward when if inside the arc you might as well try engineer a goal every time as the reward of 4 points is so much greater than one point. Will we see teams not bothering with one point and if the path to working a goal is blocked up will they then re-cycle it back out and look for a two pointer as consolation rather than settle for the one? My fear is it just leads to too much lateral and backward passing in parts of the field where old schoolers like me would be urging players to "take your point" when it's on and don't be messing around with it.

The not allowing passes back over the halfway line seems a good proposal.

I'd love to see a restriction on hand-passes but just one and then a kick pass seems too much as I fear the game could get slower if teams can't try cut through a defence with a nice string of 2-3 short hand passes.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1621 - 06/08/2025 11:24:24    2630254

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "Interesting.

Personally I can understand why there's now the need to re-consider giving 4 points for a goal but now I wonder will anyone be really that bothered taking a nice one point score anymore? Will we lose that?

I hope not but it seems like one point might be too little reward when if inside the arc you might as well try engineer a goal every time as the reward of 4 points is so much greater than one point. Will we see teams not bothering with one point and if the path to working a goal is blocked up will they then re-cycle it back out and look for a two pointer as consolation rather than settle for the one? My fear is it just leads to too much lateral and backward passing in parts of the field where old schoolers like me would be urging players to "take your point" when it's on and don't be messing around with it.

The not allowing passes back over the halfway line seems a good proposal.

I'd love to see a restriction on hand-passes but just one and then a kick pass seems too much as I fear the game could get slower if teams can't try cut through a defence with a nice string of 2-3 short hand passes."
Try a quick kick to a forward in a good position.
A kicked ball travels further faster than any amount of running/passing.
But the risk of losing possession is greater of course.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 80 - 06/08/2025 11:44:33    2630260

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Most of the tedious handpassing is around the arc .Just get rid of the 2 pointers and leave the rest as it is.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1190 - 06/08/2025 17:28:44    2630303

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Replying To gunman:  "Most of the tedious handpassing is around the arc .Just get rid of the 2 pointers and leave the rest as it is."
The handpassing around the arc is prevalent due to the "low block" zonal defence.
Removing the two point score would encourage the zone defence.
Donegal lost the All Ireland because they stayed in their zonal defence and Kerry kicked 2 pointers over them.

Reverting to a scoring system that encourages (and rewards) a mass defence isn't a runner for me.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1565 - 07/08/2025 07:02:30    2630362

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "The handpassing around the arc is prevalent due to the "low block" zonal defence.
Removing the two point score would encourage the zone defence.
Donegal lost the All Ireland because they stayed in their zonal defence and Kerry kicked 2 pointers over them.

Reverting to a scoring system that encourages (and rewards) a mass defence isn't a runner for me."
They play around the arc because they are angling for 2 pointers.You can't legislate for how a team defends but you can legislate for the value of a score.Now that they are talking about a 4 point goal would lead you to believe that they don't really know what to do .The whole point about the 2 pointers has nothing to do with Donegal or Kerry,that was just one game.Kerry weren't big into the 2 pointers for most of the year and Donegal availed of it in some games.Clifford got a few good ones in the final but if the shots had been a yard closer they would have only got one point although no less skillful.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1190 - 07/08/2025 12:16:05    2630398

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Replying To gunman:  "They play around the arc because they are angling for 2 pointers.You can't legislate for how a team defends but you can legislate for the value of a score.Now that they are talking about a 4 point goal would lead you to believe that they don't really know what to do .The whole point about the 2 pointers has nothing to do with Donegal or Kerry,that was just one game.Kerry weren't big into the 2 pointers for most of the year and Donegal availed of it in some games.Clifford got a few good ones in the final but if the shots had been a yard closer they would have only got one point although no less skillful."
The last few years of 14 man defense across all teams was full of lateral handpassing.
The new rules are designed to reward skills and risk taking.

Removing the 2 pointer would increase the reward for a blanket defense. We shouldnt be doing that.

As players practice 2 pointers, they will all get better at scoring them and render the zonal defense obsolete and our will all be the better for it.

If it needs to go 6 points for a goal, 2 for inside the arc and 3 for outside the arc - then so be it - whatever it takes to increase risk taking.

A good solution would be to turn the 40m arc into a half oval - with 45m at the midpoint and 35 at the 21m line.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1565 - 08/08/2025 12:50:58    2630545

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Replying To tirawleybaron:  "The last few years of 14 man defense across all teams was full of lateral handpassing.
The new rules are designed to reward skills and risk taking.

Removing the 2 pointer would increase the reward for a blanket defense. We shouldnt be doing that.

As players practice 2 pointers, they will all get better at scoring them and render the zonal defense obsolete and our will all be the better for it.

If it needs to go 6 points for a goal, 2 for inside the arc and 3 for outside the arc - then so be it - whatever it takes to increase risk taking.

A good solution would be to turn the 40m arc into a half oval - with 45m at the midpoint and 35 at the 21m line."
I'd love to see the suggestions you made there tried out just for the hell of it!

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3428 - 08/08/2025 13:33:38    2630562

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https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2025/0811/1527897-munster-counties-to-assess-options-after-seeding-call/

Interesting development.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4626 - 11/08/2025 12:36:23    2631084

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It's a tough time of year for the national media. The managerial merry go around however is keeping them busy and the news articles ticking over.
Being reported today that there has been a big drop off in cards being shown in Gaelic Football. Referees seem happier about it. Players are getting on with the game. It's important there are contests as well however. There is a balancing act.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9150 - 19/08/2025 07:23:14    2632572

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The All Ireland final was noticeable for its lack of physical contact.

There was also no technical infringements (as no one wanted to hand over 2 points) - so that threat is clearly working

However, we don't want a game of basketball so we need to allow a defender get some contact to stop a player

Current tackle definition

"The tackle is a skill by which a player may dispossess an opponent or frustrate his objective within the rules of fair play. The tackle is aimed at the ball, not the player. The tackler may use his body to confront the opponent but deliberate bodily contact (such as punching, slapping, arm holding, pushing, tripping, jersey pulling or a full frontal charge) is forbidden. The only deliberate physical contact can be a Fair Charge i.e Shoulder-to-shoulder with at least one foot on the ground. More than one player can tackle the player in possession."

Proposed Alternative
" the tackle is a skill by which a player may dispossess an opponent or frustrate his objective within the rules of fair play. The tackle can be either
(a) aimed at the ball or
(b) aimed to confront the opponent to slow or delay his progress.
The tackler may use his body to either
(a) confront the opponent
(b) execute a fair (shoulder to shoulder charge) or
(c) place his open hand on the opponents torso to delay his forward movement.
Deliberate forceful contact (such as punching, slapping, arm holding, tripping, jersey pulling, frontal shoulder charge, or a push in the back) is forbidden. All physical contact must be executed with at least one foot on the ground. Physical contact can only be executed on the ball carrier, when they are in an upright position and the ball carrier must be afforded a reasonable opportunity to dispose of the ball (either by kick or handpass) once physical contact has stopped their forward movement. If the ball carrier fails to release the ball in a reasonable time, a free kick is awarded to the tackler. No more than one player can execute physical contact on the player in possession.

Sheparding: When the ball is within 5 metres of an opponent, players can use their body to block or push and opponent provided the opponent does not have possession of the ball.
Screening: The act of an offensive player (not in possession of the ball) using their body to block a defender, freeing up a teammate to shoot, pass or otherwise progress forwards, is prohibited. Screening is to be considered a cynical behavioral foul.

The above text is a mixture of current AFL, Rugby Union and GAA tackle rules.

At the moment, most referees actually ref the tackle as per my proposed amendment and its called "letting the game flow".
So the only thing new to the above is to stop the screen - to give the poor 1 on 1 defender some chance. The tackled player also gets a chance to play the ball away before being swarmed over by 2-3 guys.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1565 - 19/08/2025 13:28:18    2632666

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