Two of the big talking points of the spring campaign concern Rule 42 and the New, Newer, Newest Rules for football and hurling. Last month I dealt with the rule issue and promised to watch a little closer before judgement is passed. But matters have overtaken the debate really and already some of the key experiments are no more, not even in experimental form, if you follow me. I will return to this issue at the end of this offering but with Congress closing in fast on us all we might start with an overview of the action so far. You have often heard the top officials of the GAA wax lyrically about the club being the building block of the association. You will recall their absolute belief that no other unit is more important. And that the great and unique feature of GAA life is the possibility of the lowliest member bringing a motion to the annual congress. Now you know also that this old mantra is a load of cobblers and that only lip service is paid to those objectives. If you are still interested in having Rule 42 debated and have worked hard in the background to realise this, then we must assume you are a fanatic. And as Churchill more or less stated, a fanatic will neither change the subject nor his mind. Two good men and true will always be linked with this cause - Tommie Kenoy, here in Roscommon and Noel Walsh down in Clare. Noel was a big mover in the open draw in Munster and eventually got it passed - he will need the same patience and focus to see this one through. If you were in any way unsure of my sentiments then recent developments surely sway the argument. Only a specialist in the rules of the GAA can be relied upon to get a motion to the floor and as we have only a handful of these experts, it means the field is very much restricted. Truth is, even those officers with a working knowledge have found it near impossible to get an acceptable wording of their motion on to the Clár. Which is not to blame the Motions committee - they can only rule on what is before them. Noises emanating from this gathering of former greats suggest the effort, or at least the finished product, has not been hectic. Ergo, Joe Bloggs, the head grounds man for Ballinafad Gaels simply will not pass muster. Which set me thinking - if the expertise lies with a few of the Motions Men, then one of their rank could show some real leadership and sponsor the motion that will open Croke Park and delete/amend Rule 42 for all time? Naturally, they could do so through their club and then watch it sail effortlessly up the chain of command, all the way to Dublin. Simple solution to a difficult situation - methinks so. Why has it not happened yet? Back to the club and its primacy in the make up of the GAA. Argument raged in the four provinces when the qualifier system was introduced some years ago. The club scene would be ruined the county and club officials cried. We will have to play our championship games at dawn on a Wednesday - just where will we fit in the fixtures? Now, any county worth its salt has agreed to qualifiers, losers groups, Champions League style formats which all mean extra club games for the very beleaguered fixture list they cried crocodile tears for. Ah, the club - you don't choose it, it chooses you! It is well over a century now since the GAA realised democracy is a dangerous thing and it must be practised according to certain guidelines. The principle one is that the county officers generally know best, and very often this is true. A board would be unable to function if each and every decision went to the delegates so the role of the executive is critical. Yet, I know of county officers, mandated to vote a certain way by members who changed their minds once the top table or political expediency required. Very often, you can find yourself in a crowded toilet, your business completed but in no particular rush to return to congress until the hum of debate and argument has abated. Democracy - what a lovely ideal. All politics is indeed local and those with ambition of higher office must be careful not to position oneself on the wrong side of the winning feeling. So, the Gents is very often the best place to position oneself while one of the most important debates in the modern GAA is taking place. Weak bladders? Weak men more like. ++++++++++++++++++ The first set of rules went on display during the Connaught FBD League - sin bins, tees, clean pick-ups, etc. By the time the NFL kicked off we had yet another set that included the draconian yellow card sanction to the line followed by a replacement. Then I attended a club game at the weekend and it was back to the 'old' rules as was the Sigerson Cup just completed. Any objective and rational analysis of the methodology and roll out of the latest experiments will report on a strategy that appeared to be made up as one went along. So much so, that the President could announce in far flung shores that they would change. And managers/players that helped to frame them voiced concern once their teams appeared to adapt slowly! So the audit is neither convincing nor complimentary. We ended up with our top players playing football under three sets of rules during January and February. It is most likely that a major final (NFL) will be played after the championship has actually commenced and with yet another increased set of rules. A knee jerk reaction on the sin bin led to a shocking alternative that makes even the old rule of tick, yellow, yellow and red appear enlightened. And while we are at it lets kill a few myths. The wording of the rules has been so poorly stated that some of them are simply not true. For instance, to say you can always replace a yellow carded player does not stand up, because between sanction and subs you will very often go beyond six replacements, especially when championship action increase the physical intensity as it obviously will. And to say the sin bin was unworkable for the fourth official is a little strange - the solution offered to support the yellow card is an increase of another substitute to give a total of six. The effort put in by managers, referees and players would be far better focussed on implementing the rules we had. Indeed it will revert, almost 100% when a simple motion, I think from Offaly, rescinds all the rubbish and we will be left with a few technical additions like the tee and the pick up. And while I'm on the matter of the tee, I read recently where the manufacture of them was anything but satisfactory and the rugby tee was used in the rush to have the rules in place. The more this joke continues, the more I am siding with Ulster - let them at it lads and we'll sort them out at Congress. No mention at all, at all about sanction for cumulative yellows. Is adding the yellows collected over a season beyond us? Going local for a moment, the Roscommon and District Soccer Leagues operate this very well, thank you and over a period of time it is an excellent tool in the eradication of the consistent fouler. It all smells of the root problem - when it comes to implementing discipline and fingering the hatchet men, our association has nearly always preferred fudge and ambiguity. A recent provincial final was destroyed by stoppages owing to nasty tackling, foul mouthed exchanges, head butting and a decent row in the stands. I have heard nothing since and the cards awarded will mean nothing when the action continues. And those in the stand, embarrassing us and frightening children in proximity? Not a word my friend, not a word. Tweet

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