McShea's Say: The new football rules will only make the game better

One of the greatest challenges facing the GAA for many years now was the state of Gaelic football while hurling simply prospered, going from strength to strength.  

Football has become boring and difficult to watch, with 13 or 14 men behind the ball, while some of the basic skills have gone missing. With an emphasis on all-out defence, scoring forwards are now the exception rather than the rule.  

I recently watched the Derry County semi-final featuring Magherafelt and Newbridge, and I must confess that I turned the match off at halftime. It was simply a dreadful exhibition of modern Gaelic football at its worst.  

Going back to the early eighties this concern about football was reflected by the Director General in his annual reports to GAA Congress which had come to be an admirable state of the union messages from the chief executive of the association to all units present at congress.  

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Among the topics that drew attention to these reports were falling standards of play, frequent rule changes, and a drop in spectator interest. The handpass as a tactic - so difficult to counter was the subject of controversy and rule changes going back to the 80s.  

Equally controversial for players and referees has been the tackle in football. The cynic has long since concluded that a situation has been reached that makes it impossible for a player in possession to be dispossessed of the ball without his opponent committing some sort of foul.  

Associated with the state of football is the standard of refereeing, and while followers continue to find glaring cases of inconsistency by such officials, the GAA, to their credit, have worked hard on recruitment, training, and monitoring of referees, but can be frustrated by endless television or video inquests where faults are easy to spot when it is too late.  

Watching the trial matches on Friday and Saturday under the guise of Railway Cup football I was most encouraged.  

I accept that there was not a championship edge to these games but some of the points scored from distance were quality efforts, and the quick delivery to the full-forward lines made for much more entertaining football than we have become accustomed to.  

Keeping three players in their own half also worked well and the quality of kick passing was excellent and most refreshing to see.  

The modern full-backs who have enjoyed the luxury of having 10 or 12 teammates back helping will now be changed to simple man-to-man marking, and it will also mean that full-forwards will enjoy more freedom, which should see more goals being scored.  

The suggestion of a goal to the value of four points has much merit while the two points for a long-range score will, I believe, enhance the standard and quality of play.  

The idea of restricting the back pass to the goalkeeper is a definite plus because watching the short kickout to the corner-back, who then fists the ball back to the goalkeeper, who then brings the other corner-back into play, was devoid of any skill, and watching the long kickouts over the weekend was refreshing and will no doubt see players who are good in the air prosper once again.  

It was great to see Jarlath Burns appoint a Football Review Committee which consisted of a group who have made a real impact in every facet of football throughout their careers. Jim Gavin, Michael Murphy, and Malachy O Rourke, amongst others, have all delivered at the coal face in pressure situations, both on and off the pitch.  

I firmly believe that football will once again become a much more enjoyable spectacle thanks to these new enhancements. 

Sympathy 

It was with sadness that I learned of the death of Lucy Dorrian from Dorrian’s Imperial Hotel, Ballyshannon at the weekend.  

Lucy will be remembered for her welcoming smile, her kindness, and her extreme courtesy to everyone who visited the family hotel. Lucy was immensely popular and to her brothers Ben and Dan, and the extended Dorrian family, I extend my sincere sympathy.