DECLAN McCOY: Rip it and run

By Declan McCoy

THERE’S only one place to start this week’s article and that is to say a massive well done to Armagh on reaching the All-Ireland final.

Whilst we haven’t yet got over the line, we sometimes take for granted the brilliant days out Geezer and the players have given us over the last few years. I can also personally attest to, as recently as last week, how good Geezer and the lads are at giving up their time for good causes throughout the country.

My own children have been spoiled with Ulster finals and regular trips to Croker. The atmosphere on Saturday was absolutely electric and a real throwback to the good auld days. Unfortunately, I had to leave before extra-time as I had a club match but I could hear the ‘Armagh roar’ in Monasterboice.

I was going to name my All-Stars so far this year, but I’ve decided to dodge that bullet as opinions vary too much and I’d be asking for trouble. I actually sounded out Louth’s Dan Bannon on it. Dan runs the Louth and Proud podcast and is the most easy-going man you’ll meet. I actually thought he was going to pull the head off me so I thought I’d rather an easy life.

I will say that in my unbiased opinion, Aaron McKay and Sam Mulroy, two players I know very well at this stage, should be nailed on.

On the issue of tickets, I must say I find €100 euro a ticket and no juvenile rate to be an absolute disgrace. A family of five would be out €500 euro before even leaving the house. Tickets will be like gold dust but I firmly believe that effectively pricing some families out of going is against the ethos of the GAA.

Moving on to the topic in hand, and that’s the new rules committee headed by Jim Gavin.

Now, I would be the first to accept that football is becoming perilously unwatchable and I commend the rules committee in attempting to address it. I also must applaud the GAA in actually appointing the proper minds to the committee as this is of paramount importance.

The calibre of people looking at this issue is beyond reproach. Indeed, I had an insightful conversation with Seamus Kenny on the issues last week. We are all, me included, quick to point out the problems but it’s a different pressure when you’re tasked with finding the solutions.

I have a strong belief that the game will evolve organically and does not need much tinkering with. Also, we must be wary about changing rules that are easily implemented in Croke Park but slightly harder to monitor in a Junior B match in October with no umpires.

I have witnessed a change in approach recently to the blanket defence. Teams are now committing more numbers inside the blanket and shifting it with the positioning of their attackers – be it loading the end line, bunching on the D or holding width. I have also noticed a greater emphasis placed on the speed of the counter-attack and the numbers of players committing to it. Things are changing.

There is also a vast improvement in the area of attacking combinations. Players are now working better together in an attacking sense and angling runs off the ball carrier. This makes for great viewing as it can cut a defence to bits. Look at Donegal. They are now lining out teams with 12 or 13 attackers. This is an example of how the game is beginning to naturally change.

Armagh and Kerry are a perfect example of how the game is evolving and excitement levels are increasing. Both teams had all their players back inside their own 45-metre line out of possession, but aggressively forced turnovers and attacked into the acres of space up the field like their lives depended on it. Please do not remove the choke tackle from the game, as the high octane turn overs elicited as big a cheer as the scores.

The game is evolving from numbers back and slow attacks to numbers back, rip possession and go for it. A few rules that I have always thought might aid the excitement of the game are shot clocks, a tweak on the ’keeper role and double scores for kick-out press.

I have introduced a shot clock in training games and it is an absolute nightmare to monitor. The problem arises when a team is turned over and quickly wins the ball back and you lose track of when the clock should start. It also becomes like basketball as teams will just kick the ball away when the clock is running down. This may well lead to a ‘kick for touch’ mantra and reset the defence.

I would only allow the goalkeeper to receive a pass from a team-mate in the opposition half. This would take away the easy back pass for defences and would also reward an attacking minded team.

Another tweak that could address the dropping off in kick-outs is a double score reward for winning opposition kick-out inside their half and getting a score from it. This would encourage more teams to press the kick-out and would also force the ’keeper to go long more as it would be a huge risk to lose a goal off a short kick-out.

I’m not sure that the two-point arc would actually change much. As it stands, teams are setting up inside their 45 and happy for teams to shoot from this distance under pressure. I feel teams would be increasingly likely to pack this area and nothing would change.

There will be many opinions on the ills of the game and how to fix it. I don’t envy the task of the rules committee but if there is a group of people that can accomplish success it’s them and I wish them luck.