One-on-one hurling penalties to be trialled in New Year

The GAA is set to trial one-on-one penalties in hurling - in the Waterford Crystal Cup and Walsh Cup competitions in Munster and Leinster respectively.

The taking of penalties in hurling was mired in controversy throughout last season. Cork’s Anthony Nash pioneered a shooting technique with a throw and run before striking the sliotar that cut the distance to goal.

After Waterford goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe ran out to block down a Nash penalty in June, the GAA decided to regularise the situation and clarified the rules around penalty-taking.

The GAA stated -

“A player taking a penalty or a 20m free puck, may bring the ball back up to seven metres from the 20m line for the purposes of making a traditional run at the ball, but shall strike the ball on or outside the 20m line but not inside it.”

They also clarified when the ball is deemed to be in play for the purposes of defence -

“The players defending a penalty or free puck awarded on the centre point of the 20m line shall stand on their goal-line and may not move towards the 20m line until the ball has been actually struck.

‘Lifting’ the ball with the hurley does not constitute ‘striking the ball’.”

As the season progressed and there were a series of penalty saves at important points in matches, some in the GAA suggested the rule clarification had swung the balance too much in favour of defences, with defenders willing to take out an attacking player and risk a penalty on the basis there was a good chance it would be saved.

The trial in the two competitions will see penalty-takers striking the ball before or on the 20m line, facing only the goalkeeper on the goal-line.