The liberal interpretation of two basic rules of Gaelic football is back for 2023. It's a near certainty that a forward with a sniff of a chance can go 7 or 8 steps past he man marker to get a shot away. And sure why bother striking a hand-pass when a throw is much safer?

Last weekend alone (and not an exhaustive list):
James Carr 7 or 8 steps for his goal for Mayo- but sure wasn't it a great shot all the same
P McBrearty- threw the hand pass to set up his winner, again a super finish
O'Sullivan threw Kerry's last point over the bar after about 8 steps- the classic 2-hander Kerry way
Shane Walsh took a mere 7 steps to get round the Cork corner back for Meath's opening goal
And Clare's winner against Louth was straight from a clean lift off the ground.

Would any of the referee's involved have made it out of the car park if they'd applied the law correctly? Sorting out these two would do much to sort out the scourge of packed defences

Eddie the Exile (Monaghan) - Posts: 1064 - 31/01/2023 21:12:37    2455693

Fkd12 (Louth) - Posts: 150 - 01/02/2023 09:45:18    2455715

With the steps now they should just officially make it 6. You won't be done for any less. Might as well make it official. The throw is definitely one that is creeping in more and more

thebronze14 (Donegal) - Posts: 42 - 01/02/2023 09:53:32    2455717

ExiledCuCu (Cavan) - Posts: 228 - 01/02/2023 11:17:14    2455744

It happens in almost every game, only gets highlighted when it's a big score in the bigger games buts it's common place.. there's a very big selective condemnation element to it and it's usually the poor forwards that get roasted the most

We've all done it to our advantage during play, most of the time it just happens so fast that you take an extra couple of steps to make the space and when you feel balanced enough to shoot

There would be an awful lot of frees if refs were to blow up for it more often, they'd also be huge calls late in games that would completely deflate the excitement of a game.

Refs are also a wee bit wary of blowing up for that reason imo.. it's definitely a major bubble burst call and there would be no consistency to it that would lead to huge frustrations and negative attention drawn to them

I think the steps should be extended, as it stands that rule might as well exist as it's such a common feature of the sport

The selective condemnation element is daft though, it goes against you one moment and with you the next

It's always the way, big calls balance themselves out

I don't blame the refs, they've a bloody hard job and I for one wouldn't want to do it.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20601 - 01/02/2023 12:23:07    2455762

I think they should get rid of the pick up and allow players pick the ball of the ground like ladies football. It's a good rule. They are not allowed dive on the ball or pick it up while lying on the ground but it speeds up the game. There is no skill whatsoever putting your toe to the ball to pick it up and most of the time they just pretending anyway and picking it straight off the ground. It would nt affect the great skill of flicking it up by the toe to hand either as if a player has that skill in his locker it's quicker to do it rather than bend down. The hurling was a joke a few years ago with all the throws but refs seem to have clamped down a bit.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 01/02/2023 12:55:30    2455773

This steps and throwing the hand pass is something I really hate too. And it is much much more present in division 1 and 2 teams than any others. It's crept in and is accepted now just in the way diving in soccer crept in and a guy can throw himself down for the smallest touch now

leitrim4sam (Leitrim) - Posts: 645 - 01/02/2023 13:17:06    2455783

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 685 - 01/02/2023 13:41:34    2455788

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 685 - 01/02/2023 13:42:42    2455789

A good rule of thumb is what gets spectators and opposing players annoyed.

On that basis, a lot of the technical stuff including the hand pass in hurling, is fairly petty in my view. The difference between a legitimate hand pass and a throw is angels dancing on the head of pins territory in most cases.

The good refs in both codes know the difference between discretion and when someone is tearing the backside out of it. The bad ones are obsessed with come stuff to the detriment of the flow of games. There were a few of these in the O'Byrne games I saw. Which in one case actually contributed to players getting frustrated and a bit of handbags at the end.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2584 - 01/02/2023 14:13:47    2455798

The ironic thing is that you're far more likely to be done for overcarrying when not taking any steps at all.
We see all the time a lad with the ball gets bottled up, he has the ball for about 2 seconds while taking no steps and the ref blows a free against him, just as he gets the ball away.
With steps, players will get away with more if they're in the process of fending off an attempted tackle. The steps taken during the tussle seem to be not counted regularly.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2050 - 01/02/2023 14:17:09    2455800

cluichethar (Mayo) - Posts: 454 - 01/02/2023 14:50:07    2455808

I see a new thing this last couple of years.When a player received a ball they used to take a hop or a solo but now a lot of them make an initial fast burst often taking a lot of steps.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1060 - 01/02/2023 16:04:57    2455827

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12086 - 01/02/2023 16:18:00    2455832

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2050 - 01/02/2023 16:46:45    2455840

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12086 - 01/02/2023 17:35:12    2455852

Eddie the Exile (Monaghan) - Posts: 1064 - 01/02/2023 18:28:50    2455859

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2017 - 01/02/2023 18:32:50    2455861

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 02/02/2023 09:08:23    2455893