Jack O’Connor has blasted the new rule which sees the ball being brought forward 50 metres if a player doesn’t hand it back after committing a foul.

The controversial rule cost St Finbarr’s dearly against Dingle in the Munster club SFC final before Christmas and also resulted in a two-point free for Roscommon in their last-gasp defeat to the All-Ireland champions yesterday.

"I said from the word go - at least I am consistent anyway - that this would cause consternation," a frustrated O'Connor told reporters.

"Mike Breen holds the ball out, some fella slaps the ball out of his hand, and it's brought forward for a two-pointer. That is a catastrophic rule. it just allows abuse. It allows abuse of the rule

"That was a terrible situation, what's the man supposed to do? He held the ball out. Brendan Cawley is one of the best refs in the country. It's the rule that is the issue.”

The Kerry manager added: "I said it from day one, why can't the player just leave the ball down where the foul occurred and back off?

"Even the very fact of holding the ball out to a fella, he can run into you. What are you supposed to do, hand him the ball and disappear at the same time? I can't understand how intelligent men allowed that rule to go through?"

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