PADDY HEANEY: Mastering the dark arts... the real rules of football

Black cards. Yellow cards. Red Cards.

More cards, more rules, more debate, more aggro. And what will all this discussion and debate achieve? Precious little, I’d say.

Because let’s be honest, the real rules of Gaelic football have never been contained in the Official Guide. That is because they are unwritten. The real rules are passed down orally from father to son, from manager to player, and from the former great to the rising star. So, for the benefit of the naïve, the ignorant, and the uninitiated, what follows is a beginner’s guide to the unwritten rules of Gaelic football.