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Can Gaelic Football (Handball?) Be Saved?

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Replying To bdbuddah:  "
Replying To tirawleybaron:  "[quote=bdbuddah:  "[quote=Ulsterchamps_32:  "[quote=fizzygravy:  "Games for the most part are difficult to watch because of tactical set-ups. Predominantly a defensive approach. There isn't much point in tinkering with rules that don't have potential to make this defensive ploy less effective. As a spectacle we want to see a more flowing game and one that presents more one-on-one contests; I think most people would agree. The solution lies is creating more space; 13-a-side is a step in that direction; certainly much easier than increasing the playing area. Another tweak is to bring the kickout back to the edge of the small rectangle; there is a huge amount of unplayable space behind the 'keeper when they are kicking at the moment. This may encourage more pressure up high as the reward for an interception closer in would be higher - that's not to say teams won't simply concede the kickout as they do now but there could be more incentive not to. The reality is that astute coaches will navigate any new rule pretty quickly; likewise lazy coaches will simply revert to type and 'Park the bus'. At the end of the day it's the poorer teams who can only play the slow lateral game. Often times this is because of the poor coaches. Dublin, Kerry, Donegal, Galway, Derry and perhaps one or two more are comfortable playing against these tactics and are happy they'll come out on top regardless. I'm expecting (hoping maybe) the Review Committee to come back with a plan which includes coach development, calendar restructure and games promotion much more than a focus on trying to 'fix' things with additional rules."
On your kick out from the small rectangle I would tend to agree. The kick would have to go beyond the twenty and not into the semi circle. I'd probably still allow the kick out after a score from the twenty to give the team that's conceded a little benefit.

A kick out from the small rectangle is immediately longer than it currently is so you'd think it would have to encourage teams to press more and force the keeper to kick it to a contest out the field. As you say teams could still concede the kick out it but less likely that they will.

Downs tactics last week would a great game to analyse and maybe create to see can they do a few things be to counter how they went about the game. They wanted to play it slow all the time and take the sting out of armagh. They used their keeper an awful lot and if armagh pushed up they'd just use him to take the sting out of the press. If the keeper couldn't be passed to from open play armagh would have been more likely to push up.

As much as I'd like to see the spectacle of gealic football improve overall I don't want them to be too radical with changes (at least initially) as you'll lose sight of what actually is working or not working."
In stead of trying in 10 areas for rule changes they should focus on maybe about 2 areas.
But minor tinkering I think won't work I think.
I agree with the general sentiment in this article on the Cork GAA CEO's report last year.
Simple dramatic rule changes is what we need.

https://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/cork-chief-executive-kevin-odonovan-calls-for-dramatic-gaelic-football-rules-intervention/a1214546567.html"]I also agree with him on the need for a Gaelic Games specific - offside rule.

Some along the lines of no extra players permitted inside the defensive 45 unless
(a) they do so with 3m of their marker or
(B) the ball has been kicked into the area ahead of them (like ice hockey offside) by an attacking player who is outside the 45m line

I wouldn't be in favour of having a set position to return to before a kick out can be taken (likely to create a unintended opportunity for time wasting)

I really hate the last 10 min of a lot of games due to the amount of play acting, melees etc. Really puts a stop to comebacks.

For that reason I would think that the offside rule above combined with with a 45 yard free to be awarded after the 10 team frees conceded per half.- a bit like basketball
40 frees in 70min is enough to be looking at.

Then have a shot clock (so teams can't run down the clock) and your in business.

You now have stopped the running game (as players have to kick it forwards inside the 45).
There can be no sweeper (concedes a free if he enters the 45 before the ball).
There can be no passing around the middle (due to shot clock)
There can be no persistent fouling to slow an attack.
Also like to see any player going down injured in the last 10 mins having to go off on a stretcher and can only return to match at halfway line once referee allows at the next break in play

And lastly - max of 3 subs per match (excluding 10 min blood sub or HIA)."]I think getting players to line up in positions for kick outs is actually easier than implementing players staying inside a certain area tof the pitch while the game is flowing.

Your not talking about getting players to stand on a spot, you could use the existing lines of the pitch to define different positions for kickouts (eg. You could use the 13m line to define the full forward line- 3 players inside this line)

I said I generally agreed with Cork CEO in that the rule changes need to be simple but dramatic.
I'm not sure it would be easy to workable to insist a team keeps 4 players forward at all times, hard to imagine it when the game is flowing.

The more you tink about it maybe it would be best instead of asking for all the team to line in position have a rule that a team must leave a minimum number of players advanced beyond a certain line of the pitch for kickouts, maybe at least 3 inside the 13m line and at least 6 inside the 45m (this 6 would include the 3 already mentioned above).

At the end of the day the idea behind a rule like this is to stop forward players coming back to be part of a blanket defense. Exceptions to a rule like this could be when a team has players sent off."]It's easy for players to keep to the 4 up front rule, just as it is easy for them to follow a "don't cross the 45 until the ball is kicked" offside rule.
Most fellas have played a range of sports with different offside rules.
Is the refs, linesmen and old lads on committees who will struggle with it as they might not have played any "foreign games".

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1137 - 07/05/2024 07:00:04    2543433

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