A few months ago a fella said to me he heard a great suggestion i.e ban the forward handpass. Obviously it followed on from a discussion (you hear it everywhere) on how difficult it was to look at match watching the players handpass/throw the ball incessently. I kind of dismissed it at first as a bit excessive but have really come around to the this view.

What gets anyone going in matches in two things (1) a score (for or against!) (2) a long ball, if accurate? -great stuff. If not, the so-and-so, a 50-50 ball? will "your" man get it.

Handpasses across the pitch is soporific. The handpass was introduced to allow a quick release in a crowed situation but has been totally abused.

The best comparison is hurling where the handpass is primarily used to set-up a man who is better placed to play the ball forward. There are few games that compare with hurling for excitement. Football would generate the same excitement as hurling where the primary means of getting forward and scoring was the accurate kicked ball - the ETHOS of the game (and this is important, but not directly the subject here).

You could still have flowing movements with players running on at speed to a handpass - skills teams would need to develop. But what sells it for me would be a return in great "mano-a-mano" battles that would be clear to see as opposed to tactical filling and marking of space.

Imagine the atmosphere - where practically every ball is a contest.

Thoughts?

Solo Run (None) - Posts: 316 - 03/08/2011 11:41:26    1002259

Think we'd all love to see a reduction in the amount of handpassing, even for a trial period to see how it goes. I'd love to see a situation where if you receive a handpass you must kick the ball. How would that work?
Another alternative would be the removal of handpassed points or fisted goals, i.e. make a rule that every score must be with the foot, just as the name suggests.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 03/08/2011 12:53:00    1002333

Teams would then form a blockade of 2 or 3 lines across the pitch.
Teams would be afraid to sacrifice bodies forward.
It would look like Rugby from a team layout perspective, but scores would be few and far between.
The all-out attack game and end-to-end stuff that you are anticipating would never materialise.
It would be a shambles!

OffalyBigBall (Offaly) - Posts: 635 - 03/08/2011 13:02:17    1002347

No.

Enoryt (Tyrone) - Posts: 41 - 03/08/2011 13:12:30    1002360

Just get rid of hand-passed points. I hate them!!

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2581 - 03/08/2011 13:22:50    1002370

no no no no no. what if a player faces the keeper and there is a free man waiting to slap it into the goals? no that wouldnt be good at all

Possom (Kildare) - Posts: 322 - 03/08/2011 13:25:27    1002375

Not a hope in hell. Every team would then have at least 10 men behind the ball so you have someone to pass to just like rugby.

1 handpass and then a kick is ok in theory but the games would be unbelievably scrappy! If teams were pressed high up the park can you imagine the scramble to get rid of the ball after the handpass. Balls would be kicked along the ground with 3 or 4 players diving on it. Possession would be lost every 3 or 4 passes, the number of frees would be off the scale. Frantic maybe but not good to watch.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1430 - 03/08/2011 13:27:16    1002377

Ideas intended to improve the game are good but not this one

whitegoodman (Tyrone) - Posts: 439 - 03/08/2011 13:39:23    1002387

Don't agree with this suggestion I must admit.

I think that there is merit in the suggestion of making it illegal to handpass points.

You'd still be able to punch a score from play though, just not from it being in your possesion.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13818 - 03/08/2011 14:03:04    1002411

I thought some of the handpassing over the weekend was top class. I think a good handpass to the chest of player running at full pelt is one of the most under-rated skills in the game.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12390 - 03/08/2011 14:12:49    1002423

possible new rule.

if you receive a hand pass, you cannot give one.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 03/08/2011 14:30:59    1002462

I'd much prefer to ban handpasses that weren't forward. Personally I think it is awful to see a player handpass backwards. It just is negative. How rare is a back pass either by hand or hurl in hurling.

Maybe have an exception with the keeper who you coudl hand pass back to.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 03/08/2011 14:40:59    1002479

The rules are fine, maybe allow the pick up off the ground, but you can't stop teams from being defensive.

Enoryt (Tyrone) - Posts: 41 - 03/08/2011 14:52:46    1002491

Crazy idea: with no forward handpasses, the goalkeeper probably wouldn't be able to use the handpass at all. Football is a possession game. What's the point just kicking the ball away aimlessly like they did in the "catch and kick" days? That tactic obviously doesn't work, otherwise teams would be still using it! As regards limiting the handpass: think of the consequences...The Meath goal that decided the 1991 saga with Dublin, often regarded as a "great" goal, had six consecutive handpasses in the move. Having to kick after receiving a handpass was tried in the league a few years ago and was a disaster. The rule led to lots of broken play, and players having to kick the ball from riciculous situations.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 03/08/2011 15:02:10    1002506

Problem isn't the handpass itself. It's the availability of short options to handpass the ball to.

Simple uncomplicated solution - 13-a-side.

More space between the lines. Teams that kick will exploit the extra space and outplay opponents. You can't outlaw tactics. You can offer an incentive to play good football.

Yes, it should be legal to lift the ball directly from the ground, especially considering how scrappy it is around kickouts nowadays.

Ollie99 (Meath) - Posts: 442 - 03/08/2011 15:22:16    1002537

Ollie99, spot on. I have long since thought they should reduce senior inter-county hurling and football to 13 a side. Give more creative players more time and space on the ball.
How would a referee go about policing a backward handpass, there would be some controversy then!!!

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 03/08/2011 15:46:26    1002567

How about a distance that a handpass has to go? a bit like with a kick out

Duckegg (Meath) - Posts: 66 - 03/08/2011 15:47:30    1002568

Completely agree with the 13 a side suggestion. Skill and pace would come to the fore with the increased space.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 03/08/2011 16:13:16    1002598

Completely agree with the 13 a side suggestion. Skill and pace would come to the fore with the increased space.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 03/08/2011 16:13:17    1002600

Yes perfect - lets make up new rules for referees not to understand and not to apply.

flourman15 (Kildare) - Posts: 62 - 03/08/2011 16:17:30    1002603