As President of the GAA ........

Culchie

All the folk that post here are real GAA fans, so .........

If you were President of the GAA, what changes would you implement for the better of Football and Hurling?

They can be rule changes or administration/technical issues, after all you are the President, it's your chance to improve things and become a legend in your own lunchtime !

sgthighway

Most countieas have up to 3 County Pitches for their County Teams; e.g. Galway have; Pearse Stadium, Tuam, Ballinasloe.
With all the money the GAA are making they should give each County Board a grant to install a Swipe Card System so that people going to matches can swipe their "Match Card". This match card can be used to prove up go to games and entitle you to match tickets for big games.
The "Match Card" can sourced from any GAA Office. The cards can be sponsored by different companies in different counties e.g. O2, Supermacs, Guinnness, etc.
The GAA need to improve the way they allocate tickets.

Sorry just saw this in the Ticket Frustration thread

Waylander

I would permanently expel all Meath teams from Inter County competition

Lemlin

Ask any Dublin supporter entering a Dublin game in Croker to name at least ten of the thirty man panel. If they could not do this, they would not be allowed into the game

Seriously though, one thing I'd do is act to curb the influence of the yob culture affecting the game by telling stewards not to let drunk people into games or to immediately throw anyone roaring abuse etc. out of the stadium.

28064212

Consider introducing an equivalent to the mark from Aussie rules. Maybe with an increased length of 20 yards as a minimum. It's far too difficult to actually field a ball in football with too little gain, counties have turned to constantly breaking it, and it makes the game more scrappy. It's invariably impossible to actually do anything with a ball you've caught from a kick-out, you're always completely surrounded, and it comes down to who fouls first. Maybe try it out in the league first.

Excellent question btw Culchie.

Culchie

Thanks, thought it might provoke a little thought.

I think the fielder needs to be protected as well, maybe a player can't be tackled if he is on the ground i.e Not on his feet

I would also like to see the handpass limited to 3 consecutive handpasses, and try and make it more like football that basketball/handball

McClane

Actually i just found out that pre-1910 Gaelic football HAD the weird Aussie posts (With a goal area i think like in the international rules) and it HAD the mark.

I'm not sure if it had the Aussie tackling though.

Board@Work

Put a roof over the Hill...

Reform Dublin County Football. Maybe two teams...

Improve provincial grounds...

Make Hurling promotion outside the big counties TOP priority...

McClane

Make Hurling promotion outside the big counties TOP priority...

Most definately seconded.

Actually i think i'd make football illegal in Ulster, most of Connacht and most of Leinster (And Kerry) for a period of 4 years until they put some sort of effort into hurling.

Imposter

They have been trying to promote hurling for years but it isn't working. The new format for the championships is a positive step in that direction and hopefully will see weaker teams improving (although I think it's fair to say that westmeath will be a tad out of their depth next year).

I'd like to see a defined tackle in football, mainly because it would make the game easier to referee and less open to the referee's interpretation. The compromise rule tackle is great imo as it really speeds up the game and makes players get rid of the ball instead of playing for a free. However, introducing something like that would be a bad idea without giving a player some protection for fielding the ball (like with a mark), but I don't think the mark in it's current format is the way to go either. Maybe have it from dead ball situations but not from play, and only if going forward (or nearer the goal).

Other than that i'd make the championship a complete open draw with groups of 4 (or maybe 5) with top 2 from each progressing to knockout stages. That way everyone gets the same number of games and there is no back door. I'd probably seed the teams after the first year too.

Provincial championships would be played seperately too as a warm up to the main championship. I don't think this would take anything from itÄs appeal as local rivalry would see to that! I'd get rid of the league and leave the winter free of games. This would allow provincial championships to start earlyish in year (late march/April) and be over by early May.

Maybe do something similar for hurling although the new system is a good start imo. That's all for today. May have more later

sgthighway

I would allow Adidas, Umbro, Nike, Rebok, etc. to make kits for the teams. I don't think the existing ruling is good for competition.

It maybe a rumour but the delay on the Galway Hurling Jerseys was supposed to becasue of the blocade on Chinese Imports ???????

thirdmantackle

Didn't hear that about the Galway jersies - they should be made in Ireland, shouldn't they? GAA licence and all...

I'd open up the GAA to a little more commercialism and give the county boards more of a chance to earn money from the county teams - shirts etc

I'd make it a rule that every senior football club in the country should be fielding at least 1 adult hurling team along with juvenile teams

Hire and resource more full time hurling development officers in the Tier Two and Tier Three counties

More acknowledgement for the volunteers of the association

Clean up the shambles that is the ticket system for the finals. Stop useless hangers on in the association and real sunshine supporters getting the precious tickets while genuine GAA people and supporters are left watching the match on tv

stevemac

the jerseys have to be made by an irish company, but specifically in ireland i don't think.

Culchie

stevemac wrote:

the jerseys have to be made by an irish company, but specifically in ireland i don't think.

Correct .... sure O'Neills footballs are all made in Pakistan and Bangladesh for about €2 each as well, and a logo is put on the ball here in Ireland, and then sold for €45-60
Hasn't been a leather football made in Ireland in about 15 years.

walshb

I as a DUB would make it a criminal act for any of my players to kick a ball wide when they are within range and unchallenged. They could be prosecuted for this, it has to be addressed because we're making a 'HOLY' show of ourselves on the pitch

netwhizkid

As GAA president i would reenact Rule 42 and also chastise Northern football teams for introducing negativity into Gaelic Football. I'd also ensure to keep tickets out of touts hands by having each ticket individually printed with X person's name after X person wins the right to buy it in Local GAA draw and then X person must produce valid photo id to get in. Also tickets must be traceable to X local GAA club. I would also ban permanently anyone from any GAA grounds who has committed three violent fouls in the same game on another player.

Brian017

I would ban Kilkenny from hurling until they enter the football championship too.

ardmacha

In support of two of the ideas expressed here by sgthighway and netwhizkid.
I would introduce a national membership swipe card. This needn't cost the GAA anything as selective marketing would pay for someone to run it. The card would be used to record attendance. Tickets would be distributed to players, working GAA members and then to those who attended games. Attendance at all-ireland finals and suchlike, other than corporate boxes, would be restricted to members and membership would not be available after May. This would greatly restrict touts.

Also I'd introduce an advance ticket scheme where you give the GAA some money and get the right to a ticket if a nominated county is playing. This way the same seat could be sold to Kerry people, Dubs, Armagh, Tyrone, Cork, Kilkenny etc, as only two teams can play on a given day.

Flukey

I'd agree with some ideas mentioned here, but not all. We should have better grounds around the country with larger capacity.

The mark, as we have often debated before, is the most non-sensical rule of all, so it should never be brought into the game in any form whatsoever. Getting a free for catching a ball is madness. You should get frees for an infringement of the rules not for carrying out a skill. As we have seen in the International Rules matches, it slows down the game and robs us of what are often the most exciting passages of play. The reward for catching the ball is possession, so there is no reason to further reward it. What happens after they catch the ball can be let happen and if they lose it, they lose it.

Sack any county board that does not promote both codes and get every county playing and fielding teams in competitions. In Hurling, let the teams themselves choose whether to enter the Rackard, Ring or McCarthy Cup and not have it predetermined.

Maintain the provincial championships. You only have to look at celebrations after teams winning them - particularly their first, like Westmeath in 2004, or their first in a long time like Laois in 2003 and Kildare in 1998 - to see how much they are valued. Have open draws within the provinces, but not for the All-Irelands. With a full open draw only one team can win any silverware. With the provincial championships more teams have a chance of winning something.

As to having them separate to the All-Ireland, we already have that for each province in the McKenna Cup, the McGrath Cup, the Connacht League and the O'Byrne Cup. The provincial championships proper should be part of the All-Ireland Championships as they are at present.

thirdmantackle

Also as President - less county games, more time for club matches. Its the one thing every player wants

28064212

Flukey wrote:

The mark, as we have often debated before, is the most non-sensical rule of all, so it should never be brought into the game in any form whatsoever. Getting a free for catching a ball is madness. You should get frees for an infringement of the rules not for carrying out a skill. As we have seen in the International Rules matches, it slows down the game and robs us of what are often the most exciting passages of play. The reward for catching the ball is possession, so there is no reason to further reward it. What happens after they catch the ball can be let happen and if they lose it, they lose it

When was the last time you saw a midfielder catch a high ball and come out of it cleanly? If anything, not having the mark slows the game down more, it turns into a scrap in the middle of the park with neither team able to break out. It's not perfect in it's current form, but a few changes mentioned above could be done to adapt it to football ie 20 yards minimum, kick passes only...

walshb

netwhizkid wrote:

As GAA president i would reenact Rule 42 and also chastise Northern football teams for introducing negativity into Gaelic Football. I'd also ensure to keep tickets out of touts hands by having each ticket individually printed with X person's name after X person wins the right to buy it in Local GAA draw and then X person must produce valid photo id to get in. Also tickets must be traceable to X local GAA club. I would also ban permanently anyone from any GAA grounds who has committed three violent fouls in the same game on another player.

Buddy, I'd bring in rules to stop people whingeing because the Northern teams are doing so well lately, even when they are being persecuted when trying to play their sport in their country. If the Southern counties can't find a way to beat this so called 'negativity', what does this say about the state of them......

28064212

walshb wrote:

Buddy, I'd bring in rules to stop people whingeing because the Northern teams are doing so well lately, even when they are being persecuted when trying to play their sport in their country. If the Southern counties can't find a way to beat this so called 'negativity', what does this say about the state of them......

I'd quit saying it's northern teams. It's Armagh and Tyrone, that's it. Monaghan, Derry, Cavan, Down, Fermanagh and Donegal all play positive attacking football. As for the other two, I'd have to say that when they're not playing other Ulster teams, they actually start playing football. Was very surprised by the Dublin and Laois games, actually worth watching

ardmacha

It's Armagh and Tyrone, that's it. Monaghan, Derry, Cavan, Down, Fermanagh and Donegal all play positive attacking football.

I am not sure why good defensive play should be less well regarded than good attacking play, but well spotted for noting that Antrim don't involve themselves with either!

Why should be the Galway and Mayo be regarded as superior to Armagh and Tyrone when the Connacht final was 0-10 0-9 and the recent Armagh Tyrone game was 1-13 to 1-12!

Lemlin

Why should be the Galway and Mayo be regarded as superior to Armagh and Tyrone when the Connacht final was 0-10 0-9 and the recent Armagh Tyrone game was 1-13 to 1-12!

I agree, what's wrong with making teams work for their scores? As Joe Brolley pointed out, the semi final was so tense and exciting because both teams had to work hard for their scores, and take their chances.

Unlike a game like the Connacht final, where both teams squandered chance after chance.

Culchie

ardmacha wrote:

I am not sure why good defensive play should be less well regarded than good attacking play, but well spotted for noting that Antrim don't involve themselves with either!

Why should be the Galway and Mayo be regarded as superior to Armagh and Tyrone when the Connacht final was 0-10 0-9 and the recent Armagh Tyrone game was 1-13 to 1-12!

I also agree, so I don't know why you are using this as a reference point, I don't know anyone who has siad otherwise in this thread or any other thread. Armagh, Tyrone and Kerry are the best 3 teams in the country at the moment, no question about it. If you look at my predictions in the 'Pools' thread, you will see that I've backed that up as well.

Another case of " Nobody like us, they're all out to get us " paranoia from our Ulster brothers.

ardmacha

netwhizkid originally said

As GAA president i would reenact Rule 42 and also chastise Northern football teams for introducing negativity into Gaelic Football.

and 28064212 specifically mentioned Armagh and Tyrone.

In response I said

I am not sure why good defensive play should be less well regarded than good attacking play.
The Connacht final was 0-10 0-9 and the recent Armagh Tyrone game was 1-13 to 1-12!

Culchie weighed in with

Another case of " Nobody like us, they're all out to get us " paranoia from our Ulster brothers.

That's hardly paranoia, I responded to comments on this thread. I used the Connacht final example to illustrate the Armagh and Tyrone games are not a complete outlier in scoring terms from other games in the country.
I don't think it is the "Ulster brothers" who are a bit jumpy here!

I'd love to see the Connacht reps win in the hurling though.

Flukey

28064212 wrote:

When was the last time you saw a midfielder catch a high ball and come out of it cleanly? If anything, not having the mark slows the game down more, it turns into a scrap in the middle of the park with neither team able to break out. It's not perfect in it's current form, but a few changes mentioned above could be done to adapt it to football ie 20 yards minimum, kick passes only...

When was the last time I saw a midfielder catch a high ball and come out of it cleanly? Well I have not been at a match since last Sunday, so it would have to be last Sunday. I've seen plenty of clean catches in games. Of course it does get a bit messy sometimes when a player gets the ball and is surrounded. The mark is not the solution to that. That would stop the spectacle of trying to get the ball away, which often does happen. It isn't always scrappy. It is part of the game and part of the challenge.

At the International Rules matches it was extremely frustrating seeing a ball going in towards the goal area and the players going up, and then all of a sudden the game stopped and either a forward calmly kicked the ball over the bar or the back calmy clicked it clear. You felt cheated of what is often the most exciting element of the game.

You could do something like limit the amount of players allowed around a player in possession, to take some of the scrappy element out of those situations, but the mark would completely destroy it, in any form. The distance the ball comes is irrelevant. It can often be harder to catch a ball coming from a few yards away than further away. It is stupid enough giving a free for catching a ball, a basic skill, but saying it depends on how far away it has come from is a factor makes no sense either.

Why not give frees for skills like kicking the ball, passing the ball, soloing the ball, scoring etc.? Sounds stupid doesn't it? Well it is no more stupid than awarding a free for catching a ball, which when you boil it down is all the mark is. So it should never be brought in, no matter what argument you might make for it. It is an absolutely totally ridiculous concept. We can do things to deal with the problems of surrounding a player, but not the mark.

Imposter

Flukey wrote:

Why not give frees for skills like kicking the ball, passing the ball, soloing the ball, scoring etc.? Sounds stupid doesn't it? Well it is no more stupid than awarding a free for catching a ball, which when you boil it down is all the mark is. So it should never be brought in, no matter what argument you might make for it.

No more stupid really than awarding a point every time you kick that round leather thing through 2 sticks tbh! or 3 points if you can't kick it high enough and it goes over the line.