McGee: Hurling bloc may scupper sin bin return

Football Review Committee (FRC) chairman Eugene McGee fears a bloc of hurling counties could again scupper the re-introduction of the sin bin in gaelic football.

The ex-Offaly manager and pundit revealed yesterday the FRC is likely to propose to Central Council next month a variation of the rule which was last seen in the 2009 National Leagues, along with a direct pick-up, an advantage rule, the tap and go and a match clock.

The sin bin, proposed by a task force headed up by current GAA president Liam O’Neill and director of games development Pat Daly three years ago, narrowly missed out on a two-thirds majority at Congress (177-100, 64%).

McGee is concerned the same could happen again when, as is expected, Central Council endorse it and the motion goes before Congress in Derry next March.

“Hurling people will have an opinion on some of the things we’re talking about and the last time the sin bin was proposed the hurling counties lobbied against it,” said McGee.

“We’re dealing with two organisations within one, really. Our committee has nothing to do with hurling, it’s none of our business and as far as we’re concerned hurling is fine. But the likes of the advantage rule, the clock or sin bin will have the hurling crowd pricking their ears and they mightn’t like them. If they don’t want the sin bin then they’ll vote against it and they are certainly capable of preventing a two-thirds majority.

“There are about 10 counties who are more suited to hurling and it’s a concern that rule changes proposed for football could be dictated by hurling.

“But it’s an area outside our remit. We can only deal with football. Nothing is easy in the GAA because it’s too democratic and has too many departments.”

Prominent hurling counties themselves were up in arms last year when they felt predominantly football counties voted in the six-team divisional structure, which they had opposed.

Along with the sin bin, an advantage rule, the direct pick-up, the “tap and go” and a match clock are set to be among the FRC’s recommendations to Central Council next month. However, there will be no proposal to increase the value of a goal to more than three points or reduce Gaelic football to a 13-a-side game.

McGee and his fellow committee members are currently analysing five months’ worth of data and opinion collected via meetings, emails and questionnaires.

“The game is rock solid but it’s the add-ons which change from time to time that often have peopled inclined to panic like what Jim McGuinness did with Donegal last year before he changed things this year,” said McGee.

“The problem with mass defences is something that a lot of people are pessimistic about but then the next manager or coach comes along and throws that all on its head and that’s the great attraction of Gaelic football.

“We have to try and distinguish what is a passing phase and what is permanence. We had hand-passes ad nauseam in the 70s and you could do it to score a goal but the level of hand-passes has changed.

“The sin bin and the advantage rule, a large number of people want something done about them. It’s been the subject of a lot of arguments in pubs and whatever after matches and rings accord with a lot of people.

“You have lads saying, ‘Jaysus, this is desperate stuff here’. We want to make sure Gaelic football isn’t swamped by negativity.”

Increasing the speed of the game is also something that is of interest to the FRC. “The pick-up is high up there, there’s the tap and go as well and the (game) clock,” revealed McGee. “Limiting the hand-pass is a broader thing but they are the ones we are definitely discussing.”

However, McGee has revealed a couple of suggestions made in the media won’t be put forward by the FRC for consideration.

“There was no interest in 13-a-side football. The same with making a goal worth four or five points. There was no appetite for that at all. The idea is that would lead to more packed defences than is currently the case. We have to be mindful that every time there’s something done there’s a reaction from the managers and coaches. Everything is scrutinised and the scope for spontaneity seems to be sucked out of it.”