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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: 10071 - 29/08/2026 17:23:08    2691845

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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: 316 - 29/08/2026 17:46:18    2691847

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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: 20595 - 29/08/2026 17:52:33    2691849

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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: 899 - 29/08/2026 19:48:11    2691865

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4 point goal!!! Sadly becoming a farce to watch.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4974 - 29/08/2026 20:12:03    2691869

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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: 115 - 30/08/2026 00:35:37    2691893

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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

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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: 4546 - 30/08/2026 08:43:57    2691900

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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

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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: 1052 - 30/08/2026 11:37:00    2691921

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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: 20595 - 30/08/2026 12:33:37    2691933

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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: 20595 - 30/08/2026 12:35:18    2691934

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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: 316 - 30/08/2026 14:07:04    2691944

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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

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Replying To Saynothing:  "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."
I'd imagine that might actually be part of the idea behind the proposal. Encourage teams to kick after just two handpasses and save the third for only if they need it, rather than using up three anyway and then maybe finding yourself in a position where you're unable to kick, and would be against the rules to handpass again.

Not sure myself the change would make any big difference though, particularly in those spells of "keep possession but don't go anywhere" that you see outside the arc or around midfield. Could be six or eight or ten handpasses in a row where the person receiving the ball isn't being challenged for it. Every third or fourth one of those handpasses would just become a short kick pass instead, still uncontested, and so any team could still just play it around between themselves for the same length of time and the same number of passes overall.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3943 - 30/08/2026 15:18:09    2691952

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Replying To Saynothing:  "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."
I think what you have mentioned needs looking at. A player has the ball and is surrounded by 3/4 players. Can't either hand pass or kick. He gets pinged then for over carrying. What is he supposed to do ? Hand the over the ball ?? Maybe limit the opposing players in a tackle on a player to 2 ?? 3 or 4 players around an opponent leaves plenty of cover for the sneaky closed fist also. I know this isn't one of the proposed changes, but maybe it should. 4 pt goal has been trialled and rejected. The hand pass probably does need attention. I wouldn't be in favour of banning the backward pass, but possibly limiting hand passes to maybe 5 ?

Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 2333 - 30/08/2026 15:33:02    2691956

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Replying To Freethinker:  "I think what you have mentioned needs looking at. A player has the ball and is surrounded by 3/4 players. Can't either hand pass or kick. He gets pinged then for over carrying. What is he supposed to do ? Hand the over the ball ?? Maybe limit the opposing players in a tackle on a player to 2 ?? 3 or 4 players around an opponent leaves plenty of cover for the sneaky closed fist also. I know this isn't one of the proposed changes, but maybe it should. 4 pt goal has been trialled and rejected. The hand pass probably does need attention. I wouldn't be in favour of banning the backward pass, but possibly limiting hand passes to maybe 5 ?"
Tough luck if he hangs around waiting to be surrounded.
Just drop the ball and see what happens.

Seanfan (Roscommon) - Posts: 899 - 30/08/2026 16:43:41    2691968

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Replying To Freethinker:  "I think what you have mentioned needs looking at. A player has the ball and is surrounded by 3/4 players. Can't either hand pass or kick. He gets pinged then for over carrying. What is he supposed to do ? Hand the over the ball ?? Maybe limit the opposing players in a tackle on a player to 2 ?? 3 or 4 players around an opponent leaves plenty of cover for the sneaky closed fist also. I know this isn't one of the proposed changes, but maybe it should. 4 pt goal has been trialled and rejected. The hand pass probably does need attention. I wouldn't be in favour of banning the backward pass, but possibly limiting hand passes to maybe 5 ?"
If there are 3 or 4 tacklers around a fella then there are 2 or 3 free teammates somewhere on the pitch. A good player would find one of these before he gets tackled by 3 or 4 lads in the 1st place.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 20595 - 30/08/2026 16:55:10    2691974

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https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41903692.html

List of EAG ideas and my position on them:

1) No halfway backcourt - Agree
2) Three consec handpasses - Agree
3) 40m arc to end line - Disagree (narrow club pitches)

4) Goals 4 pts - Agree
5) No fisted pts, except "in flight" - Disagree (less rhythm)
6) Black card, for aggression when opponent NOT in possession - Agree absolutely

7) Subs 5 to 6 - Agree (game more intense)
8) Kick outs to outside D, not arc - Disagree (long, better)
9) 4/3 breach free from 13m, not 20m - Disagree (20m, ok)

10) Kick out mark, illegal challenge - Not sure I understand - "illegal" ok +50m, but "legal" tackle should be allowed
11) Sideline kicks, on or behind line - Agree (less fussy)

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3539 - 30/08/2026 17:17:29    2691979

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Replying To omahant:  "https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41903692.html

List of EAG ideas and my position on them:

1) No halfway backcourt - Agree
2) Three consec handpasses - Agree
3) 40m arc to end line - Disagree (narrow club pitches)

4) Goals 4 pts - Agree
5) No fisted pts, except "in flight" - Disagree (less rhythm)
6) Black card, for aggression when opponent NOT in possession - Agree absolutely

7) Subs 5 to 6 - Agree (game more intense)
8) Kick outs to outside D, not arc - Disagree (long, better)
9) 4/3 breach free from 13m, not 20m - Disagree (20m, ok)

10) Kick out mark, illegal challenge - Not sure I understand - "illegal" ok +50m, but "legal" tackle should be allowed
11) Sideline kicks, on or behind line - Agree (less fussy)"
Just on your point 3 - minimum width of a GAA pitch is 80 metres. Means the 40m arc could indeed be extended to the end lines on even the narrowest club pitch, unless of course that pitch was illegal in the first place.

I happen to think this is one of the few good proposals. Currently, if you're out by the sideline but inside the 20m line, you're still more than 40 metres from goal, but you'd get only one point if you happen to swing the ball over from there - despite how it'd be a more difficult kick that from 40 metres straight in front of the posts.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3943 - 30/08/2026 17:35:23    2691985

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