John Fogarty: Five sirens for Gaelic football

Thought-provoking data on inter-county Gaelic football presented by Gaelic Stats illustrates the GAA can’t just sit on their hands as the game as a spectacle deteriorates

SHORT SUPPLY: Paddy Small celebrates after scoring Dublin’s goal in this year’s All-Ireland final. But this year’s championship saw the lowest average number of goals in 11 years. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

It won’t be long now before the trial rules are implemented in the college freshers 1 competitions. All kick-outs must pass the 45-metre line and the ball can’t be played backwards from a set play between the two 20m lines.

For many, the changes proposed by the standing playing rules committee don’t go far enough. For a few, they are too much but the thought-provoking data on inter-county Gaelic football presented by Gaelic Stats, which was published last week, illustrates the GAA can’t just sit on their hands as the game as a spectacle deteriorates.