McEnaney favours the idea of a one-against-one penalty

Arising from concerns about conversion rates, referees chief Pat McEnaney revealed there will be an analysis of how many goals are scored from penalties and 20-metre frees in the remainder of the hurling championship.

Central Council are today expected to rubber stamp the GAA’s management committee’s proposal to restrict penalty and 20m freetakers from moving past the 20m line to strike the ball.

McEnaney favours the idea of a one-against-one penalty. It was something he suggested as part of the playing rules committee last year as he believes allowing three men on the line is a form of legitimising fouling. He received the support of fellow member Dónal Óg Cusack but said the idea “didn’t wash” with the group.

For the time being, the national referees committee chairman has given his support to the rule clarification. “It looks like the best possible way at the moment. Whatever the recommendation is that’s what we’ll deliver on.

“If it comes in we’ll look at how many penalties have been missed and if it’s clear there is no advantage to the attacking team and goals are not being scored we’ll have a serious look at it.”

Former Clare free-taker Niall Gilligan says there is a possibility no goals will be scored from penalties and 20m frees this season. The move by Coiste Bainistí came in the wake of Stephen O’Keeffe running from this goal-line to block Anthony Nash’s penalty on Sunday after the Cork keeper had rolled the ball several metres ahead of him before striking.

“I thought he had a bit of an unfair advantage,” said Gilligan about Nash.

“It would have been fairer had he used a smaller-sized bas. Goalkeepers use the big bas hurleys. When you throw the ball up like that and run in the 10 or 15 yards with an outfield hurley it’s a much difficult skill to execute. I thought they could have tried that first to see if it worked.

“But I doubt if any goal from penalties and 21-yard [20m] frees will be scored at all this year now. I don’t think you’ll beat any inter-county goalie from the 21-yard line. I think they’ll all be saved now and after that they’ll have to look at it again.

“Is cynical fouling going to increase? When the full-forward catches the ball, is he going to be hauled down? I think the defender would be better off if he did that because the penalty is almost impossible to score now.

“When I took them I went in four yards. You’ll be saying to me now I have to go back 25 yards. I wouldn’t have a hope of scoring if I was playing now against an inter-county goalie. Not a hope. If we go through the season and there are no goals scored from any penalties or 21 yards there’ll be a worse outcry than before this.”

However, there is a potential loophole as the interpretation of the rule doesn’t extend to close-range frees that aren’t 20m out.

Limerick free-taker Shane Dowling raises the point: “What happens if it’s a 21m [23 yards] free? Can you still take it the old way, throw it forward? Or will the referee tell every free-taker now for every free ‘No, you can’t lift it past the spot where the free was awarded’? That wasn’t clarified, so what happens then? I don’t know who makes these rules but the main thing that bothers me is that his is now an incentive for defending teams to foul a player about to score a goal. I can’t see it working.”