just looking at this article on the main page
http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=247018

and it struck me that in all probability Aidan O' shea was not awarded a free for this so called tackle by the 2 Sligo players.
you will see 50/60 of these so-called tackles during a game (all illegal) but in 99% of instances a free will not be awarded to the man in possesion, in fact more often than not a free will be awarded against him for over-carrying unless he can somehow get rid of the ball whilst being held by 2 or more players. This to me is the single most important issue in regards to the rules of the game.
the Tackle needs to be redefined or else start instructing the referees to punish the tacklers , especially when more than one surrounds the player and lays hands on him.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 18/11/2015 09:52:04    1808162

The Blanket defence is the problem as it results in excessive handpassing get rid of that before doing anything else.

Forcing player ot kick a ball ino a blanket defence (as the proposal is suggesting) will end up making the game worse not better.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 18/11/2015 11:24:17    1808202

Do ye not think the referees have enough to do without counting hand passes? 90% are throw balls anyway not hand passes and the ref can't spot them. Now he's going to have to count them? The mark is a good idea if just used from kickouts . But what happens if a junior B goalkeeper can't kick it 45m against a strong wind? What happens then? Or is there different rules for club and county?

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 18/11/2015 13:15:44    1808244

what happens if a junior B goalkeeper can't kick it 45m against a strong wind? What happens then?

The mark only comes into play if the kickout goes beyond the 45,If it doesn't it's normal rules

shea (Kerry) - Posts: 409 - 18/11/2015 13:35:02    1808247

So it doesn't stop the short kick out its only another option? Fair enough. But if it reaches the 45 and a player calls a mark then he going to have to kick it? He ain't going to like that is he? Kicking it..could he hand pass it? Because some of them county players are not great at kicking it! The more use to hand passing!!!

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 18/11/2015 13:56:19    1808256

Would like to see a rule implemented whereby if a player is tackled they must play the ball or lose it, a bit like in rugby.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 18/11/2015 14:57:39    1808282

how about allowing a player who receives a hand-pass to be tackled !

crikey (Australia) - Posts: 355 - 22/11/2015 09:47:33    1808941

Would like to see a rule implemented whereby if a player is tackled they must play the ball or lose it, a bit like in rugby.

slayer (Limerick) - 18/11/2015 14:57:39

We have that rule already. You have to hop or bounce the ball including when you're being tackled. I don't see what other rule you'd like to be implemented without turning the game into rugby or worse tag rugby. Also the man isn't supposed to be tackled, the ball is. A good defender flicks the ball away when his man is soloing or executes a block. I don't want this skills removed so that guys can wrestle others to the ground .

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4217 - 22/11/2015 11:43:36    1808956

Completely agree with Whammo96- we already have a clearly defined tackle in Gaelic football. The problem centres around inconsistency of referees, and poor catching. I do not want to see a game where skilful players are hauled to the ground- if people want that, go watch rugby instead.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 22/11/2015 12:10:11    1808960

I agree with the lads above re the tackle, gaa is primarily an evasion game and has clearly defined tackles. I would like to see a mark for long kick outs caught above head height but wouldn't like to outlaw the short kick outs as to do so would just see the midfield completely flooded with players.

lillyboy (Kildare) - Posts: 429 - 22/11/2015 19:23:51    1809067

But then you could say that the reason the tackle is under pressure is down to guys being allowed to over-carry the ball and generally foul the guy trying to tackle them.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 23/11/2015 13:08:28    1809231

We have that rule already. You have to hop or bounce the ball including when you're being tackled. I don't see what other rule you'd like to be implemented without turning the game into rugby or worse tag rugby. Also the man isn't supposed to be tackled, the ball is. A good defender flicks the ball away when his man is soloing or executes a block. I don't want this skills removed so that guys can wrestle others to the ground .

Ah Jayasus man are you living in the real world?

I stopped playing Junior B football 3 years ago cos carrying a bit of weight I was stuck up corner forward. The young keeper kicking the ball out was pretty nervous so I sized up that his kick might not to too far. As he kicked, I ran from the left wing into the middle where his kick landed. You could see I was going to catch it like Maurice Fitz in his prime (only in slow motion) but before the ball landed in my hands I had been punched 4 times in the head by the corner back a foot shorter than me and not only was I being tackled (instead of the ball) I was nearly blinded, castrated and left looking like a fat doormat by the time I tried to release the ball.

Gaelic Football is an awful sport for pulling and dragging, but good craic all the same.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 23/11/2015 15:03:34    1809267

I agree with the lads above re the tackle, gaa is primarily an evasion game and has clearly defined tackles.

Gaelic Football has a defined tackle, that is almost impossible to carry out or decide if a tackle was legal or not.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 23/11/2015 15:11:08    1809273

Make the two man tackle a foul (and enforce it also) and you will have cleaned up the game and eliminated the blanket defence (no point having extra defenders if they can't swarm around a player)

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1106 - 23/11/2015 17:47:04    1809318

Clearest solution - adopt the AFL rule, which also used in the IRS - 'If a player is tackled without releasing the ball, the tackler gets the free'. There is a real incentive here to keep the ball moving.
E.g. Bernard Brogan got pulled down by the Aussie keeper in the penalty area in the 2nd half last Saturday - to me, it was a clear free out, in GAA it would have been a penalty - the Irish ref thought otherwise, and threw it up on the 20 - bizarre call, I thought - unless he felt, Brogan didn't have teh opportunity to release it, which is part of the rule.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2581 - 24/11/2015 21:12:37    1809659

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.

Tackle isn't the issue its the understanding of the tackle from both players and referees

elvistheking (Galway) - Posts: 99 - 24/11/2015 21:59:49    1809666

I don't agree with those who would favour an aussie rules type tackle whereby a tackled player has to release the ball. then that changes the whole game. to me it doesn't take much football skill to throw your arms around a player and haul him to the ground. it's a skill allright but not a football skill. We have a tackle that is legal but more often than not illegal tackles are not punished and the refs can't wait to give a free against the man in possesion for over-carrying even though he is actually being physically restrained. there is nothing in the rules that says you can hold on to a man . you must tackle the ball. so why do referees not punish these Man on Man tackles., or sometimes 2 ,3,4 men on man tackles.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 25/11/2015 21:52:18    1809947