McStay says slow attacks and lateral play 'need tidying up'
EAG chairman Kevin McStay
Expert Advisory Group (EAG) chairman Kevin McStay believes the rules of Gaelic football still need a few tweaks, despite the success of the Football Review Committee (FRC) rule enhancements over the past two seasons.
Among the proposed rule changes that will be trialled in the third level Ryan Cup later this year are the four-point goal, prohibiting the fisted point, the sixth substitute and the backcourt pass.
"Even though we have had a great season, I don’t think anybody would argue there are a few anomalies that need tidying up," the former Mayo manager said on RTÉ Radio 1's Inside Sport.
"The biggest issue left is the slow attacks and lateral play. They haven’t totally gone away, and it is still difficult to watch. We were keen to see if we could do something about it.
"Slow attacks have a place, but they are a difficult watch for supporters and they tell us they don’t want them in the game."
McStay added: "The game we had last summer was fantastic, but it wasn’t actually the game perhaps that the public wanted.
"No-one can argue that the handpass to footpass ratio is anywhere near where it needs to be. Nobody can say we have loads of high fielding. That’s simply not true.
"So some of the key issues we want to get into the game, we didn’t quite get there yet. Yet other parts of the FRC rules bedded in brilliantly and provided the spectacle."
