GAA’s management committee has power to reverse advantage rule

Reaction to the new advantage rule has largely been negative and it is understood several referees have voiced concerns

Former GAA referees chief Willie Barrett says it’s too early to judge the new rule. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

The GAA’s management committee has the power to reverse the change to the advantage rule should there be further opposition to it.

Emergency Congress powers, first transferred to Coiste Bainstí in April of last year, have been extended up until May 21.

The interim measure, brought in so that the GAA could respond quickly to the evolving pandemic situation, also allowed the management committee to increase the number of substitutes from five to seven for the duration of the Allianz Leagues.

Reaction to the new advantage rule has largely been negative, with Offaly and Kildare managers Michael Fennelly and David Herity the latest to condemn it. It is also understood several referees have voiced concerns.

Former GAA referees chief Willie Barrett insists it is too early to judge the new rule and believes there is enough scope for match officials to allow play to develop instead of awarding a free.

“Referees can still apply advantage in any situation and they can still determine whether there is a clear advantage in allowing the play to continue or not,” said the Tipperary native, who was referees development committee chairman from 2018 up until the start of this year.

“If there is an aggressive foul on somebody coming out of defence, the advice has always been to blow the whistle.

I still think the referee can interpret what advantage is. We’re only one week into the leagues and it will be interesting to see what things look like in a week or two. We have different referees out this weekend, ones who weren’t out last weekend, so let’s see how they interpret things.

“I wouldn’t have a concern yet but I would hope things will be fairly consistent after a couple of rounds of the league. Referees haven’t had games in a long time and players too — there was sharpness missing from both.”

The wording of the advantage rule came close to being amended at last year’s Congress before the motion was tweaked and introduced again this year.

Dismissing advantage for technical fouls, the playing rules body argued: “If approved, it will have the effect of ensuring a significantly enhanced understanding of when advantage will be permitted in hurling and football and ensure that the primary purpose of this rule, which is that a player who is aggressively fouled is offered appropriate redress, is restored.”

Barrett continued: “The reason for its introduction was there was a feeling that the player on the ball who has been fouled is entitled to a free rather than having to try and plough through three or four players to break the tackle. 

“In those situations where there is no place to go, the free is certainly the advantage. But trying to get that part of it right for referees after just one game is difficult enough and they will need time. 

“There will be a couple of meetings, I would imagine, in the next couple of weeks where they will examine what has happened.”

Former Kilkenny goalkeeper Herity feels the rule change has the potential to “kill the game” with the additional amount of frees it could precipitate.

He said: “If you’re playing against a stronger team, you’re going to bring your forward out from full-forward and you could spend a minute and a half there standing over a free and then back in again. It will slow up the game hugely and I don’t see why that rule was changed.”