Rule change will see frees retaken if opponents shake the posts

RULE CHANGE: Seán O'Shea of Kerry kicks his side's winning point, from a free, against Dublin in July. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Evan Comerford’s unsuccessful attempt to prevent Kerry’s Seán O’Shea from scoring his winning free in this year’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final has prompted a proposed rule change.

The standing playing rules committee have recommended a referee order a free be retaken if they deem an opponent’s shaking of the posts has prevented the free-taker from scoring it.

In the sixth minute of additional time in July’s last four game, Dublin goalkeeper Comerford vigorously shook the Hill 16 set of posts in a bid to narrow the target area. However, the Kerry team captain converted the 55-metre free that sealed the county’s first championship win over the Blues in 13 years, bringing an end to a six-game winless streak against their age-old rivals.

The motion, one of two which were devised by the playing rules committee, was endorsed by Central Council last weekend and will now be debated at Congress in Croke Park in mid-February. In the event of a point not being scored, it states “if an opposing player interferes with a goalpost while the ball is in flight from a free or a sideline kick, the referee shall order the free or sideline kick be retaken”. A 45m kick is considered a free.

Rule 4.33, part two of the GAA Official Guide states that it is a bookable offence to “interfere with the goalposts to distract opponents or to gain an advantage”. However, there had been no allowance in the rule for a retake.

Dublin may wonder why a similar measure wasn’t forthcoming after Mayo’s Lee Keegan threw his GPS unit in the direction of the ball as Dean Rock scored the winning free in the 2017 All-Ireland final. Although interference with the playing of the game is a red card offence, there is no facility for a retake.

Following the championship, Kerry wrote to Croke Park on a number of issues such as time-wasting and the return of the maor foirne albeit on a limited basis but it is understood they did not mention the swaying posts.

Rather, Kerry manager Jack O’Connor had taken greater exception to how Comerford was able to run down the clock by falling to the ground after Dublin conceded a penalty at the same time John Small was serving his 10 minutes in the sin bin after picking up a black card.

Sin bins don’t factor in stoppages and O’Connor said: “This craic that you can lie down and waste three minutes off a black card, that’s ridiculous. To what degree can you exploit that? If that’s the case sure everyone could get players lying down for five minutes and waste half the black card, do you know what I’m saying?” 

Just as there is consideration being given to allowing teams have an official enter the field on one or two occasions per half, there may also be new guidance given regarding how the timing of a sin bin is calculated.

The other playing rules motion pertains to the throw-in in hurling where the 13 players in each team not involved in the start of each half will be ordered to stay in their starting places behind the two 45 metre lines, not the 65m lines as is currently the case.

Throw-ins in hurling have been messy in recent times with players not involved in the throw-in encroaching the area in the hope of gaining possession.

Technically, the 45m line is not in use in hurling just as the 65m whitewash is not in football. The current rule 1.3 in part two of the GAA Official Guide states that players in football shall be in their respective positions behind the 45m line or 65m line in hurling. The motion simply seeks to replace 65m with 45m for the smaller ball game.