Sin-bin must be modified, says Micko

OPINION remains divided as to whether the sin-bin is a blessing or a curse.

Yesterday in Portlaoise, Kildare and Laois served up a fine game of football but then John Doyle became the first player to see yellow. Seven other players, including Laois keeper Fergal Byron, followed him into the sin-bin.

Mick O’Dwyer, Laois manager and member of the rules task force, accepted the sin-bin rule needs modification: “I think there is a place for the sin-bin certainly but it will have to be changed. The format in its current form, you couldn’t have that in the championship. We are meeting tonight and I hope there will be a change.

“Maybe refs are overreacting a bit when it comes to the sin-bin but I thought the ref did a good job. It will be a good thing and will make the game more open and exciting. Everything has teething problems.”

Kildare manager Pauric Nolan agreed. “I think there is a place for it in the modern game. But not in its present form. I think it needs to be modified.

“You saw out there that wasn’t a dirty game but we still had fellas coming and going. The sin-bin is certainly needed to take certain elements out of the game. There is nothing manly about a late tackle or hitting a guy off the ball.”

Laois were down to 12 players at one point and with the sin-bin rule, those in favour of making football a 13-a-side game are likely to get the chance to see how that operates.

“I think there was 13-a-side for a while, and it looked good,” O’Dwyer said. “Maybe that is something we can look at down the road. It will make the game more exciting and players would need a higher level of fitness.”

Nolan also feels there should be more flexibility with the rule about the goalie’s tee so the keeper has choice of how to kick out.

Micko and the rest of the task force have much to consider.

There’s certainly a place for the sin-bin in Gaelic football but the taskforce needs to decide how significant that place becomes.