Explained: Everything you need to know about the new Gaelic football rule changes

This Friday and Saturday, the GAA’s Football Review Committee (FRC) will present a series of proposed modifications to Gaelic football, with a showcase at Croke Park.  

The committee aims to offer a preview of how these new rules might influence the sport, which in recent years has faced criticism over the rise of defensive and negative tactics. 

The FRC, led by iconic Dublin manager Jim Gavin and joined by Donegal’s All-Ireland-winning captain Michael Murphy, hopes these changes will resonate with both the public and GAA delegates.  

These delegates will gather at next month’s Special Congress to decide which, if any, of the proposed rules will be implemented for the 2025 Allianz Football League. 

Among the proposals are "seven core enhancements" designed to improve gameplay, alongside new approaches to dealing with tactical fouls, dissent, aggressive play, and alterations in how the game is timed and refereed. 

READ NEXT: Oisin Gallen, Daire Ó Baoill and Ciaran Thompson all make Inter-provincial cut 

To demonstrate the impact of these potential changes, four inter-provincial matches will be broadcast live on TG4.  

Leinster will face Connacht in the first semi-final on Friday, October 18, at 6pm, followed by Munster versus Ulster at 8pm. On Saturday, the two losing teams will meet at 5:30pm, with the winners of the semi-finals battling it out at 7:30pm. 

Three Donegal players - Oisin Gallen, Dáire Ó Baoill, and Ciarán Thompson - have been selected to represent Ulster in this weekend’s fixtures at Croke Park. 

The seven core rule changes are expected to introduce significant adjustments aimed at enhancing the flow and fairness of the game. 

They are as follows: 

1: 1v1 throw-in to start the game 

At the start of both halves, the referee would begin the game by throwing the ball in to just one player from each team. The other two midfielders will take a position on opposite sides of the field on the halfway line and enter the field of play as the ball is thrown in. 

This rule enhancement would encourage the skill of high fielding and produce a contest for possession that would be exciting to watch for supporters. 

2: Kick-outs 

Kick-outs would be taken from the 20-metre line and must go beyond the 40-metre arc. Players must remain 13 metres from the ball but can be positioned behind the 20-metre line when the goalkeeper kicks the ball out. If an opposition player interferes with the goalkeeper or intercepts the ball within the 40 metre arc then the ball would be brought forward 50 metres. 

Requiring goalkeepers to kick the ball beyond the 40-metre arc would lead to more contests for possession. Allowing players to remain behind the 20-metre line would speed up the kick-out. 

3: Limits on passing to the goalkeeper 

The goalkeeper may only receive a pass from a teammate if they are inside the opposition half, or if they and the player passing the ball are inside their large rectangle. Frequently, teams in possession of the ball inside their own half of the pitch are recycling the ball back to their goalkeeper - sometimes when the player in possession is being tackled by the opposition and sometimes just to slow play down. This often causes the opposition forwards to retreat back inside their own half of the pitch. 

The goalkeeper can still move up the field to challenge the opposition kick-out or attempt to intercept a pass from the opposition and can receive a ball from his teammate if he is beyond the halfway line. This supports recent team play innovation where goalkeepers attack beyond their halfway line. 

4 - Solo and Go 

A player who is fouled has the option of continuing play by taking a ‘solo and go’ rather than pausing play to take a free. It will significantly speed up the game and present many advantages to the team in possession. 

The Solo and Go must be taken immediately otherwise the free kick must be taken from the place of the foul. It doesn’t have to be the player who is fouled that takes the ‘solo and go’. For example, if a player was grounded by a foul, they could hand the ball to their nearest team-mate who could then take the ‘solo and go’. 

The referee may allow an advantage up to 4m, in a forward direction, from where the foul was committed to allow the player fouled, and in possession, to take a Solo & Go free kick. Sideways is deemed to be in a forward direction. A Solo & Go cannot be made inside the opposition 20m line. 

5: Each team must keep any 3 outfield players in each half of the field

Leaving 11 outfield players to defend in one’s half of the field and 11 outfield players to attack (a dashed line, from side-line-to-side-line, will now mark midfield). By having to keep three up and three back, space should be created for the attacking team. If the defending team turns the ball over, they’d have an opportunity to kick in the counter-attack which should lead to more end-to-end action. 

6: Advance mark 

The current advance mark would be gone. A new mark is introduced whereby a player may claim a mark if the ball is caught inside the 20m line after it is kick passed outside the 45m line. To reward the risk, the player may continue on until the advantage is no longer accrued, whereby the referee will give a free-kick from the place of the mark. This rule enhancement would encourage long-range kick passing and high fielding. 

7: New scoring system associated with the introduction of a 40m arc 

A new 40m arc will be introduced at each end and extended back to join at the 20m line. A point scored outside the arc is worth 2 points, a point inside the arc or inside the 20m line is worth 1 point and a goal will accrue 4 points. 

This would encourage teams to shoot for long-range points. It should also lead to more space closer to the goal if defending players push out to the 40m arc or beyond to prevent the team in possession from attempting shots for a two-point score.