Isnt it about time they introduced a wet weather football?

samsemtex

Watchin the Meath-Kerry game here and it really is ridiculous that the GAA still insists on using a ball as outdated as it is. In Soccer the ball has been constantly evolving and it has improved the game. A proper premiership/international match ball is much easier to control than a €30 ball me or you would buy.

The gaelic ball is ridiculously slippery. In these conditions its like trying to catch a bar of soap in a shower. It ruins the spectacle and there is nothing the players can do about it. The GAA ball is weighted correctly alright but its far too smooth and the GAA could learn a thing or too from rugby and soccer and try to improve the ball for these conditions. It would improve the games by a huge amount in wet weather.

Possibly they should have a seperate ball for wet weather too. Its hard to bounce the current ball in wet conditions. If they gave Adidas the contract for improving the ball i would imagine we would have a better ball instantly. O'Neills make **** jerseys, **** balls and **** gloves.

MisterAnarchy

Yip those O'Neill balls are a joke.Utter crap.Look like something from the 70's.

jumpguy

100% agree. I sometimes wonder if they keep the balls like that just to increase the sales of expensive gloves. In extremely wet conditions, even trying to catch a hand-pass is difficult. Although I like the weight of the ball, in wet grass the ball doesn't bounce properly. A kick could land and bounce only at the most 30 cm in poor conditions.

About time the ball got a revamp, definetly needs grips, it's too smooth.

asmobhosca

Thats a great idea for wet weather, putting small grooves or bubbles on a ball would give it more traction and make it slightly easier to catch, although it might affect kicks also as a result.
But this is something o'neills and the GAA should investigate....
Gloves these days only last a few weeks and are pretty costly.

samsemtex

asmobhosca wrote: »

Thats a great idea for wet weather, putting small grooves or bubbles on a ball would give it more traction and make it slightly easier to catch, although it might affect kicks also as a result.
But this is something o'neills and the GAA should investigate....
Gloves these days only last a few weeks and are pretty costly.

In my experience gloves are pretty crap anyway. Goal keeper gloves are the only good ones and they are too big to be any use out the field.

Paparazzo

The coating on a rugby ball is great. They could easily make one the same weight of a normal ball, but the coating of a rugby ball

asmobhosca

Paparazzo wrote: »

The coating on a rugby ball is great. They could easily make one the same weight of a normal ball, but the coating of a rugby ball

yeah thats what i was thinking of earlier, the groove/bubble effect, it does make a big difference, as does the actual substance used to coat the ball.

Imposter

It still won't help with bouncing the ball - don't bounce the ball in wet weather!

blueovalmk2

on another note,wat boots are the players wearing?it looked like today they had no studs at all,it was like a ice rink out there!!

soundsham

so if there's a shower then we have to decide which ball to use:rolleyes:,

anyway whats wrong with the fact the ball is a bit slipy to use or catch,surely the fact the ball is the same for everyone is enough,the better players always re-act better in tough conditions they have better balance and anticipation,and are rewarded

as for the soccer ball all they're short is filling it with helium its so light it goes all over the shop when hit hard, as in arshavins goal yesterday.....that thing wobbled like someone after about 10 pints totally unpredictable,at least the football re-acts the same way all day long

as for rugby balls there is no uniform ball different countries use different balls,ask rog on his veiws of the mitre ball the italians use and you'd get a very expletive answer,other makes are fine for most positions as regards handling, but ask the kickers they all re-act way different

correct footwear and gloves .....now thats where the problems lie
and thats down to the individuals,to be prepared for all conditions

samsemtex

soundsham wrote: »

so if there's a shower then we have to decide which ball to use:rolleyes:,

anyway whats wrong with the fact the ball is a bit slipy to use or catch,surely the fact the ball is the same for everyone is enough,the better players always re-act better in tough conditions they have better balance and anticipation,and are rewarded

as for the soccer ball all they're short is filling it with helium its so light it goes all over the shop when hit hard, as in arshavins goal yesterday.....that thing wobbled like someone after about 10 pints totally unpredictable,at least the football re-acts the same way all day long

as for rugby balls there is no uniform ball different countries use different balls,ask rog on his veiws of the mitre ball the italians use and you'd get a very expletive answer,other makes are fine for most positions as regards handling, but ask the kickers they all re-act way different

correct footwear and gloves .....now thats where the problems lie
and thats down to the individuals,to be prepared for all conditions

It makes the game look terrible thats why its a problem. Ive often had what are supposed to be good gloves and they were no use at all. It may be the same for everyone but its an outdated ball and there is no excuse for making the ball that slippery.

No other type of ball is that slippy. Look at basketballs, soccer balls, rugby balls, American footballs, they are all designed to make them easier to catch.

Paparazzo

soundsham wrote: »

so if there's a shower then we have to decide which ball to use:rolleyes:,

If there's a shower, it's wet. so use the wet ball. or just get rid of the normal ball.

soundsham wrote: »

anyway whats wrong with the fact the ball is a bit slipy to use or catch,surely the fact the ball is the same for everyone is enough,the better players always re-act better in tough conditions they have better balance and anticipation,and are rewarded

Makes the game look pants. people dropping the ball all over the shop isn't pretty.

soundsham wrote: »

as for the soccer ball all they're short is filling it with helium its so light it goes all over the shop when hit hard, as in arshavins goal yesterday.....that thing wobbled like someone after about 10 pints totally unpredictable,at least the football re-acts the same way all day long

Did anyone say make it lighter? You're arguing with yourself there!

soundsham wrote: »

as for rugby balls there is no uniform ball different countries use different balls,ask rog on his veiws of the mitre ball the italians use and you'd get a very expletive answer,other makes are fine for most positions as regards handling, but ask the kickers they all re-act way different

Luckily that there's only 1 country and 1 ball manufacturer in GAA then!

brandon_flowers

samsemtex wrote: »

Watchin the Meath-Kerry game here and it really is ridiculous that the GAA still insists on using a ball as outdated as it is. In Soccer the ball has been constantly evolving and it has improved the game. A proper premiership/international match ball is much easier to control than a €30 ball me or you would buy.

The gaelic ball is ridiculously slippery. In these conditions its like trying to catch a bar of soap in a shower. It ruins the spectacle and there is nothing the players can do about it. The GAA ball is weighted correctly alright but its far too smooth and the GAA could learn a thing or too from rugby and soccer and try to improve the ball for these conditions. It would improve the games by a huge amount in wet weather.

Possibly they should have a seperate ball for wet weather too. Its hard to bounce the current ball in wet conditions. If they gave Adidas the contract for improving the ball i would imagine we would have a better ball instantly. O'Neills make **** jerseys, **** balls and **** gloves.

GTFO - Its not supposed to be easy when its wet. GAA is not a spectacle its a sport that people follow, if you dont like what you see dont watch it - there are no prizes for playing attractive football.

Here is my idea why dont we make hurleys out of carbon fibre so players could carry 100 grams less?

And your argument about rugby holds no water - first bit of rain and there are knock ons all over the shop.

P.S. All team gear and balls used in GAA must be made by an Irish company hence why O Neills dominate and Kerry dont wear them s**** Adidas jerseys they had in 98.

soundsham

well said brandon

as usual the armchair supporters didn't get the spectacle they wanted whereas a lot of fans may also be happy to watch a game in tough conditions as it makes players adapt and may even be a way of bringing the teams closer together in skill level

i seem to remember galway v kerry in quarters i think last year on a sat in the lashing rain floodlights on it was so wet,but it was one of the highest scoring most skillful games i've ever seen

anyway the officals have acknowledged a problem with the pitch,pretty much the same as when initially laid
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2009/0831/crokepark.html

Euro_Kraut

Imposter wrote: »

It still won't help with bouncing the ball - don't bounce the ball in wet weather!

+1 This was drilled into us at underage. Its mad to see some inter county footballers continuely lose possesion in that way.

pazza

Agree Brandon - its up to the players to adapt, you adapt to wet conditions, hard surfaces etc., thats all part of the game. As comparing to soccer and rugby - the fact that soccer is such a slow game means that the type of control required is different that in GAA games, and as for rugby - seem to recall a Lions midweek game this year with a whole lot of knock-ons.

To earlier poster, if you have a problem catching in the wet - perhaps the fault is not the gloves

IMO - I used to love to play in the rain as while I didn;t have the pace for the hard summer surfaces, playging in the rain was all about reading the game and controlling the ball (i.e. able to catch a wet ball). And every 8 year old is told don;t hop a wet ball...

samsemtex

brandon_flowers wrote: »

GTFO - Its not supposed to be easy when its wet. GAA is not a spectacle its a sport that people follow, if you dont like what you see dont watch it - there are no prizes for playing attractive football.

Here is my idea why dont we make hurleys out of carbon fibre so players could carry 100 grams less?

And your argument about rugby holds no water - first bit of rain and there are knock ons all over the shop.

P.S. All team gear and balls used in GAA must be made by an Irish company hence why O Neills dominate and Kerry dont wear them s**** Adidas jerseys they had in 98.

First of all i have that Kerry Jersey made by Adidas and it is by far the nicest looking GAA jersey ive had. It still looks well now and if i ever wear it to training i get complimented on it.

How would carbon fibre hurleys improve the quality of the sport? It wouldnt, a more fluid passing game of gaelic football would improve it and thats what a grippier ball would do.

As for it not being a spectacle. What a load of tosh. Im sure if you said that to the GAA president he'd be pretty pissed off. The fact is all sports have to be a spectacle to attract players. If it looks crap who is going to want to play it not to mind watch it? How would making the ball easier to catch in the wet lessen the skill of Gaelic in anyway? When a player like Daragh O'Shea cannot catch the ball cleanly because its wet you know there is a fundamental design flaw with the ball.

soundsham wrote: »

well said brandon

as usual the armchair supporters didn't get the spectacle they wanted whereas a lot of fans may also be happy to watch a game in tough conditions as it makes players adapt and may even be a way of bringing the teams closer together in skill level

i seem to remember galway v kerry in quarters i think last year on a sat in the lashing rain floodlights on it was so wet,but it was one of the highest scoring most skillful games i've ever seen

Wow, so one example of a good game in the wet and suddenly all wet weather games are brilliant spectacles.

Its people like ye who try to keep the GAA in the stoneage. There is no logical reason a grippier ball couldnt be introduced other than a fear of change. Fielding would still be more difficult than it is in the dry but it wouldnt be next to impossible like it is now. And no lads, its not out of my own inability to do it that i think a wet weather ball should be brought in as i have quite a steady set of hands.

Would you prefer if the players were still restricted to using boots that were designed in the 70s too?

Johnnyjump

In answer to your question - YES.

soundsham

[quote=

Would you prefer if the players were still restricted to using boots that were designed in the 70s too?[/quote]


no that would just be another stupid suggestion

and on dara,a fine servant for kerry and a great player in this era ,but fading fast in his last year

but he was about 2 stone overweight when he 1st played in championship this year still is over by about a stone at least,he's lost speed obviously from being so heavy and is not as powerful and dominant as he once was in the air or in the tackle, so he's losing the physical battles now more often,leading to bad handling fielding etc

tommy walsh didnt seem to have any problems fielding the high ball, and would expect himself or donaghy to have to help the kerry midfield against cork,dara will be over ran again otherwise imo otherwise they wont even get 50 mins out of him

DDC1990

No, the ball we have is fine.

brandon_flowers

samsemtex wrote: »

Would you prefer if the players were still restricted to using boots that were designed in the 70s too?

Yes - less cruciate ligaments and torn hamstrings. I'm sure if the boots didnt develop Maurice Fitz would still kick them over from the sideline.

samsemtex

brandon_flowers wrote: »

Yes - less cruciate ligaments and torn hamstrings. I'm sure if the boots didnt develop Maurice Fitz would still kick them over from the sideline.

Your taking such a stupid attitude with this. The more gifted players are still going to be more gifted than the others. Giving them better equipment makes it a better spectacle and takes nothing away from the skill of the game. How on earth is that a bad thing?

Do you think a new ball would mean every average player would start kicking sideline balls over the bar? Get real.

Banter Joe

I agree with you samsemtex.

I don't really see the problem with putting rugby style bubbles, or something similar on the ball for wet weather.

If it served the purpose of increasing grip, without affecting kicking or any other part of the game, what's the big deal?