'You're not allowed to have tactics' - frustrated Kieran McGeeney on new football rules

FRUSTRATED: Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney didn't mince his words and laid into authorities after Saturday's dramatic home win.  Pic:©INPHO/Andrew Paton

Allianz NFL: Armagh 1-20 Dublin 1-12

Kieran McGeeney cut loose with another rebuke of the GAA and football's new rules after Armagh's second win of the season.

The All-Ireland winning Armagh manager didn't mince his words and laid into authorities after Saturday's dramatic home win.

Armagh surged 15 points clear at one stage after a brilliant first-half, had their lead cut to five after a Dublin revival, and ultimately rallied to win by eight.

But Geezer was more energised afterwards by the impact of the new rules, claiming 'you're not allowed to have tactics' anymore.

The former Armagh star argued that the punishment for offences now 'far outweighs the crime', hit out at restrictions on goalkeepers and even raised the issue of the millions being spent on preparing county teams.

McGeeney was most vocal about goalkeepers being punished for slow kick-outs - it happened three times on Saturday night - with tap-over frees given against Evan Comerford and Ethan Rafferty for not launching their kick-outs within 20 seconds.

"There was not one of those kick-outs that he blew tonight that was over 15 seconds," insisted McGeeney, arguing there is too much leeway for referees' interpretation. "How do you have a rule that has 'maybe' in it? People are just getting carried away with themselves.

"And now we're told when you pass the ball back into the square, it's only one pass. So you're only allowed one pass. And next we'll be told you're only allowed to do it when the sun is shining into the east. What is it they want us to do? Do they not want goalkeepers to touch the ball?"

McGeeney apparently suggested that ball boys could be used to retrieve footballs and speed up kick-outs but said this was rejected.

"You're not allowed them because seemingly they could be passing secret messages or something," he sniped.

McGeeney agreed with a reporter's suggestion that the new rules are forcing everyone to play the same way.

"You're not allowed to have tactics," he said. "Listen, they (referee decisions) are having huge impacts on games. You're sitting there after maybe hitting three points in a row and next thing a free goes against you and it's a point. The punishment far outweighs the crime, far outweighs it. You're just giving (away) a point. A 13m free, or a 20. That's some punishment!

"Listen, I know most of this stuff will make headlines and I'll probably get it in the ear but I still cannot understand how you can have a free (for goalkeeper time wasting) where you don't know what the time is. And even with that, you need a time clock then to be able to establish that. Like, if they want to work on 'maybes', work on the tackle or something."

McGeeney said his understanding is that 'they're going to pull the 'keeper' and restrict goalies from joining the outfield play, creating 12 v 11 overloads in the opposition's half.

"We're four weeks out from Championship," he fumed. "Tactically a lot of teams have spent a lot of time on it. And yet depending on their whim (it could change)."

McGeeney even had a pop at the GAA who bemoaned the record €43m spent on preparing inter-county teams last year.

"By the way, it's not Croke Park that's spending the 44m (sic) that they keep talking about," he said. "That's the counties spending that, just in case people get mixed up. Croke Park doesn't send us that money. That's money we've to raise ourselves."

Barry McCambridge netted for Armagh while top scorer Conor Turbitt, who hit 0-6, Ross McQuillan, Rory Grugan and Greg McCabe were all influential.

Oisin O'Neill, who struck a two-pointer during Armagh's strong start, started his first game of 2025, as did Peter McGrane. But there's still no Rian O'Neill who has been given an extended break for personal reasons.

Dublin manager Dessie Farrell said their performance 'simply wasn't good enough' and lacked 'hunger' and 'appetite' though pointed to 'a lot of fatigue in the system'.

Dublin reeled off 1-8 without reply during a Con O'Callaghan inspired second-half revival, buttressed by sub Lorcan O'Dell's goal. But a 58th minute Cormac Costello point that was ruled out, followed by an immediate Armagh score, sucked all of Dublin's momentum.

"There was probably a bit of a momentum shift around that," said Farrell. "It would have brought it back to four points."

Scorers for Armagh: C Turbitt 0-6 (4 frees); B McCambridge 1-0; G McCabe, R Grugan (1 free) 0-3 each; O O'Neill (tp), R McQuillan 0-2 each; A Murnin, E Rafferty (45), D McMullan, T McCormack 0-1 each.

Scorers for Dublin: C O'Callaghan 0-6 (1tpf, 1tp, 1f); L O'Dell 1-0; L Breathnach 0-2; C Costello, K Lahiff, B Howard, C Kilkenny 0-1 each.

ARMAGH: E Rafferty; T McCormack, B McCambridge, P Burns; C Mackin, G McCabe, R McQuillan; J Duffy, O O'Neill; P McGrane, R Grugan, D McMullan; C Turbitt, A Murnin, O Conaty.

Subs: G Murphy for Burns (h/t); S Campbell for O'Neill (48); J Og Burns for Duffy (53); J Hall for McQuillan (61); S McPartlan for Conaty (67).

DUBLIN: E Comerford; D Byrne, T Clancy, C Tyrrell; G McEneaney, S MacMahon, C Murphy; B Howard, T Lahiff; N Scully, C O'Callaghan, C Kilkenny; N O'Callaghan, E O'Donnell, L Breathnach.

Subs: B O'Leary for N O'Callghan (16); L O'Dell for O'Donnell (28); A Gavin for McEneaney (39); K Lahiff for Clancy (50-51, blood); C Costello for Breathnach (53); K Lahiff for Scully (62).

Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh).