Éamonn Fitzmaurice: A quicker, better game with room for innovation. This is just the beginning
Gleeson Despite Scores A Ulster Of Murdock The Pic: Shauna Clinton/sportsfile Goal Of History Odhran Efforts Goalkeeper Connacht Boys: Connor
When Johan Cruyff was still playing with Ajax in the early 1970s he had a great line about Italian teams - “they can't beat you, but you can lose to them.” Gaelic Football has evolved to this state where it has too often become all about not losing rather than going after the win. Hang in there, keep it tight and try to nick it late on.
Yes, there are still good matches but unfortunately too many bad ones. There have always been bad matches but in modern times bad matches have become excruciatingly boring. Our great invasion sport has become more about retreating than invading. People have started voting with their feet and attendances are down. Interest is low and apathy is prevalent. Atmospheres at matches are subdued and the mobile phone has become an all too familiar crutch to relieve the ennui as games enter the endless possession phases.
I am an optimist by nature with regard to life in general and with football in particular. I love going to matches and I nearly always find something to watch that keeps me invested. However, this summer past in my work with this paper and with RTÉ the number of games that I left fulfilled was low.
With the proposed rule enhancements that the Football Review Committee is bringing before the Ard Comhairle next weekend we hope we are starting to bring a spirit of adventure back into our great game. Give it a shot of a defibrillator to get it going again. We want players to enjoy playing the game we love and for spectators to leave matches charged with adrenaline rather than traipsing home like someone on the daily commute after a long day.
To get to this point we played seven sandbox games and have witnessed our enhancements evolve and improve over time. During the course of the process proposals were taken in and out, tried in isolation and in groups but by the time we got to the sandbox match in Inniskeen in September all of the enhancements were in. These were the proposals showcased in Croke Park over the weekend.
We all understand that the real test comes in the National League with the ultimate one being provided by next year's championship. The whole country got to see the concepts played out but without that do-or-die factor. I was particularly pleased with Saturday evening's games, especially the Ulster v Connacht final, which gave a decent portrayal of what we are trying to do.
The potential was clear. It is still just a natural game of football. The 3/3 structure gave us back the shape to play vertical football and go quickly on turnovers, often with foot passes.
I spoke to a lot of coaches and managers and a few players. What is clear is that everyone’s brain is on overdrive wondering how they can innovate their thinking and practice around the game. How can they use the enhancements to the best advantage of their team and their players and get a step on everyone else.
It could be exciting next year to see teams playing different styles rather than in the broadly similar fashion we saw this season. Rather than reacting, often negatively, to the opposition's setup, teams may be proactive in implementing their own gameplan.
I feel we will again see different profiles of players. Man markers, target men, link players, high fielders, corner forwards, kickers and breaking ball specialists. This can only be good.
The 3/3 structure allowed forwards to play as forwards again rather than having to chase back endlessly and often pointlessly when out of possession. They had energy to burn as attackers. Ultimately these are the players that get people out of their seats. By the end of the Saturday games inside forwards were making long diagonal runs inside to exploit the space and shape this enhancement has given back to them. This is only the beginning.
It was clear to everyone that the games were quicker with player fatigue and a lack of physicality mentioned as challenges. As the game evolves I think players will move the ball on more, to conserve energy and they will pick their times to go with attacks rather than going every time. There will be more ball played through the lines, which is a good thing in my world. The creation of more 1v1 contests should lead to physicality which was practically gone from the game anyway with everyone avoiding contact to retain possession.
Everyone I spoke to has enhancements they like and ones they don’t want to see come in. Many like them all. Often I smiled to myself as subconsciously or otherwise people were thinking how rules would effect themselves, or of their club or county. As they won the All-Ireland, Armagh naturally enough are probably the team that will want to see least change, even though I think the enhancements will suit their squad very well.
As Dr Con Murphy once pointed out to me “everything is personal.” As a committee we have to think of the game in its entirety. The big picture. Many of the enhancements won’t work as well in isolation. Take Aidan O’Shea’s goal on Friday night as an example. The 3/3 structure and the two point arc combined to create the conditions for that score. Leinster were defending with the maximum that they could, 11 players, and had pushed out defending the arc to protect against two-point shots. O’Shea stayed close to goals giving good inside shape. When Matthew Tierney took possession in the 10 position he was in a 1v1 situation and when he beat his man Dean Kelly the whole thing opened up for him to tee up O’Shea.
Read More
In this year's championship there would have been at least one other player behind Kelly to support him defensively and it wouldn’t have made sense for Tierney to take him on. He would have rotated it out and the possession would have been recycled in the conventional and unsatisfactory pattern that we are all so familiar with.
Teams can only defend with a maximum of 11 bodies which creates more space than we have been accustomed to. Because of the two-point arc teams can't sit too deep and allow themselves to get picked off from outside. There are decisions to be made. Teams can no longer sit 14 men behind the 45 and frustrate the daylights out of the opposition and everyone in the stadium as long periods of possession play become the order of the day.
It has been mentioned that 3/3 will be difficult to police at club level. I disagree. I think it will become self-policing. If a player decides to breach the rule for cynical purposes, his opponents won’t be long pointing that out to the referee, who once he sees it will award the 20-metre free kick. Referees don’t need to focus on it merely check if it’s pointed out to them that someone is breaking the rule.
The beauty of the GAA is that it is genuinely democratic with every member having a voice. It would suit me just fine if these rule enhancements came in en masse based on our recommendations. We are convinced they will bring change for the better. I feel it is better to go with them and have to peel them back rather than trying to add on again in the future.
As a committee we can tweak or remove enhancements by the end of the league for the championship. The final decision on whether to keep or remove the enhancements permanently will be made by Congress this time next year. My attitude would be let’s see what they are like and adjust accordingly. If everyone hates them they can be binned at the end of next season. I don’t think that will the case though. Inertia can’t be an option.
Remember rules changes can only happen in years divisible by five, hence these proposed rule enhancements being recommended for 2025. 2030 is a long way away if we miss the boat on this one. However, that is only my opinion and every member of the GAA will have their own opinion and crucially every member has a voice.
The club and those club members are the absolute bedrock of the association. If you are a member of a GAA club, liked what you saw over the weekend, can see the potential in it and would like to see them coming in on a trial basis in 2025, make sure your voice is heard. Get down to your club. Vote in favour when the rule enhancements are discussed and voted on. Don’t be part of a silent majority saying wouldn’t it be great if they came in but doing nothing about it and wondering wistfully why they didn’t pass at Special Congress. Should they meet your club's approval it moves onto county board level and if passed by the county committee the delegates representing that county at Congress will be mandated to vote in favour at the Special Congress on November 30th. If you want change, and anyone I have spoken to does, help make it happen.