TV View: Here's how the new rules looked on weekend one of the Allianz League

Passing to the Goalkeeper
A player may only pass the ball to their goalkeeper if both they and the goalkeeper are inside the large rectangle or if the goalkeeper has advanced beyond their own 65-metre line. The goalkeeper may still move upfield to challenge opposition kick-outs or attempt to intercept a pass

Tyrone v Derry: An interesting contrast. Tyrone frequently slowed down play in order to get goalkeeper Niall Morgan into the quarter-back position, inside of the Derry half. From there the Edendork man was a playmaker and had a couple of pops at goal himself. It left Paddy Tally’s side with the dilemma of whether to deal with Morgan’s passes or to move a man onto him to challenge directly, therefore freeing up another Tyrone player.
Players like Damien Comer of Galway and Donegal Daire Ó Baoill caught Odhrán Lynch miles off his line in recent seasons and the Derry netminder played a rather more conventional role in Omagh, with only one forage up the field, which came from an undercooked Tyrone shot, and even at that didn’t cross halfway.

Roscommon v Down
Roscommon ran out winners by 3-21 to 1-20 and their third goal reminded us of what happened Derry ‘keeper Odhran Lynch last year in the Ulster championship in Celtic Park. The Down netminder John O’Hare was up supporting the attack when a shot for goal was blocked and the ball was turned over and kicked quickly to Ciaran Murtagh who found an open net. Prior to the goal Down were leading by a point (1-19 to 2-15). It is a reminder of the jeopardy involved in the goalkeeper joining the play inside the opposition half.
Another unusual aspect of this game was that Down changed their goalkeeper in the final 10 minutes, with half-forward Danny Magill donning the keeper’s jersey. Could that be a nod towards Michael Murphy featuring in the final 15 minutes of games in the ‘keeper’s jersey?

Dublin v Mayo
Will be interesting going forward how different goalkeepers use this rule to their advantage. It will no doubt all depend on the ‘keeper’s comfortability on the attack and how they can handle the opposition’s press as they will rarely be used as an outlet ball in the future. Mayo no doubt were the better at exploiting this 12 v 11 advantage early doors with Colm Reape being the first player for the Connacht side to get on the scoreboard, when his delayed run up the field found him on the overlap to put the ball between the post before meeting the line of Dublin bodies surrounding and pressing around the centre of their ‘D’. Meanwhile, Dublin’s Gavin Sheridan rarely ventured upfield but did manage to get three shots away, all of which fell wide.