(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post
Often thought that reducing teams to 13 a side would create a more level playing field. Its harder for smaller counties to produce 15 intercounty players. I've often heard supporters from different counties say we we were short one or two quality players. I could be wrong of course. crikey (Australia) - Posts: 355 - 19/12/2014 20:38:53 1679554 Link 0 |
I think for hurling it could make a lot of sense. Particularly given the way we're seeing so much bunching and rucks come into the game, reducing the teams to 13 a side would open up a lot more space on the field, which would benefit the more skillful players, I think, and provide us with an even better spectacle. Worth trying out I think. Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 19/12/2014 21:09:38 1679561 Link 0 |
13 a-side at county level would be a disaster. For anyone that has played in a full back line at 13 a-side will tell you it is nearly impossible to defend against and leaves far far to much space for forwards to run into BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 934 - 20/12/2014 08:44:39 1679566 Link 0 |
BigJoe, the game is not all about the full-backs. HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 20/12/2014 12:38:20 1679580 Link 0 |
13 a side would be a great idea for Football and should have been introduced about 10 years ago. uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 20/12/2014 13:57:02 1679588 Link 0 |
BigJoe14 uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 20/12/2014 14:32:45 1679593 Link 0 |
Leave the game alone . 13 a side would be a joke . Imagine if a man is sent off. We had plenty of cracking games this year . The sport is plagued by people wanting to change it for no good reason. Leave the game alone. Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 20/12/2014 15:51:57 1679605 Link 0 |
Would removing 2 men per team not lead to hundreds more players getting no game time, and being more likely to quit the game? CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1643 - 20/12/2014 16:09:01 1679607 Link 0 |
I don't think 13 a side would lead to a more even competition. If anything, it would have the opposite effect. By reducing player numbers, the team with the better footballers will be able to run up bigger scores while lesser teams will find it more difficult to shut them out. Hank_Scorpio (Meath) - Posts: 60 - 20/12/2014 16:26:57 1679609 Link 0 |
13 a side could see a reduction in the importance of skills, with long distance runners more valuable than talented footballers as the space encourages the running and handpassing game. Lads like Dara O'Se, Aidan O'Shea, the Magees etc would probably become extinct in the game, replaced with lads like Michael Dara McAuley and Ross Munelly, who are fine footballers but you need a mix to make the game interesting. Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 20/12/2014 16:56:52 1679614 Link 0 |
Greengrass, if anything the sport is plagued with people who just refuse to allow change to happen. joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 20/12/2014 17:27:31 1679618 Link 0 |
It's been trialed and tested before, in fact at u21 level many counties the game is played in the 13-a-side format. Does it suit runners or playmakers? The evidence clearly points to a game where the kick pass wins out, 15-a-side clearly favours runners. The idea that a footballer like Aidan O'Shea would not be able for 13-a-side is ludicrous, I think that's a bit of wind-up to be fair. HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 20/12/2014 19:19:56 1679632 Link 0 |
No wind up HighKing, I am unsure why you believe that more men on a field means it is better for runners? Using extreme examples, surely in a 20-a-side game you would rather have Kieran Donaghy type men in your full-forward line with long ball kicked in than Ross Munnelly types trying to solo through on goal? Many competitions are 13-a-side over here and the games are higher scoring but lack the intensity and physicality of 15-a-side, with fit guys doing much better and skill not as important. Would you fancy playing Kevin Reilly in a 2 man full-back line? Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 20/12/2014 19:30:19 1679634 Link 0 |
The evidence speaks for itself, 13-a-side suits players that can kick ball. Kevin Reilly spends most of his time playing in a two-man full-back line anyway because nobody really plays a 3-man full-forward line anymore so that's a moot point. HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 20/12/2014 19:39:14 1679636 Link 0 |
I don't know where you are getting your evidence from HighKing. If you ever go to the Kilmacud 7's you will see a lot of young fit footballers, with less of a reliance on skill as they can just run the length of the field. It is fairly obvious that the less men there are on a playing field the more space there is, and the more space there is for runners to carry the ball. You are dodging the question about Reilly, yes most teams play a 2-man full forward line but very few, including Meath, play a 2 man full back line as slower footballers like Reilly would get roasted. He almost always has a sweeper around him to prevent this, something he wouldn't have in 13 a side. Aidan O'Shea struggles with running in 15 a side and was exposed by Dublin in 2013, reduce the game to 13 a side and he would almost certainly become a liability. Trialling this in the winter competitions would be of limited value as well as the style of football is so different to that played on fast ground in summer. I am all for trying new ideas, but any idea that could result in players like Darren Fay, O'Se, Reilly, O Shea, Donaghy etc becoming redundant is not one Id be keen on. Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 20/12/2014 20:05:14 1679639 Link 0 |
If it aint broke dont fix it. Leave it at 15 as it is. OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 20/12/2014 20:27:22 1679644 Link 0 |
OLLIE uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 20/12/2014 20:56:56 1679649 Link 0 |
Highking81, I'm curious as to how the students could possibly quantify and measure "entertainment" for the purpose of that survey. It doesnt sound particularly scientific at all. Did they get the same 2 teams to play a number of matches, all under the exact same comditions, with some games at 15 a side and some at 13 a side, and survey the spectators on how entertaining they found each match? CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1643 - 20/12/2014 21:45:46 1679654 Link 0 |
The argument in favor is that it could potentially open up defenses that are now currently packed but the reality is I cannot see much difference between having 12 lads behind the ball and 14, it ultimately won't change the defensive nature of some teams. What it would do is just put more pressure on the 13 to be fitter and therefore more time training - do they not do enough as it is. In the states they played 13 a side in order to get teams out but that shouldn't be the problem in Ireland and if a team does only turn up with 13 they concede and they play 13 a side anyway. zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1804 - 21/12/2014 09:40:02 1679659 Link 0 |
The reason there are so many rucks in Hurling is the excessive illegal use of the hand in the first instance. 13 a-side has many attractions for lots of reasons, more open play, smaller panels, at club level could be the difference between fielding or not fielding. Makes the panels more competitive, yeah its win win. arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 22/12/2014 21:52:35 1679848 Link 0 |