I see fellas here talking about football's version of the "choke tackle" & how those terrible people from Donegal are using it.

Now if memory serves me right the "choke tackle" is applied to keep the opposing player from hitting the ground & forming a ruck at which time the tacklers have to stop their efforts. The desired effect is that the ref will blow for a scrum in the tacklers favour.

Nowhere in Gaelic football is any of this applicable, so whatever those dastardly Donegal men are doing it most certainly has nothing to do with the "choke tackle".

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 26/05/2014 17:38:28    1593755

It is a Spillanism...

It was invented by the Dubs (according to AidanO Rourke)

But ya..Donegal are to blame...

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 26/05/2014 17:44:36    1593762

bennybunny

yeah I was at the o byrne cup match in which o rourke claimed this
and it was utter nonsense the guy just has a massive thing against the black card in general
and that day he was loosing the rag on the line over anything it was quite funny
as the crowd in the stand were getting onto him and all
wouldnt mind but it was horrendus weather so you would have to be some tactician to pull that off

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 26/05/2014 17:48:44    1593766

Doesn't seem to make much sense, if its referring to players being swarmed in possession this has been going on for years and not much wrong with it really, just means you have to think fast before getting caught up.

You have to look at it from a media standpoint aswell though, with the black card in to cut out 'cynical' fouling, what else do they have to whinge about for the rest of the summer?

Hank_Scorpio (Meath) - Posts: 60 - 26/05/2014 17:49:37    1593767

On at least one occasion yesterday, a Derry player was surrounded by 5-6 Donegal players who had converged, scrum like around him. Consequently there is/was no chance of him playing the ball and thus a free awarded for over-carrying. the same happened with a player on the ground. Whilst it may not be a choke tackle in the true sense it is certainly more "rugbyesque" than gaelic football. This is not confined to Donegal by any means. My own county do it as do many others. Refs inability to police a third man tackle is the issue.

omaghredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 3656 - 26/05/2014 17:49:55    1593768

But teams have been doing the "swarm" thing for years.

Calling it a "choke" tackle makes no sense of any description.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 26/05/2014 18:07:12    1593782

Time to introduce a new card into the procedings, that will put a stop to it, how about calling it the mauve card or something?

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 26/05/2014 18:39:05    1593799

so the tackle is basically what tyrone did to kerry in 2003 and so on
why now complain about it?
they dont actually foul the man anyway they surround him and make him have to overcarry the ball or release it
whats wrong with that?
its within the rules

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/05/2014 11:52:53    1594060

In fairness, it is slightly different to what tyrone were doing. I agree that it is basically a third man tackle, and that the term choke tackle isn't really valid. However, at the same time it is worth flagging up as something that is becoming more common in the game. Maybe the bit of coverage might bring it to refs attention a bit more. It will happen sometimes, naturally, over the course of a game, but there are definitely efforts going in to manufacture these situations and that isn't really what we want to be seeing.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 27/05/2014 12:48:32    1594101

Surrounding a guy is fine, but not with your arms outstretched. Having your arms outstretched restrains the player if he tried to move. This is a key rule change which would fix a lot of what's wrong. In basketball you are "standing your ground as a defender only if you are stationary- in gaelic football defenders have licence to do whatever they like so long as they don't push or pull a jersey. It's ridiculous. This defending with your arms wrapped arount a player is ridiculous.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2553 - 27/05/2014 13:10:00    1594118

Too much meddling in the game will always result in unforeseen consequences. Reminds me of Dougal in Fr.Ted putting a small bump in a car and then trying to hammer it out and ending up trashing the car!

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 27/05/2014 13:15:02    1594123

TheMaster I am not denying its a move teams are probably practicing but its not against the rules.
The common call for referees is that the is on space on the ball for 2 sets of hands but teams like Donegal have it well practiced.
the players are all around but they aren't touching the ball until the ball is there to be won.

I don't like that as a thin midfielder I often field a ball and once I come down get crowded out. It really annoys me as a player but its within the rules.

dstuction (Donegal) - Posts: 1209 - 27/05/2014 13:43:05    1594141

But whats the point in bringing it to the ref attention.If a player has the ball and is surrounded by 3 or 4 players and overcarries then its not the defending team that has fouled!! What are they supposed to do, let him out!! The ref can't give a free for the player in posession as the defenders are just blocking his exit.

I hope we don't see a surge in media trying to have yet another rule brought in as we have enough rules. The third man tackle rule is already in place and should be enforced.

Teams will soon cop on that running into the tackle in a crowded part of the pitch is stupid. Derry tried to run through 2 or 3 Donegal men at the weekend, it just won't happen. Play the ball before the contact and keep it moving fast then you won't get "choke" tackled!!

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 27/05/2014 13:55:30    1594151

dont see anything wrong with standing around the player with your arms out
in coaching kids the first thing you always tell the defender is to have your arms out big and strong
there is no foul or dragging in that way its perfectly good way to tackle let the player run into you
and stand big and stong and make them play the ball or over carry.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 27/05/2014 14:35:10    1594186

hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 7698

1594186 dont see anything wrong with standing around the player with your arms out
in coaching kids the first thing you always tell the defender is to have your arms out big and strong
there is no foul or dragging in that way its perfectly good way to tackle let the player run into you
and stand big and stong and make them play the ball or over carry.

Agreed - Sounds to me like much ado about nothing.

GetOverTheBar (Tyrone) - Posts: 1388 - 27/05/2014 14:48:15    1594202

It is incredible how a new word like cholk tackle can capture the imagination of the nation, we have something new to complain about. The reality is that gaelic football is, despite all the rules, a game that is played almost without the correct implementation of several of them. If you take the physical contact out of the sport, it will no longer be gaelic football, it will have become something else. It is going to be a summer of complaining I can tell already

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 27/05/2014 17:10:57    1594336

No big deal I've seen Mayo, Dublin , Tyrone and Donegal all surround a player and try and make them release the ball to get a quick turnover.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 27/05/2014 17:23:24    1594351

It's Spillane at it again. He coined the phrase "puke football" amongst others and "choke tackle" is just the latest incarnation. There is no such thing in football. I would prefer to use the term "surrounding the man in possession". It's great defence and Donegal did it very well last Sunday. Am I the only one who is fed up to the back teeth of Pat Spillane and his hopeless, tiresome "analysis" ?

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 27/05/2014 18:28:11    1594392

Pity it had not been around the time P Spillane was playing and he would have done less running through backs. How many times have you saw MMurphy surrounded by three /four players when he wins possession :: the only way they can mark him as man to man he would give a lot of fullbacks the runabout. No , I would not call It a choke tackle but again Donegal will get the blame.
I know fine myself Spillane or O Roarke for that matter can't wait for Kerry /Dublin or Cork to get on the Sunday game. Then we will be told this is how you play ,this is great entertainment and it might be the most one sided game ever

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 27/05/2014 19:38:39    1594424

A choke tackle is a cynical deployment of a pre- planned (and possibly coached)tackle devised to get around the black card offence of deliberately dragging a man down, the attacking player is held up in a hug allowing time for the swarm defence to come into play. As the inventors of this tactic(the swarm tackle) were Tyrone followed by Donegal the latter applied this new tactic unpunished on numerous occasions against Derry. Google images "choke tackle in GAA" and will see a fine example of this tactic being deployed against M Lynch on Sun. You can clearly see the hunting pack closing in.

taobhabhogaigh (Derry) - Posts: 3 - 27/05/2014 20:30:18    1594448