No idea. I’d imagine it’s just an evolutionary adaption.
Unfair. Valid argument borne out of the love of the game.
Limerick are fabulous to watch. I loved how the pinged passes off the hurley in the beginning, making space and creating more out of no where.
Can I ask, are current hurling teams capable of executing a handpass as per the rulebook? If they are, and all the gym work and special feeding hasn’t made them forgotten there is no need to change anything except enforce the current rule.
Keenan made for a spectacle by putting his whistle inside his shirt. He reminded me of Seamus Canning when he reffed camogie. Throw it in and let it off.
When Galway were scoring goals from the hand and winning titles the rule wasn’t long changing.
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It’s impossible.
Saw today the frontal challenge on Jake Morris 
There’s a lot of tidying up to be done by officialdom
No it’s not. I ref juvenile challenge matches for the club all the time. I do it regularly and it works a treat.
Sour grapes aside the handpass is a mockery at this stage. The likes of Lynch doesn’t even try to make a legitimate handpass even when he has plenty time and why would he when he knows he’ll get away with it.
@Malarkey made a strong argument for banning the handpass altogether. (apart from the handpass off the hurl). It might be worth a trial to see the impact of such a change but my view is that it would lead to more rucks which gives advantage to gym monkey teams.
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It will be trialled in the Freshers competition this year. Handpass must be by tapping off the hurley or else by switching the hurley, i.e. release from one hand and complete the pass with the other.
Limerick won’t worry too much about any rule amendments.
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Do people really think the Clare goal chance against Kilkenny where they just threw the ball the whole up the field before Conor Fogarty got a block in was ‘hurling’?
Thank God it wasnt scored.
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That was a pure calamity altogether.
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It was RIP Hurling stuff.
There wss a passage on Sunday too where Limerick threw the ball four times in succesion breaking out of defence before a long ball to Gillane. A complete joke.
There was even overhead throwing going on on Sunday which was just astonishing.
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Like any walk of life… If rules aren’t enforced then they become putty.
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You could argue either way – certainly as regards the initial effects. But I think the move, in the round, would lead to less congested play because teams would realize that ruck possession can be no longer be regained/retained with a quick handpass backwards. The premium approach would then swing back towards keeping forwards up the field and hitting them with direct ball.
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In fairness to Philip Mahony who introduced the overhead handpass, he perfected it legally.
But what went on on Sunday was just a joke.
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I think a lot of what you say on this front is well judged and fair. Myself, I have no impulse to give out about Limerick and handpassing/throwing not just because I think they are such a wonderful team but also because I think they would adapt pretty easily to a partial ban or a complete ban on handpassing, due to their stick passing being so adept. I likewise feel Limerick’s eschewal of a sweeper in defence during this five Senior titles in six seasons run remains a highly important counterbalance to the drear hurling bullshit purveyed by the likes of Derek McGrath. Whose thoughts and emphases on hurling seem more credible, those of Paul Kinnerk and John Kiely or those of Derek McGrath?
Which or whether, Limerick are simply playing in a different style than we have, in the main, previously seen. Their possession-retaining style is based on sports science that originated in rugby league’s impact on rugby union. Limerick do not, as first preference, clear the ball from their half back line. They instead play a necklace of handpasses/throws to work the ball to where a 65% shot or a 75% delivery can be produced. The truth? That only a run of games, league and championship, in which 20 or more frees for throwing the ball were given in the first half of each such game would rewire the dynamic. Nearly all sports coaches and sports players are pragmatists. They want to win. If they see a particular tactic no longer puts them in the black, they will stop doing it. But I think we all know, deep down, the will is not there to install that sort of temporary refereeing regime. I really have to bite my tongue when sitting in a pub, watching hurling, beside a group of people who alternate between shouting ‘Throw!’ and ‘Let it go, ref, for fuck’s sake!’
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I’d be of the view that the men long ago who drew up the rules of hurling were a lot smarter than what they were given credit for so would be reluctant to outright scrap the handpass. There are times where a player hasn’t room to swing a hurley so what choice do they have? Kick it maybe?
I’d be in favour of just rigidly enforcing it and if it means 20 frees per half until teams get the message then so be it. I find at local matches now if a throw is blown there is way less outcry than there was a year or two ago. Everyone sort of realises it has to be stamped out.
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Again, with the best will in the world, I think we both know this approach would be met with eminently predictable uproar. As politics shows, people want their bread buttered on both sides – and typically do not even realize they are contradicting themselves. Sports audiences are just another type of politics.
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I really respect @Aristotle opinions on the game and he’s one of the few Limericks who admits there is a problem.
The law of unintended consequences is something he has mentioned on numerous occasions but people seem certain it would lead to more rucks?
My own opinion is it won’t as teams will have to play a more territorial direct game that will reward first time, quick and direct hurling with skilled wrist work.
The big problem with all of this is anyone that questions this problem is seen as been a sore loser. It’s only real hurling people (especially those from Limerick) that can accept teams are throwing it.
As @Malarkey points out, Limerick will win anyway.
It’s up to people on podcasts & media to keep highlighting this but there appears to be a blanket ban on it by Dalo, RTE, Donal Og & Dictionary Derek.
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