GAA Football Review Committee chairperson Jim Gavin speaking during a briefing of the GAA Football Review Committee at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
By John Harrington
The Football Review Committee today launched its interim report in Croke Park.
Tasked by GAA President, Jarlath Burns, to establish an new blueprint for Gaelic football that would create a more exciting and dynamic playing and spectator experience, the interim report is a very detailed document that can be viewed and downloaded at the bottom of this article.
The FRC has recommended seven core rule enhancements which will be showcased in the Allianz GAA Football Inter-Provincial Series at Croke Park on Friday/Saturday October 18/19 which will be televised by TG4 and RTE.
On October 26, GAA's Central Council will meet to review the FRC Interim Report/Rule proposals to ratify or otherwise for Special Congress on November 30.
Any Rule changes made at Special Congress will be adopted on a temporary basis for 2025 competitions, both club and county.
Following the conclusion of the 2025 Inter County competitions the FRC will present a Final Report with proposals that will again be discussed and considered for ratification to come into effect as a permanent rule change in 2026.
The 7 Core Rule Enhancements proposed by the FRC are interdependent and, in summary, are as follows:
1: 1v1 throw-in to start the game
At the start of both halves the referee would begin the game by throwing the ball in to just one player from each team. The other two midfielders will take a position on opposite sides of the field on the halfway line and enter the field of play as the ball is thrown in.
This rule enhancement would encourage the skill of high fielding and produce a contest for possession that would be exciting to watch for supporters.
2: Kick-outs
Kick-outs would be taken from the 20 metre line and must go beyond the 40-metre arc. Players must remain 13 metres from the ball but can be positioned behind the 20 metre line when the goalkeeper kicks the ball out. If an opposition player interferes with the goalkeeper or intercepts the ball within the 40 metre arc then the ball would be brought forward 50 metres.
Requiring goalkeepers to kick the ball beyond the 40 metre arc would lead to more contests for possession. Allowing players to remain behind the 20 metre line would speed up the kick-out.
GAA Football Review Committee member Michael Murphy, second left, speaking during a briefing of the GAA Football Review Committee at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile.
3: Limits on passing to the goalkeeper
The goalkeeper may only receive a pass from a teammate if they are inside the opposition half, or if they and the player passing the ball are inside their large rectangle. Frequently, teams in possession of the ball inside their own half of the pitch are recycling the ball back to their goalkeeper - sometimes when the player in possession is being tackled by the opposition and sometimes just to slow play down. This often causes the opposition forwards to retreat back inside their own half of the pitch.
The goalkeeper can still move up the field to challenge the opposition kick-out or attempt to intercept a pass from the opposition and can receive a ball from his team-mate if he is beyond the half-way line. This supports recent team play innovation where goalkeepers attack beyond their half-way line.
4 - Solo and Go
A player who is fouled has the option of continuing play by taking a ‘solo and go’ rather than pausing play to take a free. It will significantly speed up the game and present many advantages to the team in possession.
The Solo and Go must be taken immediately otherwise the free kick must be taken from the place of the foul. It doesn’t have to be the player who is fouled that takes the ‘solo and go’. For example, if a player was grounded by a foul they could hand the ball to their nearest team-mate who could then take the ‘solo and go’.
The referee may allow an advantage up to 4m, in a forward direction, from where the foul was committed to allow the player fouled, and in possession, to take a Solo & Go free kick. Sideways is deemed to be in a forward direction. A Solo & Go cannot be made inside the opposition 20m line.
5: Each team must keep any 3 outfield players in each half of the field.
Leaving 11 outfield players to defend in one’s half of the field and 11 outfield players to attack (a dashed line, from side-line-to-side-line, will now mark midfield). By having to keep three up and three back, space should be created for the attacking team. If the defending team turns the ball over they’d have an opportunity to kick in the counter-attack to which should lead to more end to end action.
6: Advance mark
The current advance mark would be gone. A new mark is introduced whereby a player may claim a mark if the ball is caught inside the 20m line after it is kick passed outside the 45m line. To reward the risk, the player may continue on until the advantage is no longer accrued, whereby the referee will give a free-kick from the place of the mark. This rule enhancement would encourage long range kick passing and high fielding.
7: New scoring system associated with the introduction of a 40m arc
A new 40m arc will be introduced at each end an extend back to join at the 20m line. A point scored outside the arc is worth 2 points, a point inside the arc or inside the 20m line is worth 1 point and a goal will accrue 4 points.
This would encourage teams to shoot for long range points. It should also lead to more space closer to goal if defending players push out to the 40m arc or beyond to prevent the team in possession attempting shots for a for a two-point score.
***
The Football Review Committee have also put forward a number of proposals relating to foul play, dissent, and game officiating that would further buttress the ‘seven core enhancements’.
A very detailed explainer of those proposals, the seven core rule enhancements, and the methodology behind them all can be read in the FRC's Interim Report below.
