There seems to be consensus on part of the problem being that current rules aren't implemented. I'd agree with that. I'd also agree that the linesmen and umpires need to do more. How often do you seen a punch thrown in front of an umpire whilst he remains standing with hands by his sides and ignores it.

I do think some of the rule changes though could make it easier for refs such as getting rid of all cards apart from sin bin, and time handed over to a Hooter system or 3rd official.

As regards no rule changes being allowed for 4 years...it is still possible. It's not like it requires agreement in other EU countries.

tyroneed (Tyrone) - Posts: 753 - 13/03/2015 18:05:04    1702393

Leave the rules alone. Leave the game alone. We had really great championship matches last year. Last weekend all of the talk was about Dublin v Tyrone and to a lesser extent Donegal v Monaghan. Down played Galway in a game that finished 1-17 to 1-16 yet there wasn't so much as a word about it. It's not the rules that need to be changed. It's the mind sets that need to be changed.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 13/03/2015 18:38:24    1702397

The biggest problem with the modern game is that too many teams are flooding their defence. You need a disincentive to stop this behaviour. A very simple way would to award a free in from the 14 if a team doesn't make a tackle on the opposition within a defined period say 3 seconds. Teams would have to go back to man to man. A team putting 15 men behind the ball would run the risk of the opposition kicking long passes back and getting an easy score.

MB1 (Tyrone) - Posts: 360 - 13/03/2015 18:52:51    1702399

In lieu of limiting consecutive hand passes, I'd have 'no handpass, or kick only zones', say between each 45 and 65. So handpasses would be allowed unlimited at both ends of the pitch (behind/beyond each 45) and in the middle of the pitch.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2632 - 13/03/2015 18:59:30    1702402

Tackling is a huge problem as is time wasting. Its absolutely baffling when players both legitimately and illegitimately go down injured and the clock keeps ticking on. An injury then lasts 4 minutes or so and the added time at the end of the half is 2 minutes. Stuff like that makes it hard to take those charged with the future of the game serious. Its a simple solution, if a player goes down injured and requires attention the referee simply stops the clock. All teams use this to tactical advantage when ahead and i'm sure the ball in play/ball out of play ratio significantly reduces as the game nears the end.

Second is the tackle, the two man tackle is another horrible blight. If a man is being tackled by a player and another lays a hand on him it should be an immediate free as it should be. Referees just don't police this rule and its a disgrace.

I'd implement the above before trying more taxing avenues such as limiting players and handpasses etc.

Gaelic Football is in trouble at the moment, and as much as i would hate to limit tactical choices to a manager, its clear we are on a slippery slope.

seany16 (Dublin) - Posts: 1658 - 13/03/2015 19:28:16    1702408

Handpassing isn't a problem in the game it is as a result of the problem which is the blanket defence as kick passes are very easy to intercept when a ball has to be kicked into a defence with 12 or 13 men inside the 45.Hanpassing at speed is the only effective way to beat the blanket defence .Long range point kicking won't beat it because it is extremely difficult to execute under the high pressure of intercounty football where you have almost no time on the ball and have to shoot quickly and scores from past the 45 were always a fairly rare occurence.

All sports are meant to encourage and promote attacking play however currently in football the majority of teams play mostly a defensive gameplan , the reason for this is because these tactics work and the blanket defence is almost impossible to beat and it makes medicore sides more competitive so I don't blame the managers for using these tactics I blame the GAA for not adjusting the rules.

The only rule change in my opinion that will work is a ban on the blanket defence restricting handapssing wont work it will just encourage more defense minded play.A rule like saying 5 of the fifteen players have to remain inside the goal they are attacking at all times would make a difference.Colm Parkinson had some good suggestions similar to this on Setanta sports this week.

For people who say that there have already been too many rule changes .What rule changes have there been.The last significant rule change in football was allowing frees to be taken from the hands since then there have been no significant rule changes, just minor tweaks like the underhand striking motion for handpass.The black card isn't a rule change it is a chnage in the sanction for breaking an already existing rule.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 14/03/2015 08:56:20    1702448

Thomas Clarke, great post, for any of the luddites who keep crying "stop changing the game, there's nothing wrong with it, etc."

13-a-side is a no-brainer. It will just bolster intermediate teams if it comes in.

Pick up off the ground - the womens' game proves it's worth.

Steps reduced to 3. Controversial but it gives defenders more opportunities to tackle cleanly and inhibits the running game.

Bounce the ball as many times as you want. The game is more accessible, pick up and play.

A 2 pointer zone, similar to basketball. Anyone kicking difficult points from distance or out in the corner will now get an extra point.

The mark. The referee will only award it if no advantage accrues, similar to the current advantage rule so the onus will always be on the player to use the ball immediately. From kickouts it will only apply to the middle third of the field. Fair is fair.

HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 14/03/2015 09:39:11    1702454

So a 'tweak' is not a change. Interesting. I tweaked my boxers this morning. Or did I change them? They are still boxers, just cleaner but not the same as I had yesterday. Talk about semantics.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 14/03/2015 10:23:21    1702462

Offside_Rule
County: Antrim
Posts: 2039

1702462
So a 'tweak' is not a change. Interesting. I tweaked my boxers this morning. Or did I change them? They are still boxers, just cleaner but not the same as I had yesterday. Talk about semantics.

People continually whinge about the GAA supposedly changing the rules too much when in fact they have barely changed them at all.The underhand striking motion wasn't really a big change as it has had no real effect on the game and was just introduced to stop players throwing the ball instead of handpassing it properly.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 14/03/2015 11:05:29    1702468

13 a side will not work , it's a stupid idea IMO.
I think the only way is to have 4-5 players in opposing half at all times , it would be difficult to monitor but it could be achieved in some way .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 14/03/2015 11:16:58    1702474

13-a-side favours the lads with greater speed and fitness, and reduces the impact players like Seamus Quigley and other bigger, slower but skillful men can have on the game so I think would be a terrible move. Teams would still play with blanket defences, except they would need make do with 12 men back instead of 14.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 14/03/2015 11:32:44    1702478

The rule change I actually proposed in the Football Review Committee's survey was moving the ball forward 30m instead of 13m for delaying quick frees, in fact further would be better. It's the ultimate in cynicism in my view and to be honest for the sake of 13m I'll do it myself unless it'll bring a free within scoring range.

I must not have been alone in my thinking because it was proposed by the FRC but voted down by congress. Shame really. Aidan O Shea was also a fan as far as I remember.

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 14/03/2015 11:53:31    1702485

Yes 13 aside will just result in 11 bodies behind the ball . Most sports are way too conservative in brining changes , look how long it took the billion pound premier league to ring changes with the goal line technology . The GAA will probably not undergo a reformation however a few alterations would be nice .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 14/03/2015 12:13:33    1702491

Play every game with 2 referees

IamADragon (Cavan) - Posts: 305 - 14/03/2015 12:49:00    1702496

Agree with roundball.

Does nobody pay regard to the fact that 11 men behind the ball is still less than 13 men, meaning more space in the defensive third of the pitch so how can you say that nothing has changed?

Sad to say but slower players will struggle at intercounty football nowadays regardless of whether it is 13 or 15-a-side.

HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 14/03/2015 16:57:55    1702563