Rule of the Week: A different penalty

A NEW addition to Gaelic Life is the Rule of the Week and here is the first instance.

By Michael McMullan

IN recent weeks, there has been confusion over the cynical foul, goalscoring chances and penalties awarded for fouls outside the penalty area.

In Kerry’s win over Cork Paul Geaney was awarded a penalty by David Gough with Sean Powter shown a black card.

By the letter of the law, Gough was correct. Yes, it was acute angle and there were defenders closing in but the ruling insists that if a goalscoring chance – not worded as a clear chance – presents itself then a referee can award a penalty.

Just last weekend, Conn Kilpatrick cut inside the Westmeath cover and was bearing down on goal when he was taken down by a high tackle from Kevin Maguire. In this instance, Noel Mooney didn’t award a penalty and Maguire was shown a yellow card.

If anything, Kilpatrick had a clearer run on goal but Mooney was correct in his application of the rule. It was a high tackle as opposed to a cynical one.

Here is breakdown of rule 5.41.

At county level, the GAA had a new ruling in place for a three-year trial as an extension to the black card ruling.

If any of the cynical fouls (listed below) is committed inside the 20-metre line or the semi-circular arc and withing 25 metres of the sideline, the referee has a decision to make.

(a) To deliberately pull down an opponent
(b) To deliberately trip an opponent with hand (s), arm, leg, or foot,
(c) To deliberately collide with an opponent after he has played the ball away or for the purpose of taking him out of the movement of play

If the cynical foul prevented the attacking team (not to be confused with the player in possession) a goal-scoring opportunity, then a penalty kick may be awarded and player who was issued with the black card issued a black card and sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes.

A presentation on the ruling, posted on the GAA website, lists factors to considering the validity of a denied a goal-scoring chance.

Where did the foul occur? How many defenders are between the attacking player and the goals? Could another defender make a tackle before reaching the goals? How many players are in the area in front of the goals?