Hurling- what’s gone wrong and where do we go from here.

How about a rule that the only players allowed cross the half-way line are the two mid-fielders on each team.

That way it’s 6 backs on 6 forwards on either end, no using forwards as extra sweepers etc.

Another idea is that backs can only play ground hurling, so no hand-passing, catch and strike or fielding the ball, would have to bat the ball away and pull on it or lift and strike, or solo and strike.

I’d add a rule to the above that a free out from your own half has to be taken off the ground like a side-line.

Too many scrums and rucks for the ball on the ground. One thing that might improve things is when the referee throws the ball in only 2 players can contest it and no one else can be within 10 metres and yellow card anyone else who comes in. If it takes multiple yellows in a few games so be it as long as the rule is enforced.

When players keep getting away with stuff like throwing, overcarrying, pulling and dragging then they will keep doing it more and more. Ultimately we then up with a game of anarchy with no rules. So ignoring the ref and the rules is not going to work in the long term Im afraid. Letting the game flow at all costs will ultimately damage the games integrity and may already have.

The issue with this is that in the vast majority of cases both sides are simultaneously infringing the 13 metre rule.

What does the rule-book say a referee should do if both sides are simultaneously infringing a rule?

Have a throw ball.

So under the current rules a referee can't do anything or else it would be a situation where if the rules were applied it would just devolve into a cycle of throw balls.

Change this rule so that in situations where both sides are infringing at a throw-ball to two black cards to the nearest two players (one on each side) not contesting the throw and very quickly you'd solve the issue of players not being back 13 metres.

I'd love to see the stats on how often a throw-ball leads to a free to the player who wins the throw-ball. The current throw-ball rule is a disaster in both hurling and football. I'd say it's almost worse in football. There was a throw-ball in one intercounty football game this year where a player who wasn't contesting the throw (i.e. was supposed to be 13 metres back) caught the ball right in front of the ref and the ref just let play continue.

I would switch the throw ball and throw the ball upwards in the air and let the players contest in the air

Well you could change the question to "In what ways is the game evolving?" but that leads to the follow-up question "Are we, collectively, happy with the direction in which it has evolved?" and the majority of people on the thread would say "No", and then we would start debating what can be done to alter the game for the better, and it would end up being the same conversation anyway.

But yeah, you're right in one sense, I think there's a lot of cribbing about the game these days, and it feels like that's always been the case, it was always better x number of years ago, but then you look at games from x years ago and it isn't a patch on the present. Skill levels are higher now than I've ever seen them. But without getting sentimental about the good old days we can still acknowledge there are aspects of how the game is played now that are not ideal or that we have it in our power to make better. Sometimes increased skill can lead to a less interesting spectacle (arguably the handpass issue is a "problem" only because players have become so good at it, but that still makes it detrimental to the spectacle, for example) and changes need to be made to reflect that.

I wouldn't agree that it's just a matter of there being "more scores than previously", it's that scores can be gotten from virtually anywhere without the same level of contact and contest for ball, which, added to the inreasing levels of possession retention, means that the game isn't as exciting as it was. I don't think it is any kind of nostalgia to say that this has happened over the last few years, and that actions could be taken to open the game up a bit more, the skill levels won't be somehow reduced by taking those actions.

Do you want to change the rules to stop Limerick or ‘improve’ hurling?

Refs are well able to count ‘steps’ and number of times ball is in the hand…they get it right the majority of the time. 🤪🤪🤪

So the thread name may not be accurate but no game can just let rules be broken and suggest that that's just the evolution of the game. The game may have evolved into a possession game where ball in the hand is vital but throwing the ball and running 7 steps with it is breaking the rules.

The rules dont evolve!

Problem with limiting the hand pass is its going to lead to us all back here complaining about the amount of obstruction of the hurley going on. Every new rule just leads to new ways to cheat

50/50 looking possible throws need to be cracked down on before we try anything radical

I think they should trial another ref for senior level games one each half of the field!