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Against the Breeze
By Paddy Heaney

First Published 17/02/09

Fast, free-flowing football devoid of cynicism and interruptions. Classy forwards allowed to express themselves. Marauding defenders charging up the pitch and not being body-checked. More scores and fewer frees. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

This is precisely what the experimental rules were supposed to offer. And so far, it seems good. We have been given a tantalising glimpse of what the game could be and it looks fantastic.

The counter-argument, that the rules are taking the physicality out of football, is complete nonsense. There’s nothing manly about pulling jerseys, third-man tackling, and hauling good footballers to the ground. Show me the manager who makes this complaint and I’ll show you a manager with a blanket defence and a shortage of proper footballers.

Given the manner in which these new rules could transform gaelic football for the better, it is hugely tempting to ignore our misgivings and accept the changes at the next Congress.

However, the following stark warning must be heard: If the county boards accept the new rules as they are, then they will have been sold a pup. Unless the rules undergo some serious revision, then nothing but chaos lies in store.

The fundamental problem with the new rules is that the referee is entrusted with far too much responsibility. His interpretation will completely dictate the outcome of a game.

It’s actually unfair on referees because it is putting far too much pressure on them. The very reason this current experimentation hasn’t already ended in uproar is because match officials have not enforced the rules.

Probably through a mixture of sound judgement, sympathy for the players, pressure from Croke Park, and fear of the crowd, the country’s top whistlers have steadfastly refused to implement the new laws.

Subsequently, we have been served up some tasty games. But this has been the result of the country’s top referees doing their best with a system that is inherently flawed.

Sunday’s game between Tyrone and Kerry was a prime example. Jimmy White is a top class referee. He won five county championship with Killybegs as a player/manager. He understands the game. His display in the 2007 Ulster Club final between Crossmaglen and St Gall’s was one of the finest I’ve ever seen.

Like all good whistlers, Jimmy can quickly grasp the rhythm of a game and he tries to let it flow without getting in the way.

But these new rules call for referees to get in the way. They are devised to root out the type of cynical, tactical, and disrupting fouling that has blighted the game.

Unfortunately, we are so conditioned to this type of football that we no longer pass any remarks when a forward decides to haul down a defender who is trying to launch a counter-attack.

Jimmy chose to turn a blind eye when Colm McCullagh grabbed Marc O Se’s jersey and hauled him to the ground. McCullagh had already been black booked. But the black book shouldn’t have made any difference.

The rules are clear: ‘To pull down an opponent’ is a yellow card offence. McCullagh should have walked. So too should Sean O’Sullivan. His late and clumsy shoulder charge into Owen Mulligan’s back was an obvious booking that was not yellow-carded.

While O’Sullivan escaped without the prescribed censure, Conor Gormley was black-booked for his first foul on Tommy Walsh. When Gormley committed his second foul on Walsh in the 35th minute, he should have walked. Again, the rules are clear, but again, White took no action.

By the end of the first half, Jimmy had yellow-carded Joe McMahon. But had he implemented the rules by the letter of the law then Colm McCullagh, Conor Gormley, and Sean O’Sullivan should also have been replaced.

And of course, how Ryan McMenamin managed to stay on the pitch for the entire 73 minutes is nothing short of a miracle. We can only assume that Jimmy received a card and a dozen roses from ‘Ricey’ the previous day.

While Jimmy must have missed Ricey’s ‘cupping’ of Paul ‘Gazza’ Galvin, the Tyrone defender could have been yellow-carded for a selection of other offences.

But now the question we have to ask ourselves is this: was it the type of first half which merited four yellow cards and one red? The answer is an unequivocal ‘No.’

Again, the reason the game wasn’t ruined was because Jimmy White chose to ignore the rules. But consider the possibilities if these new rules were left in the hands of bog-standard club referees. There would be anarchy.

And it’s not just Jimmy White who has adopted a ‘pick and mix’ approach.

On Sunday, Pat McEnaney completely ignored two blatant yellow card offences during the game between Derry and Westmeath. Again, Pat probably did right by doing wrong. But we are talking about the best referees in the country. Sligo’s Marty Duffy behaved in a similar manner for the showcase game between Dublin and Kerry.

However, it seems that the footballers from the lower leagues aren’t benefiting from the same type of leeway.

Antrim had two players replaced in their McKenna Cup game against Armagh. Michael Magill and Aodhan Gallagher could have little complaint – but Armagh players went unpunished for worse offences. Then, at the weekend, Conor McGourty was yellow-carded for a nothing challenge against the Clare goalie.

These new rules have lots to offer. Pat Daly, the head of Games Development at Croke Park, has correctly identified the cancer that’s killing football. The new rules have pointed us in the direction the game must progress.

But, as things stand, it’s impossible for anyone to make a proper judgement on the new rules because we have yet to see them being implemented.

And the fact that the best referees in the country are unwilling to enforce the rules suggests some more work is required.

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