Zonal defence will win you 80-90% of games

And so the curtain has come down on a championship season where the new playing rules have certainly enriched the game of Gaelic football.

In last year's All-Ireland final, Armagh scored 1-11 as they won a second title. On Sunday, with the opportunity now there to enhance your score via two-pointers, Kerry registered 1-26 in overcoming Donegal by ten points, delivering a 39th Sam Maguire success for the aristocrats of the code.

The zonal defence deployed by Jim McGuinness's side did not result in the frustration of a Kerry side, who signalled their forward-thinking approach right from the off. By the 20th minute, the Kingdom were nine points to the good and the lead was still seven by the interval.

The last play of the opening half saw Kerry with possession, while Donegal stuck rigidly to their defensive structure. In a split second. Paudie Clifford played the ball to his brother David, who just as quick had broken free from his marker Brendan McCole. A two-pointer from the latter was the outcome. Kerry tails were up as they headed for the dressing room; Donegal, quite simply, deflated.

Speaking on the latest edition of the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Enda McGinley had his say on the approach deployed by Jim McGuinness's men.

"The zonal defensive approach certainly had its limitations exposed on a huge stage yesterday," he said.

In essence, football's new world is making it harder for defenders, with the Tyrone All-Ireland winner adding: "Equally, the man-to-man defence can be torn apart with these new rules probably even quicker than the zonal defence.

"The quality of football that Kerry played in that first 19 minutes would tear apart pretty much whatever defensive strategy you want to do. The only way of trying to defeat that, when a team has that form and that artillery, is to win primary possession in midfield and not give it away.

"If you're out there competing in midfield, you're limiting the attacking options of your opponents."

"You can't not park the bus and I think we're all the better for it"

A case then of best-laid plans getting you so far, with McGinley stating: "Against the vast majority of club teams and county teams for that matter, the zonal defence as Donegal and Armagh have shown is highly effective and will win you 80-90% of games. Does it have its problems? Yes. And so does the man-to-man. There is no easy solution.

"Jim McGuinness said in Killarney (for league game against Kerry) at the start of the year 'you can't defend with these new rules'. I think that's the key. There is no full-proof way, you can't park the bus and I think we're all the better for it. We're all now admiring the skills of players and we're all the better for it."

The lack of a defined interpretation as to what is a tackle also makes life difficult for defenders, according to Ciarán Whelan, who also contributed to this week's podcast.

The former Dublin asked a pertinent question. "Does anybody know what a tackle is?"

The lack of a clear answer only adds to the frustration for players, he feels.

"It depends on the referee and a lot of players will play the referee depending on how far he's letting the bar go on the tackle. Both teams yesterday probably felt aggrieved on some of the tackles. You see very few one-on-one turnovers because there is a nervousness of committing to the tackle.

"You can be heavily punished for an innocuous tackle outside the arc. Defining the tackle is a frustration for supporters and players. How do you apply it? I don't know whether it's something the FRC ever looked at.

Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast on the RTÉ Radio Player, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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