Proposed backpass ban branded ‘ridiculous’ by Tyrone shot-stopper

Tyrone star Niall Morgan and former Armagh number one Paul Hearty have ridiculed a proposal to ban passing the ball back to the goalkeeper.

Findings from the 20 league games analysed by the playing rules committee earlier this year, which saw an average of 10 such backpasses per game, has strengthened GAA president John Horan’s conviction of the need for a ban.

Hearty has described the move as “ridiculous”, while Tyrone shot-stopper Morgan believes any potential ban will severely curtail the role of those between the sticks.

“The idea of the pass back to the keeper being outlawed is ridiculous, what if the keeper is joining the attack like Rory Beggan or Niall Morgan sometimes do? So we are just there to kick the ball out and not ‘play football’,” Hearty tweeted yesterday.

The idea of the pass back to the keeper being outlawed is ridiculous, what if the keeper is joining the attack like @RoryBeggan1 or @niallmorgan01 sometimes do?
So we are just there to kick the ball out not “play football”
Joke. #gkunion

— Paul Hearty (@paul_hearty1) July 3, 2019

“For years, to stand in goals was for the lad that just wasn’t good enough. Now, it’s the most important position on the field. Oh, how times have changed. As ‘keepers, this would really impact our game involvement and needs to be repelled.”

Morgan, responding to Hearty’s criticisms, tweeted: “It’s not going to encourage teams to press up. Goalkeepers now create an overlap so if you sit back, you will have an extra player to deal with. You have to push up to stop the keeper being an outlet. It’s going to have a massive negative impact.”

Former Mayo star Liam McHale is also sceptical.

“The development of the goalkeeper coming out the field was not down to Stephen Cluxton. There are a lot of good goalkeepers out there, Morgan and the likes, who do create overlaps when they emerge from their goals. None of them or the defenders in front of them will be happy with this [ban]. I wouldn’t be too keen on it. I like how the influence of the goalkeeper has evolved and don’t believe we should be trying to get away from that.”