Congress II could be coming your way later this year.
A special congress can be called by the GAA if they feel there are issues that need to be dealt with in a timely fashion, they can also be called to debate the introduction of new rules – which is what Jarlath Burns is hoping for.
The chairman of the playing rules committee told The GAA Hour that he is keen to see a couple of changes made to the kick-out in Gaelic football, which the former Armagh midfielder hopes will create a better spectacle for supporters.
Primarily he wants a new rule introduced to ensure kick-outs travel beyond the 21-yard line (at present they only have to travel 13 yards in any direction) and, secondly, he is investigating a rule that would see control of the restart handed over to the umpires.
Listen [from 12’40”] for Burns’ rationale for the changes or continue reading below.
In regards to slowing down the restarts, Burns believes the present rushed kick-outs are causing chaos for players and fans alike.
“What you are seeing at the moment, when a 45 is taken, or a forward balloons a shot wide, before the ball is even out of play, you see the goalkeeper racing out with the tee to the 13-yard line to take it and there are people racing out past him as he takes. it,” said Burns.
“You have to remember we have amateur players who value a bit of a breather, the field gets it shape again, we go back to 15 on 15 and I feel it should be up to the umpire to have a ball and decide, ‘Play is now starting again. Here is the ball, set it up and start it up again’.”
Rugby is often quoted as the sport that the GAA could learn a thing or two from in terms of adaptation, but Burns takes a different route when arguing the case for a slow down in restarts.
Here comes the proper* darts
*Proper as in pub standard 🎯https://t.co/zAIcb0Nk7I— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 4, 2017
“Dare I bring in a darting analogy here? I am big into darts. There is a rule in darts, if it is on television, you are not allowed hit your three darts until the previous replay has been shown – particularly if it is a really good shot, a 180 or something.
“A light comes on and that means every single dart can be shown now,” said Burns, after GAA Hour host Colm Parkinson expressed his irritation that important action can be missed while replays are being shown.
It may be vital action, but Burns argues that the build-up play out of the back following a short kick-out is the time when supporters are most likely to switch off. Hence the move to introduce the 21-yard line limit for kick-outs.
“What we have discovered is, if you are at a match, and the ball is kicked out very, very short, that period of passing, passing, passing, between the backs and the midfield area is what we call ‘Twitter Time’,” said Burns.
“That is whenever people are going on their phones, checking other results, all that sort of stuff. We don’t want that. We want our games to be exciting – it is an offensive game, we want to see people invading the opposition territory.
“We do not want to see the end of the short kick-out, there are times when they are necessary.”
