It’s inevitable penalties will become one-on-one, says Butler

Former national hurling coordinator Paudie Butler believes it is "inevitable" penalties in next year’s championship will be a straight shoot-out between attacker and goalkeeper.

Players, managers and commentators appear to be in agreement that the advantage has switched to the defending team since the decision was taken to enforce striking from the 20m line.

Pundits including Dónal Óg Cusack and Eddie Brennan have suggested that a reduction in the amount of bodies on the goal-line from three to one would solve the problem.

The Hurling 2020 committee are currently engaged in a full review of the game and met as recently as last night in Croke Park for four hours. It appears likely they will be the body that brings forward a proposal for change which will be voted on at next year’s Congress, ensuring a new rule is in place for the championship.

“It’s going to evolve to one-on-one,” maintained Butler, a coach in Liam Dunne’s Wexford management team. “Safety has to come first, the goalkeeper must be safe.

“Striking the ball on the 14-yard line had become dangerous with the ball being struck phenomenally hard and at an unprecedented speed. So it was decided, ‘we’ll bring it out’ and defenders are now seeing that the chances of scoring are down to 20%. So defenders are saying, ‘we’ll take our chances’. In reality, that figure should have been 80%.

“I also think one-on-one will be a psychological spectacle for the 80,000 people watching. Top goalies will fancy saving one or two but top forwards will be thinking, ‘I’ll stick 10 out of 10’. That dynamic will happen naturally.”

Asked if he expects change in time for 2015, the Tipperary native nodded. “It’s inevitable. You can’t have it where people will be pulled down because it’s unlikely to result in a goal. And that will happen if they leave it.”

Tipperary were awarded two penalties in Sunday’s drawn All-Ireland final and failed to convert either of them. Former Tipp player and county minor manager Butler agreed that they were unfortunate to have received them in the only final in history where penalty takers were at a disadvantage.

Butler is optimistic about Tipp’s chances in the replay with Kilkenny.

“People wouldn’t have been sure if we would have been able for a toughened, war-hardened Kilkenny team but after the match the players can now say, ‘Yeah, we’re in the right place’.”

Former Laois manager Butler worked alongside Wexford coach Dunne during this year’s breakthrough campaign and confirmed he will continue to do so in 2015.

“I was there on the technical hurling side of things, I will be there again next year on a technical basis,” he said.