What is the likely outcome this weekend? The GAA will meet on Saturday in special congress to pass final judgment on the suite of changes introduced by the Football Review Committee (FRC). Such has been the positivity generated by the impact on this summer’s games that acceptance of permanent change is all but guaranteed.
There may be one or two points of divergence but the bulk of the new provisions, together with considered tweaks, should be essentially rubber-stamped by lunchtime.
There remain mysteries, unexplained by the abundant data. Despite the efforts to reorientate the game from a horizontal to a vertical axis, there is still too much hand-passing just outside the 40-metre arc, as teams fall back to protect the approaches to goal, at times reluctant to press the ball carriers outside.
There is justifiable concern that an imbalance has developed between goals and two-pointers. The four-point goal was originally suggested but ditched very early in the process because it might lead to turkey shoots – a faulty second-guessing of an unrelated dynamic.
It is no surprise that the four-point goal is back in play, not this weekend but as a proposed subject for review at the end of next season.
In fact, the two-pointers, around which similar apprehensions hovered, became more notable tools of recovery than of annihilation. Two contrary points apply. It is not the job of the scoring system to act as a handicap for uncompetitive teams, and whereas there’s no need to channel Zhou Enlai, these remain early days for the enhanced rules.
Although there has probably developed more acclaim for the “solo and go” initiative, originally the 3x3 – now the 4v3 – rule excited greater hopes for unleashing the potential of inside forwards with quick ball in to the attack.
In its final report, the FRC continued to fight the good fight on its benefits.
“The style of play has shifted noticeably – games are now more open, dynamic and energetic. This is reflected in a 45 per cent increase in goal attempts (from 4.2 to 6.1 per game) and a 16 per cent rise in overall scores compared to the 2024 season.
“The return to one-on-one attacking and defending is becoming more evident, supported by a 5 per cent increase in goals scored and a 12 per cent rise in shots per game.
“Survey data supports this transformation: 88.8 per cent of respondents rated the 4/3 rule as having made the game better, with 47.6 per cent describing it as “substantially better”. Coaches and match officials were particularly supportive, with over 90 per cent of coaches and 81 per cent of match officials endorsing the rule’s positive impact.
“One respondent noted, ‘The 3 up/4 back rule has opened up the game brilliantly – it’s the best tactical change in years’.”
The disparity between a 45 per cent increase in goal attempts and a pretty negligible 5 per cent rise in goals scored is puzzling, but we have seen only one intercounty season’s evidence and, if more chances are being created, someone’s going to figure out a way to improve productivity.
That is a largely muted context: how the new rules can be better exploited to fulfil their intended purpose.
Most importantly, and appropriately in the case of FRC chair Jim Gavin, the most important outcome this weekend will be “process” – the revolutionising of the way the GAA goes about curating its games, especially football.
The final report includes a number of recommendations, including a ground-breaking suggestion to limit hand-passing for under-15s by requiring the recipient of a hand pass to kick the ball.
This was a response to the relentless rise of the hand pass to kick pass ratio this season, from 3:4 to 4:4, despite hopes that the new rules would lead to fewer hand passes, as the benefits of quick-transfer, kick passing became more evident.
Of the utmost importance are two other recommendations: that the GAA establish a “Gaelic football expert advisory group” to advise the Standing Committee on Playing Rules (SCPR). It would be comprised of “experienced managers, players, coaches, referees and analysts”.
It is also recommended that the Games Intelligence Unit (GIU) be placed on a permanent footing to gather and collate data, which it has been doing throughout this year, to assist in the evaluation of the rule changes.
According to the report, “These structures will ensure that the game continues to evolve in a thoughtful, evidence-based manner, guided by the principles of fairness, enjoyment and excellence.”
These bodies will enable the GAA to monitor the game and make considered proposals. Last February, a motion from Cloonacool in Sligo proposed to do away with the five-year moratorium on bringing forward playing rule changes, but it fell short of the weighted majority by 2 per cent, 58-42.
[ GAA referees signal approval for Football Review Committee rule changesOpens in new window ]
Ideally, that shortfall should be addressed as soon as possible, although there is still provision for emergency amendments.
Paul Earley, the GAA’s first modern AFL export, was recently enthusing on social media about the AFL semi-finals two weeks ago and giving the GAA something to ponder.
“Brilliant kicking, marking, tackling and only using the hand pass to get out of trouble or to transfer to a running player. Both games very close until the last 10 mins. Have watched lots of the games this year and last year and they have been fantastic ... They tweak the rules regularly to maintain the values and fundamentals of the game.”
Signs are that we will get out the gap by lunchtime on Saturday after the end of special congress. For football, it should ideally be just the beginning.
