Fist-pass rule not likely to get green light

GAA CONGRESS:TWO DAYS before GAA Congress votes on the latest batch of experimental playing rules some consistency has emerged in terms of which way the voting might go.

Unlike some previous years, each of the experimental playing rules will be voted on individually, rather than as part of a package – and that means certain rules are likely to be made permanent, while others aren’t.

Given congress is only permitted to revisit playing rules once every five years the number of motions on the clár related to the issue is substantial, of the 123 motions down for debate 49 of them are related to the playing rules in some way or another – although the hope is that some of those will be taken together or else ruled out of order.

Either way it will be a long and tiring Saturday afternoon at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, Co Down.

But as far as the majority of intercounty players and managers are concerned, only six of the experimental playing rules are of any great concern: the fist pass, the so-called “mark”, the penalty position, the timing issue, the square ball and the kick-out.

If, as other years have suggested, the views of players and managers prove decisive, then it would appear the fist pass has no chance of getting the two-thirds majority necessary to vote it into rule.

Opinions do differ, however, as it emerged this week while Dublin will vote to retain the fist pass only, as experimented with in the national leagues, Kerry will vote to do away with it. No surprise then Kerry football manager Jack O’Connor also opposes it.

“The one rule that I have a big problem with is the fisted pass,” said O’Connor. “I think even the referees have given up on it. That is the one really that is frustrating players and managers. And I think that is the one I would be amazed if it got support because all it has done is slow down the game.”

In contrast, Kerry delegates have voted to support the “mark”, while Dublin have decided to vote against it.

O’Connor also addressed this rule after Kerry’s last league game against Monaghan last Sunday, where between them, Séamus Scanlon and substitute Michael Quirke made nine such marks, which helped give Kerry a definite advantage at midfield.

“Sure, Quirke gave us great momentum around the middle of the field when he came on,” said O’Connor. “But I don’t think the mark will make a huge difference one way or the other. They need to tweak it a little bit to allow a player to play on if he feels he has an advantage. With a bit of tweaking I think that will be fine.”

Monaghan manager Séamus McEnaney agreed that the only way the mark would work is when the player – and not the referee – makes the call for the free-kick to be awarded, once the catch is made cleanly. But McEnaney was adamant the fist pass has no future in the game.

“We’ve trained our players for 15 years from juveniles to pass the ball a certain way, that it’s okay to do that – now we’re telling them they can’t do that,” he said. “If you’re going to make a change like that then bring it in at under-16 level first. Give players six or seven years to really get used to it because what you’re doing now is throwing it on adult players and telling them to change what they’ve always done.”

The four other main experimental rules – the penalty position, the timing issue, the square ball, and the kick-out – have generated equally consistent views.

There is still too much confusion over the timing issue and square ball to envisage those rules being made permanent, while the closer penalty position and standard 13-metre line kick-out has generated little or no fuss and are therefore likely to live on.

Finally, motion 42, which calls for the introduction of video referees from provincial finals through to All-Ireland finals, to deal with contentious decisions, has emerged as an unlikely contender for permanent rule.

Tyrone football manager Mickey Harte is among those to express his opposition to the idea, claiming it’s not only impractical, but would make for an unlevel playing field.

“I think the energy should go into making it more transparent exactly how refereeing is done, how it’s assessed, how they’re judged on and how well they’ve done, or otherwise,” said Harte.

“I don’t think that video refereeing at a certain stage of a competition would actually satisfy what really needs to be done.”