Replying To Sindar: "I can't agree with the comments that there is noting wrong with the game. I was in Croke Park for the All Ireland Q/F last year - Mayo v Tyrone and Dublin v Donegal. Both games were awful. The second even worse than the first. Not all of that was due to the handpassing but it slowed both games down to a predictable crawl across the opposition's 45. Canvanman47 may be right that the problem lies at the opponents 45m because teams break up the field unopposed as defenders turn their backs on the opposition scurrying back to their own 45m line to get into position. But if the ball has to move out of your own half quicker then it will mean that the attack is faster. It will also encourgae opponents to put pressure on defenders in their own half as there will be reward in forcing an error with a turnover or a free. The quality of long range point kicking has never been better, simply because it needs to be. Teams have practically given up on trying to find a team mate in space with a 40m pass. Losing possession seems to be the worst thing in the world a team could do which means players are in fear of taking a risk. Can you imagine that happening in hurling? Hurlers puck passes 70/80m into space all the time and they lose the possession sometimes. Much faster and more exciting game because of it and that's what it's all about."
I think the games you mentioned are very interesting.
Dublin Donegal and Tyrone Mayo I thought were both exciting enough but I'd agree that there were a lot of boring sequences where Dublin and Mayo kept possession to maintain their leads rather than actively attacking.
That's an evolution of the game to counteract the blanket defence. It's horrible football to watch. I think though any manager worth his salt will see that you can't rely on just sitting back and counter attacking. When you're behind you have to go out and get the ball. The likes of Tyrone and Donegal should twig it by now and they're going to have to work on new proactive ways to play or they're going to fall by the wayside.
I don't have much against rule changes, the have to make sense though and I'm not sure what this particular rule change brings to the table.
I've played this rule in training multiple times also. I don't really like it. Players get bottled up and they have to just kick possession away.
Replying To GreenandRed: "Senior championship no less? How will Gaelic football evolve naturally? Did it evolve naturally in over 100 years or did some people make suggestions to improve by tweaking the rules and the game?
As a long-since retired from a junior B team armchair supporter and keyboard advisor I think Sindar makes a great point about the overuse of hand passing in the game. And as he's a ref it'd be great to hear how refs views any proposed changes, how refereeable they are. But it's easier to just criticise anyone making a suggestion you don't agree with rather than offer an alternative other than negativity."
Listen go and talk to current players and managers and see if they think it's a good idea? What do you think the response will be? They would laugh at it. And rightly so. Maybe I was being harsh but come on at least acknowledge the reality here.