Carney warns modern passing getting out of hand

RTÉ analyst Martin Carney has called for legislation to curb the use of hand passes in modern football.

The former Mayo and Donegal player has also warned that the standard of kicking in the game has dropped to alarming levels in the last 30 years.

"At the moment there is nothing to prevent the unrestrained use of the hand pass," said Carney. "The law makers have got to look at that.

"We have to look at curbing the hand pass before it replaces kicking as the primary means of using the ball. The game must always be 'foot' ball."

Carney's fears are shared by a large number of Gaelic football enthusiasts, who mourn the growing trend to retain possession through the hand at the expense of using the boot, though not everyone is in full agreement.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has gone on record to counter that line of thinking and has urged people to forget about altering rules and concentrate on playing the game as it is currently regulated.

"I don't know of any other association that picks so many holes in itself as ours does at times," said Harte. "Attempts at restricting the hand pass would be ludicrous. It just wouldn't be workable."

Re-introducing a ruling that would limit hand passing to use of the fist has been mooted in some circles but, whatever the decision, Carney is adamant that a line in the sand must be drawn.

"1975 was the pivotal year for football when the hand pass was reinstated after a few decades. The old game of 'catch and kick' was altered completely. Retaining possession became paramount.

"The free kick from the hand has increased the separation of the modern game from its roots and elite fitness levels have come into play as well. Amid all that, we have lost sight of the fundamental of the game the art of kicking the ball.

"It has been sacrificed on the altar of the possession game and the hand pass. The standard of kicking needs to be addressed."

As an example of how far standards have slumped, Carney mentioned an incident in this year's championship when, after being awarded a 45, Dublin had to call on a defender to run up field and take the dead ball.

"Place kicking from the ground is a dying art. It's now close to redundant. In years gone by I remember men like Matt Connor and Jimmy Keaveney kicking frees from all angles and distances."

Not all changes have been for the worse, Carney pointed out, but a number of developments have occurred which, he feels, have hampered the game as a spectacle.

Gamesmanship has replaced sportsmanship, he points out. Though there might have been the odd "schemozzle" in times gone by, the game was at least more "manly" back then.

"Catching used to be seen as a supreme skill but the role of the midfielder has changed. The ball is now broken down and recycled to a better placed colleague rather than caught cleanly from the air.

"Todays's 8s and 9s have little advantage in catching clean ball because they're eaten up once they hit terra firma.

"Formations have changed too. Woe betide the roving corner forward or flashy wing back years ago but every sport changes with time. What we need to do is reflect on whether modern football is better or not.

"What I would ask is: 'are we losing the core skills of the game?'"