How have the new rules impacted Gaelic Football so far?

The 2025 GAA season has been hectic so far and while there’s already a lot done, there’s a lot more coming down the tracks.

This weekend sees the fifth round of the Allianz Football Leagues being played and it’s after that, and before the sixth round, that the Football Review Committee can recommend any tweaks to the new playing rules that have been brought in so dramatically.

So far I have been in Pearse Stadium in Galway, MacHale Park in Castlebar (twice) and Austin Stack Park in Tralee to commentate on various games so I suppose it’s fair to say that I have received substantial feedback from others, and made my own judgement call based on what I have seen and experienced.

First of all, I must say the FRC has done a great service for the GAA - for the first time in years Gaelic football is coming back to what I and so many others fell in love with when we were children, banging a ball up against the wall and imagining we were Mikey Sheehy or Brian Mullins or Jack O'Shea scoring the winning goal in an All-Ireland Football Final in Croke Park.

For that alone the committee deserves our thanks. A job well done, but it’s not over yet! The FRC sold its ideas impressively to the counties but now it’s time to reflect, analyse and implement.

Gaelic football is coming back to what is was when we were children and imagining we were a player like Brian Mullins

Let’s take the positives first;

The Solo and Go is a no-brainer for me. It works well and speeds up the flow of the game.

Players have bought in to it and defenders are more aware of getting back four metres from the player in possession quickly so it’s both a mental and physical awareness from their perspective.

The two-pointer outside the 40-metre arc has changed the game dramatically and long-range kicking is a wonderful sight to see and gets its justifiable reward.

Top-class players are no longer fearful of having a go because if the footballer has the confidence to match his ability, then hitting the target becomes a realistic achievement.

It also means that a substantial lead by the opposition can be pulled back, as was witnessed the night the Kingdom hosted Dublin in wet and windy Tralee.

Kerry led 1-12 to 0-4 at the break and, under the old rules, it would probably have been game over - but not anymore.

The new rules incorporating two pointers and a strong wind to your back mean that anything is actually achievable. And Dublin did just that. Final score: Dublin 0-19 Kerry 1-15. Great game in appalling conditions.

Dublin v Kerry in Tralee was a great game in appalling conditions.

I also love the kick out beyond the 40 metre arc as it means high fielding is becoming part of the game once again.

Of course, there will be a percentage of breaking balls and punched balls in that crucial area, but Kerry’s Diarmuid O’Connor has been a standout player for me in midfield and is now fulfilling the promise he showed when he was playing underage for the Kingdom.

There is nothing quite like a footballer going up for a high dropping ball, leaping into the air and coming back down to terra firma with the O’Neill’s ball held between his fingers.

Possession is no longer king and the outlawing of short kick outs has had a massive impact.

The hooter to signify half and full time is another positive development, but this doesn’t surprise me.

The hooter system has been working brilliantly for ladies football for years and clearly adds to the drama, tension and excitement as the crowd can see the clock counting to it’s final destination, and this will become more prevalent during the championship.

However, counties will have to invest in both clocks and hooters as everybody attending the venue must be able see the clock from all sides of the ground and so they can anticipate when the hooter is about to blow.

Right now, it is a problem in some grounds like MacHale Park in Castlebar, but that will be easily rectified.

Kerry's Diarmuid O’Connor has been a standout player in midfield

Handing the ball back to your opponent is noble in nature but has complications which I’m not sure about.

Enda McGinley pointed out that dilemma last weekend on RTÉ's League Sunday programme.

Dublin goalkeeper Evan Comerford had just caught the ball far out from his own goal between the middle of the field and the Hogan Stand as a foul was committed in a previous sequence of play over towards the Cusack Stand.

He could not realistically be expected to run across the field towards the stand, which was a substantial distance, to hand the ball back to an opposing player and then make another dash to mind his goal.

This is not realistic really when the championship kicks in and adrenaline is rampant as it runs through the veins of players, management and supporters.

I’d keep it simple and put the ball on the ground where the foul was committed and get into position as quickly as possible.

The 3x3 is a positive development - but one that is difficult to regulate.

The top referees are doing a great job and their teamwork with their linesmen and officials has been truly admirable at the games that I have commentated on, especially in light of all the rules they have to think of as they run around the field.

How this 3x3 will work at club level is beyond me, but that is down the road a bit.

The impact of black cards on the 3x3 in terms of numbers up or down the pitch and inside the half way line also need to be clarified.

The "blanket defence" will hopefully be a thing of the past and from now on we will have more one-on-ones where brilliant forwards and top defenders from different counties are now faced with serious challenges and the ultimate two questions: Can I beat my man? Am I good enough?

They are all the major positives, but what about the negatives? I have two major criticisms.

I really think the goalkeeper should not be given the freedom to go beyond the 40 metre arc.

The 12 v 11 situation that it creates is actually unfair and only four teams in the country that I have seen so far have the personnel and ability to maximise that talent: Tyrone’s Niall Morgan, Monaghan’s Rory Beggan, Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty and Mayo’s Colm Reape.

That’s a very small number out of 32 counties.

However even that is irrelevant in comparison to the key question: Is it fair?

I don’t think it is and if it consequently means changing the rules involving the passing of the ball to the keeper and geographically where on the pitch that can happen, then so be it.

But finally, I come to the elephant in the room.

Galway v Armagh - the opening match of this year's league

The number of handpasses allowed in a match should have been curtailed to three passes involving the hand before the player in possession has to kick the ball.

The passing from sideline to sideline is still a problem and slows up the game dramatically.

Galway in the opening match in the Allianz League against Armagh, in Pearse Stadium in Salthill, were particularly guilty, but to their great credit have evolved and developed the new rules into their psyche.

Galway have the talent up front to make a serious challenge this year for honours and I for one thoroughly enjoy watching them playing football now.

Do I expect the FRC to tackle the handpass situation?

Honestly I don’t it will, but it really should. It’s a problem and it won’t go away.

Tackle it and then we have a game that we can love and cherish, a game that deserves to be called uniquely to our country.

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