We are in the midst of a crucial few weeks in the future of Gaelic football. Just last Thursday Jim Gavin and his Football Review Committee launched their interim report, a 204 page document that includes seven core enhancements that they will be bringing to Special Congress on the 30th of November. Seven changes that could alter the way that Gaelic football is played. This weekend we'll get to see these proposals in action in Croke Park in a revamped inter-provincial tournament where Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht We'll have some of the best players around the country playing under these new rules. The rules that do get voted through Special Congress on the 30th of November will be in play at both club and county for the entirety of the 2025 season where they'll then be reviewed with a view to make them in the rulebook for the 2026 season onwards.
This Football Review Committee have been tasked with fixing Gaelic football. Let's bring you through their proposed rule enhancements. Rule 1 is a 1v1 contest to restart the game at the beginning of each half.
This one is straightforward and it's one that creates a high fielding contest to kick start the game rather than the current unsightly mini brawl that we get nowadays where players often aren't even going for the ball and fouls aren't being called at the beginning of every match. Rule two is the solo and go and this one has had a huge effect on the games to date. It's a personal favourite from many of the committee and it's one where they've seen huge reward in the sandbox games that they've played and tested these rules in. It essentially allows a foul player to immediately resume the play with a solo and go a few wishes which quickens up attacks and disincentivises cynical fouls. Rule 3 is potentially the most radical and possibly the most revolutionary of the proposed rules.
It's the 3-3 structure rule where each team must have at least three outfield players in each side of the field. This is important for a couple of reasons. It means that a team can no longer use a blanket defence of 15 players back.
They can have now at most 11 outfield players plus their goalkeeper defending. This will ensure more space for the attacking team to create attacks. It should reduce the endless recycling of possession and the constant lateral play that has infected the game at all levels and will also promote more 1v1 contests.
A new halfway line will be added to the field and this will assist with the implementation of this rule but the hope is is that it will become self-policed. like it is in other sports where something of this effect is used. Rule 4 is another big change but it's one that could have a potentially really important impact.
It's the new scoring arc and system. There will now be a new 40 meter scoring arc on the field and a 1-2-4 scoring system where points kicked outside of this arc will be worth two points. Points kicked inside the arc and inside the 20 meter line will still be worth one but a goal will now be worth four points. This will encourage and reward the skill of long range shooting and also poses a team that are set up defensively questions when they face an attack.
Do they sit deep and make sure that they don't concede a goal which is now worth four points or do they push up and try and apply pressure to a team who have many long range shooters that can pick off two point shots at ease. In tandem with the 3-3 structure rule this new scoring system should incentivize quick attacking play. Rule 5 is one that has caused a little bit of consternation It's the new revamped attacking mark inside the 20m line. This proposal bins the current advance mark, which was used so rarely as it was in games to date, but also didn't do what it was meant to do, which was encourage long range kick passing and reward high fielding.
This new advance mark certainly could do that. The kick must be from at least 45m and can only be claimed with a catch inside the 20m line. Once they catch the ball, the attacker will know that they have an immediate advantage and an incentive to go for a 4pt goal. If they fail to score, They will now have a free from the 20 metre line as a reward for the mark that was claimed.
This is a rule that's been seen to be overly punitive on defenders but the Football Review Committee maintain that it could create incredible moments and brilliant plays in games. Rule 6 is that kick outs must now go beyond the 40 metre arc but secondly players are allowed to be inside 20 metres before the kick out is taken. This will speed up a keeper's ability to restart the game and it should also encourage more contests as it will be more difficult. to dink one short to a corner back.
Rule 7 is essentially that there can be no back pass to a goalkeeper. A goalkeeper will be allowed to receive the ball in his own square or beyond the halfway line. Again this removes the ability to back pass to a keeper when you're in the midst of keeping possession.
It also allows the innovation of a goalkeeper to still add to attacking play if they're good enough to do so beyond the halfway line. While some goalkeepers may not like this restriction it's seen to be a necessary enhancement The stop games of piggy in the middle that we've seen develop where teams are holding on to possession and just popping it over defenders heads with the goalkeeper being the extra player in the defensive side of the field. So there you have it, the seven core rule enhancements that have been proposed by Jim Gavin and the Football Review Committee.
And while it's one thing reading about them on paper or listening to analysis of them on the radio, it's another when you get to see them in action and check them out. And this weekend the country will get that opportunity. Later this week on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon the country will get the chance to see the potential of this new version of Gaelic football when a revamped interprovincial competition takes place. It's going to be televised on TG Cahir on Friday night and on RTE on Saturday and the games are open to the public in Crowe Park. And while nothing can recreate the white heat of a championship battle, this weekend in Crowe Park we will get a glimpse at just what the future of Gaelic football may look like in 2025 and beyond.