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Having watched a lot of football over the last season and a half( and before that unfortunately) I have to say that they wave reinvented the game and its a very entertaining spectacle these days for everyone.
It has been well debated but this is my take on it as a predominantly hurling man who lives in football country. Hurling still has the more entertaining product but that doesnt mean that we cant improve the game. Im not talking about structures, formats or anything else. Im talking about the game itself and how its played.
People single out individual rule changes in football as things they like or dislike but the reality is that the changes work as well as they do because they work together as a collective pr suite of changes for the betterment of the product as a whole.
Normally when hurling people start this conversation they quickly get bogged down on a couple of things, namely handpass/steps and rucks. Focusing solely on those fails to understand what actually happened in football. They set out to speed up the game first and foremost. They also wanted to reintroduce the contest for the ball and shooting in general and long distance efforts in particular. That was their goal and they succeeded in achieving that.
What would our goal be? We want to speed up the game, have more contests and increase spectacular scores and goal chances. Thats my take anyway.
Before I address that I will deal with the handpass, steps and rucks.
The rule , in my opinion, on both steps and the handpass are fine. This notion that lads should be throwing the ball up and slapping it with their palm is dinosaur stuff. There is just as many dodgy handpasses in football as there are in hurling. Im at halftime in my third NFL final of weekend and pretty much every short handpass looks dodgy or illegal to me. The difference is that iss bloody hard to propel an o neills football over a long distance without striking it given the weight of the thing. The o neills sloliotar doesnt require much, on underarm pass anyway, to travel the same distance. Refs are doing a reasonable job in both codes imo and it isnt detrimental to the product on view. If anything it helps it as a spectacle. Imagine the amount of rucks that would be caused if players had to throw it up and slap it 80s style given how little time they have these days? It would be chaos.
Steps has been an issue/ non issue since carrying the ball became popular. It is reffed to the best od their abilities so leave it alone and to them.
Rucks are a consequence of a breakdown in play. So clamping down on handpass and steps only causes more. The suite of changes will help alleviate them but they will always be with us to some extent. Hurling is a possession game and the ruck is merely a contest for the ball.
Ive looked at the football rules and how they worked for that game and this is my take.
1. Advantage rule- in my opinion the advantage rule should be treated as the current football solo and go rule. When the ref shouts advantage and/or raises the arm the defender should have to cease his tackle for 3m or length of time it takes to travel 3m before reengaging. This will work well in the holding and spare arm tackles and if reffed properly speed up the game as attacker should break the contact area in that time.
2. Tap and go free. Where the advantage rule cant apply a tap and go from behind or at the mark can be taken by any player from anywhere level or at the mark. There would be a 5m no tackle /impede zone. Where the defender carries or strikes ball away or impeded it can be taken from 30m further forward. Same applies to dissent.
3. Puck out. Keeper must play it to player outside the 40m arc and cannot be first to receive it back after the puck out. So he cant puck it to fb at top of 40m arc and receive it back immediately. This will encourage an aerial battle for the ball.
3. Ground hurling. Ive thought long and hard about this one. Most young lads start at 4 or 5 years old in the hall or astro pulling on the ball and dribbling on the ground between cones. By the time they are u14 we have that skill trained out of them.
I would propose a 2 point score for hurling for a point scored from a ground stroke outside the 20m line and/or small arc. This would include line balls. I dont like the way line balls have gone in hurling and I want to bring back the sideline cut point. I think this will help with rucks as players will ground dribble or pull on ball early to move it on as they redevelop the skill.
4. Id make a goal a 4 point score to encourage teams to go for them.
5. I think the one on one competition at start of games is better so id introduce that too.
6. The black card/penalty rule. Id change this to one or the other. If the ref is unsure it should be a black card and free. If its clearcut then it should be a yellow and penalty. I think that takes pressure of referees.
I think, taken as a suite of changes, that these changes would greatly improve the game as a spectacle.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 159 - 29/03/2026 14:56:18
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Having watched a lot of football over the last season and a half( and before that unfortunately) I have to say that they wave reinvented the game and its a very entertaining spectacle these days for everyone.
It has been well debated but this is my take on it as a predominantly hurling man who lives in football country. Hurling still has the more entertaining product but that doesnt mean that we cant improve the game. Im not talking about structures, formats or anything else. Im talking about the game itself and how its played.
People single out individual rule changes in football as things they like or dislike but the reality is that the changes work as well as they do because they work together as a collective pr suite of changes for the betterment of the product as a whole.
Normally when hurling people start this conversation they quickly get bogged down on a couple of things, namely handpass/steps and rucks. Focusing solely on those fails to understand what actually happened in football. They set out to speed up the game first and foremost. They also wanted to reintroduce the contest for the ball and shooting in general and long distance efforts in particular. That was their goal and they succeeded in achieving that.
What would our goal be? We want to speed up the game, have more contests and increase spectacular scores and goal chances. Thats my take anyway.
Before I address that I will deal with the handpass, steps and rucks.
The rule , in my opinion, on both steps and the handpass are fine. This notion that lads should be throwing the ball up and slapping it with their palm is dinosaur stuff. There is just as many dodgy handpasses in football as there are in hurling. Im at halftime in my third NFL final of weekend and pretty much every short handpass looks dodgy or illegal to me. The difference is that iss bloody hard to propel an o neills football over a long distance without striking it given the weight of the thing. The o neills sloliotar doesnt require much, on underarm pass anyway, to travel the same distance. Refs are doing a reasonable job in both codes imo and it isnt detrimental to the product on view. If anything it helps it as a spectacle. Imagine the amount of rucks that would be caused if players had to throw it up and slap it 80s style given how little time they have these days? It would be chaos.
Steps has been an issue/ non issue since carrying the ball became popular. It is reffed to the best od their abilities so leave it alone and to them.
Rucks are a consequence of a breakdown in play. So clamping down on handpass and steps only causes more. The suite of changes will help alleviate them but they will always be with us to some extent. Hurling is a possession game and the ruck is merely a contest for the ball.
Ive looked at the football rules and how they worked for that game and this is my take.
1. Advantage rule- in my opinion the advantage rule should be treated as the current football solo and go rule. When the ref shouts advantage and/or raises the arm the defender should have to cease his tackle for 3m or length of time it takes to travel 3m before reengaging. This will work well in the holding and spare arm tackles and if reffed properly speed up the game as attacker should break the contact area in that time.
2. Tap and go free. Where the advantage rule cant apply a tap and go from behind or at the mark can be taken by any player from anywhere level or at the mark. There would be a 5m no tackle /impede zone. Where the defender carries or strikes ball away or impeded it can be taken from 30m further forward. Same applies to dissent.
3. Puck out. Keeper must play it to player outside the 40m arc and cannot be first to receive it back after the puck out. So he cant puck it to fb at top of 40m arc and receive it back immediately. This will encourage an aerial battle for the ball.
3. Ground hurling. Ive thought long and hard about this one. Most young lads start at 4 or 5 years old in the hall or astro pulling on the ball and dribbling on the ground between cones. By the time they are u14 we have that skill trained out of them.
I would propose a 2 point score for hurling for a point scored from a ground stroke outside the 20m line and/or small arc. This would include line balls. I dont like the way line balls have gone in hurling and I want to bring back the sideline cut point. I think this will help with rucks as players will ground dribble or pull on ball early to move it on as they redevelop the skill.
4. Id make a goal a 4 point score to encourage teams to go for them.
5. I think the one on one competition at start of games is better so id introduce that too.
6. The black card/penalty rule. Id change this to one or the other. If the ref is unsure it should be a black card and free. If its clearcut then it should be a yellow and penalty. I think that takes pressure of referees.
I think, taken as a suite of changes, that these changes would greatly improve the game as a spectacle." Mostly good ideas there
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18976 - 29/03/2026 15:22:35
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Replying To legendzxix: ""GAA's Central Council has recommended that the All-Ireland Hurling Quarter-Finals remain as neutral venues. Follows the Congress vote to remove the Preliminary Quarters."
Seems a negative step. Giving provincial runners-up home advantage rewards making the provincial finals over finishing 3rd." Might be partly due to being conscious of the venues that might have to be used. Could be a stretch for either Clare, Waterford or Wexford to host an All-Ireland quarter-final if they lost their provincial final, considering the grounds in question would only hold between 15,000 and 20,000.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3456 - 30/03/2026 12:55:07
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Replying To Pikeman96: "Might be partly due to being conscious of the venues that might have to be used. Could be a stretch for either Clare, Waterford or Wexford to host an All-Ireland quarter-final if they lost their provincial final, considering the grounds in question would only hold between 15,000 and 20,000." The quarter finals should be in Croke Park.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 159 - 30/03/2026 14:06:00
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "Having watched a lot of football over the last season and a half( and before that unfortunately) I have to say that they wave reinvented the game and its a very entertaining spectacle these days for everyone.
It has been well debated but this is my take on it as a predominantly hurling man who lives in football country. Hurling still has the more entertaining product but that doesnt mean that we cant improve the game. Im not talking about structures, formats or anything else. Im talking about the game itself and how its played.
People single out individual rule changes in football as things they like or dislike but the reality is that the changes work as well as they do because they work together as a collective pr suite of changes for the betterment of the product as a whole.
Normally when hurling people start this conversation they quickly get bogged down on a couple of things, namely handpass/steps and rucks. Focusing solely on those fails to understand what actually happened in football. They set out to speed up the game first and foremost. They also wanted to reintroduce the contest for the ball and shooting in general and long distance efforts in particular. That was their goal and they succeeded in achieving that.
What would our goal be? We want to speed up the game, have more contests and increase spectacular scores and goal chances. Thats my take anyway.
Before I address that I will deal with the handpass, steps and rucks.
The rule , in my opinion, on both steps and the handpass are fine. This notion that lads should be throwing the ball up and slapping it with their palm is dinosaur stuff. There is just as many dodgy handpasses in football as there are in hurling. Im at halftime in my third NFL final of weekend and pretty much every short handpass looks dodgy or illegal to me. The difference is that iss bloody hard to propel an o neills football over a long distance without striking it given the weight of the thing. The o neills sloliotar doesnt require much, on underarm pass anyway, to travel the same distance. Refs are doing a reasonable job in both codes imo and it isnt detrimental to the product on view. If anything it helps it as a spectacle. Imagine the amount of rucks that would be caused if players had to throw it up and slap it 80s style given how little time they have these days? It would be chaos.
Steps has been an issue/ non issue since carrying the ball became popular. It is reffed to the best od their abilities so leave it alone and to them.
Rucks are a consequence of a breakdown in play. So clamping down on handpass and steps only causes more. The suite of changes will help alleviate them but they will always be with us to some extent. Hurling is a possession game and the ruck is merely a contest for the ball.
Ive looked at the football rules and how they worked for that game and this is my take.
1. Advantage rule- in my opinion the advantage rule should be treated as the current football solo and go rule. When the ref shouts advantage and/or raises the arm the defender should have to cease his tackle for 3m or length of time it takes to travel 3m before reengaging. This will work well in the holding and spare arm tackles and if reffed properly speed up the game as attacker should break the contact area in that time.
2. Tap and go free. Where the advantage rule cant apply a tap and go from behind or at the mark can be taken by any player from anywhere level or at the mark. There would be a 5m no tackle /impede zone. Where the defender carries or strikes ball away or impeded it can be taken from 30m further forward. Same applies to dissent.
3. Puck out. Keeper must play it to player outside the 40m arc and cannot be first to receive it back after the puck out. So he cant puck it to fb at top of 40m arc and receive it back immediately. This will encourage an aerial battle for the ball.
3. Ground hurling. Ive thought long and hard about this one. Most young lads start at 4 or 5 years old in the hall or astro pulling on the ball and dribbling on the ground between cones. By the time they are u14 we have that skill trained out of them.
I would propose a 2 point score for hurling for a point scored from a ground stroke outside the 20m line and/or small arc. This would include line balls. I dont like the way line balls have gone in hurling and I want to bring back the sideline cut point. I think this will help with rucks as players will ground dribble or pull on ball early to move it on as they redevelop the skill.
4. Id make a goal a 4 point score to encourage teams to go for them.
5. I think the one on one competition at start of games is better so id introduce that too.
6. The black card/penalty rule. Id change this to one or the other. If the ref is unsure it should be a black card and free. If its clearcut then it should be a yellow and penalty. I think that takes pressure of referees.
I think, taken as a suite of changes, that these changes would greatly improve the game as a spectacle." Disagree with some of that
The hand pass has to have a clear strike from the hand, not a flick or push.
This will slow things down a bit and allow defenders actually get a tackle in on the ball.
The steps rule has to be properly called by referees. Currently it is not.
Agree on the puck out, it shouldn't be allowed go back to the keeper straight away.
3 up breach rule - would stop teams bringing players back.
Who is actually monitoring the size of a goal keepers hurley?
valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1930 - 30/03/2026 21:27:25
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Replying To valley84: "Disagree with some of that
The hand pass has to have a clear strike from the hand, not a flick or push.
This will slow things down a bit and allow defenders actually get a tackle in on the ball.
The steps rule has to be properly called by referees. Currently it is not.
Agree on the puck out, it shouldn't be allowed go back to the keeper straight away.
3 up breach rule - would stop teams bringing players back.
Who is actually monitoring the size of a goal keepers hurley?" I have to disagree with you wanting to slow down the game. Since when do we need to slow down forwards so defenders can make a tackle. It thats an issue then defenders need to get quicker not slow down attackers.
Steps and the refereeing of it has been consistent for my whole life. Players have gotten away with it , been pulled for in the right and in the wrong throughout the 80s, 90s, 00s, teenies and 20s. Games have been decided by it. Thomas Mulcahy took about 12 steps and threw the ball from one hand to the other before scoring a decisive goal in one big game I remember. My point is that its not new and it isn't detrimental to the game as a spectacle.
We will agree to disagree on the handpass other than to say that ,imo, we are never going back to the 80s/90s style handpass that you advocate.
On the 3 breach rule. Thats not needed. The sliotar travels further and faster than any man can run or cover.
I dont have a problem with bas size either.
They just aren't issues that are detrimental to the game as a spectacle and the purpose of the discussion is to promote ideas that enhance the game as an entertaining spectacle just as football achieved.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 159 - 30/03/2026 22:23:28
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It won't happen. Only saying. The closest to getting Galway out of Leinster would be limiting Munster and Leinster to groups of 4. No way the Munster 5 will be broken up to allow anything like that.
Moving on. It seems home quarter finals for provincial runners-up is being ruled out. It shouldn't happen but it wouldn't surprise me if preliminary quarter finals are brought back but for 3rd v 4th.
legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9606 - 31/03/2026 08:37:00
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GAA people are obsessed with changing things for sake of. Hurling structure is grand as is, This years championship between the two groups is poised to be one of greatest ever with potential for at least as big a year as last with unexpected results.
The folly of constant tweaking is obvious in the change to the football hooter rule which has potential if retained to create unholy messes where teams hold on to ball for ever if possible and with scope for the sort of gamesmanship the new rules were meant to do away with.
BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 4121 - 31/03/2026 12:04:53
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "I have to disagree with you wanting to slow down the game. Since when do we need to slow down forwards so defenders can make a tackle. It thats an issue then defenders need to get quicker not slow down attackers.
Steps and the refereeing of it has been consistent for my whole life. Players have gotten away with it , been pulled for in the right and in the wrong throughout the 80s, 90s, 00s, teenies and 20s. Games have been decided by it. Thomas Mulcahy took about 12 steps and threw the ball from one hand to the other before scoring a decisive goal in one big game I remember. My point is that its not new and it isn't detrimental to the game as a spectacle.
We will agree to disagree on the handpass other than to say that ,imo, we are never going back to the 80s/90s style handpass that you advocate.
On the 3 breach rule. Thats not needed. The sliotar travels further and faster than any man can run or cover.
I dont have a problem with bas size either.
They just aren't issues that are detrimental to the game as a spectacle and the purpose of the discussion is to promote ideas that enhance the game as an entertaining spectacle just as football achieved." Agree with all of that. Hurling is a way better watch now than it was in the 90s. But I get thats entirely subjective, and Ive plenty of friends who disagree with me on that.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 18976 - 31/03/2026 12:06:33
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Replying To BarneyGrant: "GAA people are obsessed with changing things for sake of. Hurling structure is grand as is, This years championship between the two groups is poised to be one of greatest ever with potential for at least as big a year as last with unexpected results.
The folly of constant tweaking is obvious in the change to the football hooter rule which has potential if retained to create unholy messes where teams hold on to ball for ever if possible and with scope for the sort of gamesmanship the new rules were meant to do away with." On the football hooter rule and perceived consequences people have very short memories. Teams have always tried to hold onto the football and protect a lead in the closing stages of football games. Its not new. Dublin were brilliant at it. Im not sure the hooter is a necessary thing but I did like last years way of using it better than this year's version.
On hurling, I agree that there isnt much wrong with the game. We can always make it better though as a spectacle.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 159 - 31/03/2026 13:18:03
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Replying To Viking66: "Agree with all of that. Hurling is a way better watch now than it was in the 90s. But I get thats entirely subjective, and Ive plenty of friends who disagree with me on that." Yes, there are some everywhere. Its nostalgia really at least that's my opinion on that view. When you get into it with them they generally concede that it is better now while lamenting the lack of ground hurling and overhead pulls in thr modern game.
I think the reffing of the ground pull has killed it as much as any tactical decisions. Kyle got booked in Gaelic Grounds for a pull that the cork lad stepped into.
Tadhg2020 (Limerick) - Posts: 159 - 31/03/2026 13:21:37
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "On the football hooter rule and perceived consequences people have very short memories. Teams have always tried to hold onto the football and protect a lead in the closing stages of football games. Its not new. Dublin were brilliant at it. Im not sure the hooter is a necessary thing but I did like last years way of using it better than this year's version.
On hurling, I agree that there isnt much wrong with the game. We can always make it better though as a spectacle." Inclined to agree with you on both counts here.
On the football hooter - am just waiting for a controversy to erupt where a team is on the attack in the dying seconds, but the hooter sounds just a second or two before they get away a shot for what would have been a match-winning score.
And don't think hurling needs any wholesale changes to the playing rules at all, in the way football got an overhaul. I do like the new rules about punishing dissent, though. It's already been almost completely stamped out of football due to the changes they had there, and I think these new rules for hurling will be equally effective.
And even though it might end up applying to a certain lad or two on the underage team I'm involved with myself, I think the sin bin rule for an underage player guilty of dissent is a very good move. If we stamp that habit out of players when they're young, they shouldn't do it when they're older either.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3456 - 31/03/2026 13:34:26
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Replying To Tadhg2020: "On the football hooter rule and perceived consequences people have very short memories. Teams have always tried to hold onto the football and protect a lead in the closing stages of football games. Its not new. Dublin were brilliant at it. Im not sure the hooter is a necessary thing but I did like last years way of using it better than this year's version.
On hurling, I agree that there isnt much wrong with the game. We can always make it better though as a spectacle." I can't know why they went screwing around with a hooter rule that worked fine last year. It's horrible now, because the game is over before it's over on occasion, with teams losing by a kick, in possession, but just not having adequate seconds to advance to the scoring zone, and winning teams potentially benefiting from foul play in the closing seconds. I don't understand any argument against the hooter system than operated at 2025 championship.
Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4641 - 31/03/2026 14:10:38
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