Time for adequate deterrent to tackle organised fouling
Somehow and somewhere along the line it appears to have slipped into the nation’s consciousness that Kerry’s greatest era also marked a high point for the game in general.
That’s a lie. The glow from those years of glory only shone into one county. As Kerrymen basked in the sunshine, the rest of the country remained under slate grey skies.
Yes, Kerry raised the bar. But their success didn’t have the effect of a rising tide, no-one else was able to stay with them. The fact is, football is in a much healthier position today. The overall standard is infinitely better as the quality of coaching in many counties is excellent.
However, while the game is much more competitive, and more teams have a realistic chance of winning the All-Ireland title, football has still never come close to fulfilling its true potential.
The Golden Age of Gaelic football remains beyond us, but we are getting tantalisingly close. Consider some of the results from the weekend. Mayo posted 0-16 — and lost. Down kicked 1-17 — and lost. That’s some scoring, particularly when nearly all county teams defend with a dozen men.
The evidence indicates better coaches have now worked out how to negate the dreaded blanket defence. Rather like military field tactics, it has come down to basic maths. If a team is defending with 12 men, then it stands to reason they will not be out-manoeuvred by six forwards. The solution is to commit more players to the attack. If the attacking team holds possession and forces the opposition to follow runs, then it is possible to create scoring chances.
It’s absolutely no coincidence that teams are now producing scores from every sector. This isn’t a luxury. It’s an absolute necessity of the modern game.
On Sunday, only two of Tyrone’s starting forward line, Stephen O’Neill (1-1) and Mark Donnelly (0-1), scored from play. But the Red Hands were able to beat Donegal’s fabled defensive system because four defenders and a midfielder scored.
This ability to produce scores from players around the pitch isn’t confined to the upper echelons of Division 1.
In Division 2, 10 Derry players chalked up 0-19, and points came from every line of the team. In the not too distant past, a corner back would have got a nose-bleed if he crossed the halfway line. In Division 3, eight Cavan players accounted for their 0-15 haul.
Clearly, the game isn’t nearly as defensive as many pundits would have us believe. As teams have worked out how to beat the blanket, the scoring charts have soared. But the game is still only operating at about 60% of its full potential.
While coaches have accepted they must press more men forward, they have also realised this strategy leaves them vulnerable in defence.
The remedy for this problem is graphically illustrated at every game. Teams stop the opposition from counter-attacking by conceding fouls and preventing free-kicks being taken quickly. By delaying the play, it gives players the chance to retreat into their defensive formation.
The rules of Gaelic football don’t really punish these tactics. In Healy Park, Tyrone conceded 31 free-kicks, and got four men booked, but finished the game with their full complement of players.
In Páirc Esler, Cork received six yellow cards and finished the game with 15 men. As has been well documented, free-kicks and yellow cards aren’t very effective punishments. Tyrone and Cork aren’t the sole culprits, they’re just convenient examples of a nationwide trend.
But here is a question which all lovers of Gaelic football must ask themselves: What would happen to the game if there was a meaningful deterrent which penalised cynical fouling?
Not to come over all John Lennon on you, but imagine a game where defenders weren’t fouled when they tried to break out of defence.
Imagine a game where the action was virtually non-stop, where the ball went from end-to-end in a continuous ebb and flow.
Delegates at this month’s Annual Congress in Derry City will be asked to pass a new rule which could enable the GAA to finally realise this magnificent dream. In this brave new world, ‘deliberate’ pull-downs, trips and third-man tackles will result in a black card. The first three players to receive a black card can be replaced, but after three black cards no replacements are permitted.
The attractions of this new system are obvious. The ‘black card’ is an excellent remedy to the ills which are poisoning Gaelic football. And if every team in the GAA had a packed squad of players, then our county board officials would be facing a no-brainer.
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Emigration and urbanisation have taken a toll on rural GAA clubs. Last year, I helped out with our club’s U16 team. During the summer holidays we travelled to Faughanvale with 17 players. After three black cards, we would have had 14 on the pitch.
We weren’t missing that many players. Two were on holiday and another couple were injured. When everyone was fit and well, we only had about 20 players. Bear in mind, we’re a town club.
What about small parishes with a limited catchment? How many junior teams travel with five or six subs? While the benefits of the black card are hugely tempting, we must consider whether it is practical for all levels of club football.
But the concerns about numbers shouldn’t mean that the ‘black card’ proposal is automatically rejected.
Maybe when teams realise that they can no longer foul with wanton abandon they will just concentrate on playing positive football and the new rule will have served its purpose. We must also ask ourselves whether we can afford the risk of not introducing a rule which can reap so much good for the game.
As things stand, underage players are being coached to foul. From a young age, they are learning the dark arts of their elders. Another generation of cynical footballers is on its way.
That’s a depressing thought. The delegates in Derry must decide what they are going to do about it. Unless they are prepared to take a gamble, the Golden Age will remain where it always has been — somewhere off in the distance — beyond our horizon.
Now that’s a really depressing thought.
