Kilkenny welcomes four-pointer but calls for clarity on new rules
Dublin's Ciaran Kilkenny in action against Louth ©INPHO/James Crombie
Ciaran Kilkenny has welcomed the introduction of the four-point goal in Gaelic football, describing the experimental rule as an exciting development that encourages teams to be more adventurous in attack.
The new TUD manager was speaking to RTE Sport after his side's final Ryan Cup game of the season, a narrow defeat to UCD at Belfield, where he reflected on the impact of the experimental rules and the challenges they present for players and coaches.
"Four points for a goal, brilliant. It really encourages teams to go for goals," said the former Dublin star who retired from inter-county duty in July.
"It takes a bit of time. It took us probably a game or two to get used to it actually being four and counting it up when you're doing the scoreboard."
The eight-time All-Ireland winner believes the changes have provided teams with an opportunity to rethink their approach to the game, encouraging creativity and problem-solving as they adapt to a new scoring system.
He added: "It's very exciting to have new rules, and from, a manager and a coach and a player point of view, you have to embrace them, and it challenges your thinking, your problem-solving. You have to be a little bit creative around it, and then around your communication then as well.
"It's been definitely very interesting. We've learned lots. And even if some of them don't even come in, it allows you a different perspective on things. Some of them could come in, and then some of them mightn't come in, so we just don't know.
"But we would just love to have clarity on when we will know what rules are coming in. I know it will go to Congress, but it would be great to get an indication because all college teams are looking to prepare for the Sigerson.
"If you're practicing with certain rules and then you don't have much time to adjust and adapt leading into Sigerson, I think to be fair to colleges, it'd be great if we got clarity on that as we look forward to the competitions."
