Cork boss sceptical about club level policing of proposed new Gaelic football rule 

John Clearly believes that Gaelic football as it stands is not the spectacle people want to see.

Cork manager John Cleary wants to see "Good, open, quick football". Picture: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Irrespective of which rule enhancements are voted through at Special Congress later this year, change is absolutely necessary. The status quo cannot persist.

That is the verdict of Cork football manager John Cleary who laments the predictability and rigid structuredness that has consumed Gaelic football.

“Good, open, quick football”, Cleary added, is the desired state of affairs from those on the field and those looking in at it, not the risk averse, chaos-free fare that played out this season.

“You hear from spectators that are going to matches all the time, they are not happy with the defensive, 15-men behind the ball. They don’t think it’s a great spectacle,” Cleary began.

“And even what people say to me about the contrast between the All-Ireland hurling and football final this year. The hurling final was up and down the field, it was chaos. The football final was so structured and was played at either 45. And then the scarcity of scores, it was 1-11 to 0-13.

“Attacking football excites people. In a lot of cases, you can nearly predict at the top, top level what’s going to happen. It’s probably going to be 0-6 all at half-time, it’s going to be 0-9 to 0-8 or 0-10 to 0-9 after 50 minutes, and then a bit of a game breaks out. It really takes a fluke to get a goal or something unknown.

“The good movement can’t be set up because there are so many bodies back. Not alone us, people in general want change because they want more excitement, they want a bit more chaos, and they want a bit more off the cuff stuff. Hurling gives you that. Football needs that now as well.” 

The Cork boss is in favour of the rule proposing three players remain behind the 65-metre line at all times, but has expressed scepticism as to how it would be policed, especially at club level.

While Jim Gavin’s Football Review Committee has no plans for their experimental rules to be inter-county only, the proposal that three outfield players from each team stay inside the 65m line may not be feasible at club level where referees often don’t have independent linesmen.

Jim Gavin Chairperson of the Football Review Committee. Picture: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

“When you're trying to play attacking football and there’s 15 planked inside the 45, it becomes a game of chess and how you can eke out (a gap).

“Sometimes you go through and the referee will give you a free, but in a lot of cases, they give the free out when a player gets swallowed. I don't think it is nice to watch, or nice to coach, or nice to play in.

“That rule will help in that regard, I think that is the most important rule, but whether that will be brought in or not, I am not so sure because of the practicalities and who looks at it.

“If the referee is down the field, how can he be looking at the half-way line? Is it the linesman that does it? It probably could be done all right at inter-county level, but whether it is a rule for club level, I am not so sure.” 

Cleary’s favourite rule of the seven put forward by the committee is the option for players to solo and go upon winning a free.

“The solo and go from a free will definitely quicken up the game. It won't be as easy for defences to set up when a guy can go straight away and he can kick it in without players stopping him and stopping the movement.” 

With counties permitted to return to collective training on December 7, and factoring in Christmas downtime, he estimates that Cork will have seven weeks to familiarise themselves with whatever rule enhancements pass through Special Congress on November 30 ahead of the National League throwing in.

And for the counties in that second division, the pace at which they can adapt to whatever changes are introduced could have a significant bearing on whether their summer residence is in the Sam Maguire or Tailteann Cup.

“It’s the same for everyone,” Cleary said of seasons hinging on a team’s ability, or inability, to master the new adjustments.

“The greater good has to... if there is short-term suffering, so be it. I think the big problem is teams won’t have enough time to actually practise the new rules ahead of the league.” 

Change or no change, Cork’s league ambition remains the same. To end their nine-year absence from Division 1.

“Up to now, I don't think we have been handicapped (by not being in Division 1) because we weren't good enough. Definitely now at this stage in the development of this Cork team, it would help us if we were in Division 1. In saying that, the Division 2 league has been very competitive. The last two All-Ireland winners have been from there.

“Up at the top of the division, you have as good as what's around. But I do think for the progression of a team, you need seven top class league games and that’s the aim to try and get into Division 1.”