Kevin McStay on Gaelic football rule trials: 'I think five or six will get through'

Kevin McStay, EAG Chair, speaking at the GAA Media Briefing by Football Expert Advisory Group. Pic: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Chair of the Expert Advisory Group (EAG) Kevin McStay believes ‘five or six’ of their Gaelic football rule trials will become permanent and would like to see the proposals solidified by the start of the National League.

The EAG will trial several changes at the upcoming Ryan Cup (Division 1) HEC League. McStay is chair of the group that includes David Coldrick, Conor McManus, Maurice Fitzgerald, John Tobin, Johnny Bradley, Pat Doherty and Séamus Kenny.

Speaking at a media briefing in Croke Park, McStay acknowledged that GAA stakeholders will be passionate about certain proposals. Of the approximate nine, three are significant.

For scoring, the 40m arc will extend to the sideline, no scores will be allowed by hand (fist or open) and a goal will be awarded four points. No more than three consecutive handpasses will be allowed, while a ‘backcourt’ limit will apply. None of them will be driven through on the back of a committee member’s campaign.

“That public debate is going to happen and that is terrific,” said McStay. “The hope is that we get some of those Ryan Cup games on the YouTube channels or the TG4 channel, so that people can either get to the game or see them.

“But I'm thinking, eight or nine of them, OK, we're not doing the subs [in the Ryan Cup] but that sub [rule] to me is a no-brainer.

“That is going to happen, because the data, we have some of the data, not as much as we'd like, but we have the referees' data, of course, and if their load is up, I'm thinking the players' load is up. Now, I don't know what that percentage is, but I think going to six.

“So to go back to your question, absolutely, as chair, I wouldn't allow them to start having little pet rules that they're sponsoring and saying, ‘This has to get through.’ I saw a lot of people, ex-players, et cetera, wrote pieces on what they like and don't like. But, sure, we haven't had the trials. We need to be patient, let them breathe and let's see how it pans out. I don't know how they're going to pan out. I have a sense of it. The data informs me.

A view of the new rule proposes during the briefing. Pic: Bryan Keane/Inpho

“But any of the eight or nine, I think maybe five or six will get through. Because it has to navigate Congress.” The other suggestions include kickouts must travel beyond the 13m arc, sidelines taken from on or behind the line and a 50m penalty for kickout mark fouls. Given the competition already uses rotating subs, they will not trial the increase to six.

In 2025, only four counties shared their GPS data on physical demands. The EAG are planning to approach counties again to request their data. It would be anonymised and help inform the understanding of the physical toll.

“It is just one of the disappointing sides of it,” said McStay.

“I was there myself. 'Who else is sharing, lads? Nobody else. Well, we’re not.' That is the position you take. You want the best for your team. But what I would say is, now being removed from it and looking over the fence, you see a cry for increased substitutions because of the load, but then they won’t share the data. It is very hard to make the case. We are confident we’ll have enough data to make the change from five to six.” 

The former Mayo and Roscommon manager knows the score. There is far from the same appetite for experimentation as there was for the Football Review Committee work. He started the briefing by stressing that the threshold for change will be high and urging patience to see what the college games show. Right now, the game is good. Can it be better?

“We're taking the position that essentially we want to do no harm to the game. That will certainly be a motivation. But I think we have to accept also that there are issues around the current game that are unsatisfactory. For instance, there is far too much hand-passing, and the reduction of hand-passing is a massive challenge.

“There is not enough kick-passing and increasing that is another dramatic challenge. No question about that. These are not simple issues to remedy.” As for implementation timelines, their intention is to have the new rules formalised in time for the beginning of the National League. The Games Intelligence Unit report on 2026 will be released next week.

“Well, I’ve to talk to the Standing Committee on Playing Rules, and I'm meeting Jarlath [Burns] now after this, to discuss these things. We'd like to see whatever stands up going straight into the league and then they would be formalised at Congress. I think that is possible. I don't know the machinations now of how these things get done at board level.” 

A final inquiry. For fun, what about the changes that may come after these potential changes? McStay frequently referenced rewarding the defender, with ideas such as limiting the fisted point being considered in this regard. Did they give any consideration to a more formal definition of the tackle?

“That is a very good question. It did and we decided very early on, that is a committee all of its own.”