KEVIN CASSIDY: A look to the future

LAST weekend‘s games gave us a glimpse into the future as to what our Gaelic games might look like from here on in. By and large, I took a positive outlook on what I witnessed and think that we are heading in the right direction.

At this point, it’s important that we point out that the FRC are working off the remit given to them by us, the GAA community. Based on the information they gathered, this is what they have brought to the table for us.

We asked for more kick passing, we asked for more long-range scores and we asked for more one-on-one contests. On the basis of what we asked for, it’s hard to argue with what they have put in front of us.

There are a lot of changes and we will go through most of them, but, my personal favourite, and I think the one that will have the most impact, is having to leave three on three in each half of the field.

The rule instantly creates more space for the attacking team and makes it virtually impossible for any team to go ultra defensive and try and stink the place out.

We would be foolish to think that all of those defence-minded coaches are not planning and plotting ways to clog up that defence.

Yes, granted you can base yourself around the arc and make it difficult to get the ball inside. That may work but you will have the opportunity to face your direct opponent up and go at him one v one without the blanket swallowing you up.

If teams pull 11 men back and zonally mark, then somewhere in that area of the field someone will be handed a one v one and that opens the whole place up.

I have to admit that there are definitely two things that I would change from the rules that they are proposing.

I think a goal should remain at three points and I also think that the two points from outside the arc should be limited to scores from play because two points for a free-kick or a 45 is just too easy and I think it takes away from the game as opposed to adding to it.

There has also been a lot of talk around the possibility of rolling subs but this is a road I really hope we do not go down. In my eyes, it dilutes the game because with so many players coming and going I think we will lose that real bite and aggression that we need to see in our games.

Imagine the case of a Brian Fenton and a Conor Glass going toe-to-toe in the middle of the pitch, all of a sudden Conor or Brian leaves the field then to re-enter again.

You just lose that running battle that we all want to see and it nearly becomes a tag-team effort and I just think it would take away from the games.

The reason for asking for rolling subs is that players felt that there was a relentless nature to the game and that it was up and down the pitch.

Let me say this without sounding too old, but tough s**t lads. When we started playing it was man-on-man, no blanket defence and the game went from end to end continuously.

For me, these lads with all the extra sport science, all the extra nutritional knowledge and all the extra conditioning that takes place nowadays should be well fit to last the full game at that pace. If not, why on earth do they start back training in late September?

Our players are in for a major culture shock because for the past 10 years or so GAA players have had the luxury of swanning about the pitch slowing the game down and not having any real accountability.

So, see that lad in your dressing room, the one who’s is always shouting for the plus-one or a plus-two, if I were him, I’d get back into pre-season ASAP.

These changes will undoubtedly take some time for us all to get used to but I think it’s a major step in the right direction.

I hope the FRC reflects on those games and make the necessary tweaks to the rules they have put forward.

I also hope that as an association we have the guts to carry these rules through because one thing we know for certain is that we cannot continue with the absolute nonsense that we have had for years.

The game needs changing and we have now been given the tools to do it so for the generations to come let’s act now.