Gaelic football ref fears too many rules have been added ahead of trial games

A TRIAL RUN of the new rules imposed to improve Gaelic Football will take place around Ireland this weekend.

A number of ‘sandbox’ (a term taken from video gaming) games will occur involving inter-county players eliminated from this year’s championship.

The initiative is the brainchild of GAA chairperson Jim Gavin.

Some of the more extreme proposals are focused on making the game more high scoring, with the possibility of a goal being worth four points and two points being awarded for a ‘point’ scored from a new 40-yard arc being the most high-profile changes.

Extra regulations have also been placed on kick-outs and dissent, among a plethora of other changes.

Speaking on this week’s RTÉ GAA podcast, Peter Canavan said appreciates the FRC’s work, but is concerned at the sheer volume of trial rules he and other referees must learn before Saturday.

“I think there’s too much on the table for these games,” he said.

“There is too much going on and you have to consider the referee.

“A lot of these rules are making the job of the referee more difficult, and that’s the last thing we need.”

The former Tyrone star is unsure of the need for some of the trial rules, such as vanishing foam and one-on-one throw-ins.

He does, however, welcome the scoring changes, the stronger penalty for dissent and teams having to keep three players, including the goalkeeper, inside their own 65-metre line.

“In theory the ball should be moving much quicker, less congestion in opposition defences.”

CHANGE IS GOOD

Tomás Ó Sé believes the game will reap the benefits of the FRC’s work.

“Every possible change that you could apply is on the table,” he said.

“The whole point of these rules coming in the first place, was to make the spectacle of football a little but more appeasing for the viewer, to thin out the congestion that is always inside the 65.”

The Kerry U20 manager is a fan of many of the rules on trial, but takes issue with how the ‘defensive ‘three men back’ rule will be controlled.

He continued: “I’m not sure how the ‘three men’ will be policed,”

“I’ve always questioned this.”

“Let’s say, for arguments sake, in an attack, something has happened and I end up marking the corner-forward, who is not allowed go back into his own half.

“If I’m a wing-back, I’m allowed attack into the opposition half, but that corner-forward isn’t. I don’t get how they can police that.”

The first sandbox game will take place in Mullingar this Saturday.