HoganStand GAA Football and Hurling

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"It's Worrying For Football That More Rule Changes Are Being Considered!!"

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Great intercounty and club championships - whether you win, lose or draw. However, the GAA is now considering further football rule changes! Among the rules being tested are four points for a goal, restrictions on handpassing and fisting for points, an NBA-style back-court rule and shorter kick-outs. Could they not just leave it and let teams get to grips with what's there??? No need at all for this. Best championship in years and they go on about changes again. Madness! legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 10070 - 29/08/2026 17:23:08 2691845 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "Great intercounty and club championships - whether you win, lose or draw. However, the GAA is now considering further football rule changes! Among the rules being tested are four points for a goal, restrictions on handpassing and fisting for points, an NBA-style back-court rule and shorter kick-outs. Could they not just leave it and let teams get to grips with what's there??? No need at all for this. Best championship in years and they go on about changes again. Madness!" 4 point goal and less handpassing are fine by me. Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 315 - 29/08/2026 17:46:18 2691847 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "Great intercounty and club championships - whether you win, lose or draw. However, the GAA is now considering further football rule changes! Among the rules being tested are four points for a goal, restrictions on handpassing and fisting for points, an NBA-style back-court rule and shorter kick-outs. Could they not just leave it and let teams get to grips with what's there??? No need at all for this. Best championship in years and they go on about changes again. Madness!" Restricting hand passing the only necessary one of those measures there. Especially handpassing backwards. Think both hurling and football should look at a rule where you are only allowed to handpass it forwards. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20586 - 29/08/2026 17:52:33 2691849 Link
Replying To Viking66: "Restricting hand passing the only necessary one of those measures there. Especially handpassing backwards. Think both hurling and football should look at a rule where you are only allowed to handpass it forwards." Be great to get rid of those awful handpasses over the bar. You're not allowed score a goal, where you have to beat a goalie, with them. Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 894 - 29/08/2026 19:48:11 2691865 Link
4 point goal!!! Sadly becoming a farce to watch. arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4974 - 29/08/2026 20:12:03 2691869 Link
I haven't paid much attention to all of this but here's my two cents: A 4 point goal is something that an argument can be made for and it does increase the incentive to go for goals, which people seem so obsessed with. On the other hand, we've probably just had one of the greatest football seasons in modern history. Upsets, some wild stories and it all ended in a fairytale. Why change the rules again? To use a famed phrase; why fix it if it isn't broken? It just seems a bit unnecessary. I could be completely wrong (I'm open to all opinions), but I just can't fathom why we should change the rules again after a hugely successful year. RoyalStalwart24 (Meath) - Posts: 113 - 30/08/2026 00:35:37 2691893 Link
Replying To arock: "4 point goal!!! Sadly becoming a farce to watch." The want 101 points vs 99 just like the nba. They think having more scores makes it more exciting. No skill players only lads that can run for hours. Hurling heading the same way. 2maroonjerseys (Galway) - Posts: 192 - 30/08/2026 08:10:59 2691899 Link
McStay's own county win All Ireland for first time since God was a boy. In a championship that had incredible games including the Tailteann final which was possibly the game of the year to watch as a neutral. All enabled by the new rules. So what does his committee think? "Oh, lets change it around again." They already trialed the 4 point point goal and it was farcical. Leave well enough alone. BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4545 - 30/08/2026 08:43:57 2691900 Link
Replying To legendzxix: "Great intercounty and club championships - whether you win, lose or draw. However, the GAA is now considering further football rule changes! Among the rules being tested are four points for a goal, restrictions on handpassing and fisting for points, an NBA-style back-court rule and shorter kick-outs. Could they not just leave it and let teams get to grips with what's there??? No need at all for this. Best championship in years and they go on about changes again. Madness!" My fear is these lads have swelled heads and are going to keep making changes now every year. Are fisyed points really a huge issue? Four point goal is worth debating due to the two pointer but games may become lopsided…? We've never had as many close games this summer. yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12253 - 30/08/2026 08:46:56 2691902 Link
I would say the changes particularly around the 3 handpass limit could add more possitivity to the game. 3 consecutive handpasses arw more than enough for defenders to get out of trouble or forward line to create a goal chance. It would bring back fielding contests all over field and also the art of a sidestep by a defender before clearing a ball. There would be pressing all over the field. I can only see a possitive outcome for this change. winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 1051 - 30/08/2026 11:37:00 2691921 Link
Replying To arock: "4 point goal!!! Sadly becoming a farce to watch." A 4 point goal will just make many coaches try harder not to concede goals. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20586 - 30/08/2026 12:33:37 2691933 Link
Replying To winatallcost: "I would say the changes particularly around the 3 handpass limit could add more possitivity to the game. 3 consecutive handpasses arw more than enough for defenders to get out of trouble or forward line to create a goal chance. It would bring back fielding contests all over field and also the art of a sidestep by a defender before clearing a ball. There would be pressing all over the field. I can only see a possitive outcome for this change." The handpass limit is the only one of those changes Id be in favour of. Most of the rest of them smack of being change for changes sake. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20586 - 30/08/2026 12:35:18 2691934 Link
Replying To Viking66: "A 4 point goal will just make many coaches try harder not to concede goals." Not if the consequence of that is leaving room for forwards to get more two pointers. Ive always felt that 3 points isnt a great reward for getting a goal to begin with. It often only takes a good 3 or 4 minute spell for a team to get 3 one points scores anyways. Seniorleague (Galway) - Posts: 315 - 30/08/2026 14:07:04 2691944 Link
Replying To Viking66: "The handpass limit is the only one of those changes Id be in favour of. Most of the rest of them smack of being change for changes sake." How does the hand pass rule work if a player is surrounded and can't kick. I'd be in favour of hand passing in your own half to get defenders out of trouble. Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2936 - 30/08/2026 14:15:29 2691945 Link