National Forum

Is Croke Park Pitch Too Big

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The simplest way to level the playing field in inter county football would be to set a max size on pitch width.Make it 80m max width for all intercounty matches. This would mean croke parks pitch width would be reduced by 10%.

Right now the game is too skewed towards having 20 athletes and therefore gives low population counties zero chance

centerfield (Mayo) - Posts: 360 - 07/12/2020 14:41:31    2319781

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Replying To centerfield:  "The simplest way to level the playing field in inter county football would be to set a max size on pitch width.Make it 80m max width for all intercounty matches. This would mean croke parks pitch width would be reduced by 10%.

Right now the game is too skewed towards having 20 athletes and therefore gives low population counties zero chance"
So skew the game towards the team who are the most physically strong and powerful?

Hmm. Who'd win the I wonder. .

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5251 - 07/12/2020 15:27:37    2319801

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I think the problem is wider than that, excuse the pun.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1836 - 07/12/2020 15:29:48    2319802

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Replying To cavanman47:  "So skew the game towards the team who are the most physically strong and powerful?

Hmm. Who'd win the I wonder. ."
no the other way around. Croke park is currently 88M across. i'm saying standardise to 80M so every pitch is the same width

centerfield (Mayo) - Posts: 360 - 07/12/2020 16:41:18    2319846

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If low population Counties aren't winning their Province then maybe Croke Park is not the problem!

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1468 - 07/12/2020 16:45:58    2319852

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Has Croke Park gotten bigger recently?
Teams nowadays are fitter and better conditioned than ever. What would you do about the length of the pitch ? Is that too long ?
Is Croke Park that much bigger than other pitches ?
Believe me , you could reduce the size of the pitch to that which the kids play on at half time and it would make shag all difference to some teams.
The counties that have the best run boards and structures are the teams that are successful. No amount of money or pitch reduction will help if you are pushing a rock up a hill all the time.

catch22 (USA) - Posts: 2148 - 07/12/2020 16:53:35    2319857

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best excuse i have read yet for dublins dominance! :)

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 07/12/2020 19:05:46    2319922

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Replying To centerfield:  "no the other way around. Croke park is currently 88M across. i'm saying standardise to 80M so every pitch is the same width"
How would it be the other way around!?

Raymond galligan put kickouts on Cavan men's chest for fun at the weekend. Dublin then swarmed Cavan men and turned them over. A tighter pitch and the room to "get out" against Dublin is completely taken away from a team.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5251 - 07/12/2020 19:26:59    2319934

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If anyone is interested (or bored enough) there is a tool on Google earth that you can measure distance and area. The most recent satellite image does not have the pitch markings on croke park but when it did it measured 144 metres and think 86 metre wide. There's loads of pitches bigger than it.

It does though tend to play different than every other pitch and that's probably to do with the expensive surface it has. If pitch size is a factor against the dubs play them in parnell Park with is only 80 metres wide. Castlebar and Newbridge would be two smaller pitches as well.

Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 825 - 07/12/2020 19:39:53    2319946

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Replying To centerfield:  "The simplest way to level the playing field in inter county football would be to set a max size on pitch width.Make it 80m max width for all intercounty matches. This would mean croke parks pitch width would be reduced by 10%.

Right now the game is too skewed towards having 20 athletes and therefore gives low population counties zero chance"
Of course football (or what passes for it at the moment) is the only game played in Croke Park

UtahBlaine (Galway) - Posts: 153 - 07/12/2020 19:43:42    2319951

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Replying To cavanman47:  "How would it be the other way around!?

Raymond galligan put kickouts on Cavan men's chest for fun at the weekend. Dublin then swarmed Cavan men and turned them over. A tighter pitch and the room to "get out" against Dublin is completely taken away from a team."
Pitch size has nothing got to do with a man being swarmed and won't make the slightest difference to him getting out.
Silly suggestion to narrow the pitch but equally silly suggesting there is any benefit to a man who is surrounded to have a wider pitch.

catch22 (USA) - Posts: 2148 - 07/12/2020 19:46:07    2319952

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Replying To cavanman47:  "How would it be the other way around!?

Raymond galligan put kickouts on Cavan men's chest for fun at the weekend. Dublin then swarmed Cavan men and turned them over. A tighter pitch and the room to "get out" against Dublin is completely taken away from a team."
Also conceded 25 scores. The bigger the pitch the more it will suit athletic teams that is basic common sense. Also pitch width being standardised would reduce some of the home advantage aspect of croke park

centerfield (Mayo) - Posts: 360 - 07/12/2020 20:06:08    2319964

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Replying To catch22:  "Pitch size has nothing got to do with a man being swarmed and won't make the slightest difference to him getting out.
Silly suggestion to narrow the pitch but equally silly suggesting there is any benefit to a man who is surrounded to have a wider pitch."
no what's silly is having a pitch that Dubs play on every home match and every big match being bigger than most pitches in the country. Therefore increasing their home advantage factor and allowing them to play a brand of football (extremely high tempo)that willl allow them to burn off 90% of teams on pure athletic power alone. also Is there any other sport that doesn't have standardised pitch size. If Dubs played every match pitch the size of Conleth park would they be anywhere near as dominant

centerfield (Mayo) - Posts: 360 - 07/12/2020 20:14:23    2319971

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maybe they should narrow the posts for dublin,and swap them around at half time.
or start with 13,and only allow 14 if they fall 5 points behind.

perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 07/12/2020 20:22:55    2319974

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It's all getting a bit mad at this stage. Maybe only allow Dublin to play with 12 players? Or with one hand tied behind their back? Or only kick with their left?

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 07/12/2020 20:24:49    2319977

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Replying To football first:  "It's all getting a bit mad at this stage. Maybe only allow Dublin to play with 12 players? Or with one hand tied behind their back? Or only kick with their left?"
The point is the game is all about athletic ability now so Dublin pick the best athletes and burn teams off. So if you never want to see the likes of Offaly, Cavan compete again we should keep going down this road. It's like if Rugby made the rules so that only the most physically powerful team could win then England or South Africa would win every single WC

centerfield (Mayo) - Posts: 360 - 07/12/2020 20:53:08    2319987

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Replying To centerfield:  "no what's silly is having a pitch that Dubs play on every home match and every big match being bigger than most pitches in the country. Therefore increasing their home advantage factor and allowing them to play a brand of football (extremely high tempo)that willl allow them to burn off 90% of teams on pure athletic power alone. also Is there any other sport that doesn't have standardised pitch size. If Dubs played every match pitch the size of Conleth park would they be anywhere near as dominant"
Ok ,so Dublin can only play on certain size pitches now. Does that also apply to Mayo also as they are equally athletic and have picked players with the most athletic ability.
Should the teams that aren't able to compete with the Kilkenny's , Tipp's and Limericks be allowed have narrower goals and uprights so it gives them a better chance ?
Any other daft ideas ?

catch22 (USA) - Posts: 2148 - 07/12/2020 21:49:09    2320023

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Replying To centerfield:  "The point is the game is all about athletic ability now so Dublin pick the best athletes and burn teams off. So if you never want to see the likes of Offaly, Cavan compete again we should keep going down this road. It's like if Rugby made the rules so that only the most physically powerful team could win then England or South Africa would win every single WC"
Are you seriously suggesting that the only reason that Dublin win games is because they have better athletes?
To pick up on your rugby comparison, the strong teams actively recruit from weaker nations and/or weaker players from other strong nations (using residency rules). I presume you don't want Dublin to do the same??

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 07/12/2020 22:24:56    2320034

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Replying To catch22:  "Ok ,so Dublin can only play on certain size pitches now. Does that also apply to Mayo also as they are equally athletic and have picked players with the most athletic ability.
Should the teams that aren't able to compete with the Kilkenny's , Tipp's and Limericks be allowed have narrower goals and uprights so it gives them a better chance ?
Any other daft ideas ?"
No there should be a standard pitch size for all teams not a special one for the Dubs.

Mayo arent equally athletic.

Theres no issue in hurling 8 teams have a realistic chance in the hurling championship.Because skill is the biggest determinant on who wins not athleticism

centerfield (Mayo) - Posts: 360 - 07/12/2020 22:32:47    2320038

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Some quotes of Diarmuid Connolly speaking about Dublin playing in Croke Park, Just before Cavan game.

"However, the St. Vincents clubman doesn't give Cavan a chance against a Dublin side that are a 'completely different animal' within the confines of Croke Park.!

"Dublin in Croke Park are a completely different animal. Their experience there is so good. The pitch there is so wide and so long, but Dublin seem to make it so tight there when they are defending, and they can make it so big when they are attacking. "


It looks like he thinks playing In big wide suits Dublin. I just don't understand why all pitches aren't a standard why are some pitches bigger than others. It make no sense to me.

bobkarlgees (Meath) - Posts: 1269 - 08/12/2020 07:10:40    2320083

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