Mickey Harte fears the removal of the square-ball rule could lead to more controversy.

The rule change comes into effect for this summer's championship but legendary Tyrone mentor Harte is worried that we could now have chaos in and around the small square with players jostling for position under high deliveries.

"I think it's possible that there could be more controversy," he warns in The Irish Times.

"People talk about wanting a fast, free-flowing, open game, instead of pile-ups out around the middle of the field.

"But if you have pile-ups in the square, I think that's not any prettier. In fact it's not even as good looking as where there's more space for a crowd of people to be.

"It could end up being something we don't want it to be, but that's something we'll have to assess as time goes on, and decide if that is happening, that it's something that needs to be reviewed.

"I think this will not remove all the headaches of the square-ball situation, because there's going to be a lot of activity in the small square, where there's going to have to be decisions made over whether it's a penalty or a free out, which wouldn't have been the case in the past, because it was an easy get-out clause for the referee.

"If it's in there, blow the whistle and give a free out, and most people accept that. So it isn't the big overall solution that some might have us believe that it is." Tweet

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