Football Review: proposals

Each county’s Competition Control Committee, rather than county board, to have ultimate control over its fixtures.

The existing manager’s charter to become a formal agreement, submitted by first week in January each year and to have Croke Park oversight.

The phased introduction (by 2015) of mandatory coaching qualifications, particularly for managers/coaches of adult teams at club and county level.

Accidental and deliberate fouls to be differentiated within the rules with only deliberate fouls punishable by cards.

Publication of a laypersons’ guide to the playing rules with individual rules published in match programmes throughout the 2013 championship.

Strengthening existing link between the head of referees in each province and county and the chair of the National Referees Committee.

Full enforcement by referees of the rule governing field incursions.

Launch of a recruitment drive for referees among recently retired players to be pursued with some urgency.

Before all matches, referees should go to each team dressing room to introduce themselves to the players.

* Players issued with a yellow card should be subject to mandatory substitution for the remainder of the game.

After a team has been given three yellow cards, any further yellow card will mean the player going off with no substitution.

For inter-county competitions a cumulative total of three yellow cards for an individual player in any one grade in the same year should lead to a two-match suspension.

Number of substitutes to be increased from the present five to six, to facilitate proposed change.

All offences currently attracting a 13-metre sanction should attract a 30-metre sanction. Player who concedes a foul to place ball on the ground immediately.

Correct tackling to be promoted as a key skill.

Proposed new definition of the Tackle: “The tackle is a skill by which a player may dispossess an opponent or frustrate his objective within the rules of fair play. The tackle is aimed at the ball, not the player. The tackler may use his body to confront the opponent but deliberate bodily contact (such as punching, slapping, arm holding, pushing, tripping, jersey pulling or a full frontal charge) is forbidden. The only deliberate physical contact can be a fair charge ie. shoulder-to-shoulder. More than one player can tackle the player in possession.”

A new advantage rule to replace Rule 4.36 and Rule 5.35, for implementation in 2013, allowing referee up to five seconds discretion.

* The mark should be introduced for any catch from a kick-out where the ball is caught cleanly on or past the 45 metre line. Fielder can either play on or take unopposed kick.

* A clean pick-up of the ball to be permitted, subject to the player being in an upright position, with at least one foot on the ground.

Amend rule 3.1 to allow a point to be scored with the open hand as well as the fist.

A countdown clock to be introduced in Croke Park and in all grounds used for provincial and All-Ireland series fixtures and rolled out thereafter as practicable.

* The duration of adult club matches to be extended from 60 minutes to 70 minutes.

ALSO CONSIDERED

1 No recommended limit to the number of hand-passes but an aspect of the game that should be carefully monitored.

2 Unnecessary to propose additional reward for long-range points because of other proposed changes to make the game more positive.

3No proposal to introduce a tap-and-go option.

4 No proposal for the mandatory introduction of 13-a-side games.

(* denotes proposals with scheduled 2014 implementation)

FRC members

Eugene McGee

(Chair, Longford)

Killian Burns

(Kerry)

Declan Darcy

(Dublin and Leitrim

Paul Earley

(Roscommon)

Tim Healy

(Cork and Wicklow)

Ciarán McBride

(Tyrone)

John Tobin

(Galway)

Tony Scullion

(Derry)

Kevin Griffin

(Secretary, Mayo)