Confusion abounds over new rules

Just two days out from the start of the Allianz Leagues, the national media was briefed on the final clarifications and interpretations to the new playing rules in Croke Park yesterday.

RTÉ had received a previous audience with the GAA’s refereeing authorities last Saturday but figures from the national broadcasters were in attendance again as there had been changes in the interim, supposedly because of a delay in the exact understanding of the rules, which were voted in at Special Congress last October.

On Monday evening, the national referees received what exactly they were to do with the likes of the advanced mark and the sin bin (the Irish Examiner published the same correspondence on its website on Wednesday). The same information was disseminated to counties in the days afterwards.

What hasn’t helped matters was a document compiled and circulated by the Dublin referees (Coiste na Réiteoirí Áth Cliath) which erroneously claimed a defender could not claim an advanced mark.

But if that didn’t muddy the water enough, earlier interpretations of the rules added to the confusion. Before Christmas, it was explained that a player who has chosen to play on despite being awarded an advanced mark within the large rectangle including the small rectangle could be tackled immediately.

However, that is not now the case — any player who has been deemed by the referee, by the blow of his whistle, to have caught an advanced mark but chosen not to claim it and play on cannot be tackled for four steps or the amount of time it takes to do so or an act of playing the ball.

Regarding the sin bin, it had been stated the only course of action for a manager whose goalkeeper has been sent to the line for 10 minutes was to replace him with a fellow on-field player. However, managers have now been given the authority to use one of their five substitutes to bring on a specialised goalkeeper should they so wish.

The GAA’s teaching of the advanced mark has been questionable going back to the end of 2018 when an incorrect graphic depicting a player making a 20m-plus kick inside the 45m line to a team-mate was published (the original kicker must be outside the 45m line).

However, one could have nothing but sympathy for the GAA’s refereeing administrators and the difficulties they have had in not just understanding but trying to explain the ridiculousness of the advanced mark. Remember, it was the former GAA national match officials manager, Patrick Doherty, who was the only speaker against the motion at Special Congress.

The anomalies in the new rules are already apparent and some concerning the advanced mark have already been highlighted by leading referees David Gough and Conor Lane as regards measuring the 20m and signalling. Players, having been brought up to play the whistle, must now ignore it if they are to fully take advantage of the advanced mark.

What must be stressed is this rule is not something that has been truly put into practice before. As the accompanying panel highlights, there are three major distinctions between the advanced mark that was in place but largely ignored by counties in last year’s Allianz Leagues and the reality that is there now. There are more but three stand out: The signal, the 15 seconds, and the distance an opposing player must move back from a mark.

It was confirmed at the briefing that the advantage rule cannot be used in conjunction with the advanced mark. So in the event that a player who has chosen to play on, having been awarded a mark, is fouled before taking those four steps, etc, but has either passed on the ball to a team-mate or broken the foul, the referee must call back the play for the free.

Also, as an advanced mark can be awarded inside the small rectangle, the worst case scenario for the attacker choosing not to claim the mark is a penalty as the goalkeeper or defender cannot challenge the attacker should they choose to play on.

On social media on Wednesday, former Limerick footballer Pa Ranahan highlighted the discrepancy that exists between the black and red card in regards to extra-time. Ranahan made the point that it would pay more for a player to make a dangerous than a cynical tackle late in normal time knowing the team could return to 15 in extra-time whereas black cards/sin bins carry over into that first additional period.

Rules, eh?

Dalo's Hurling Show: A fair league format but is the cut-throat element gone?