Hurling is in a great place when the only issue being raised is the handpassing action.
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It’s based on a level of fitness that no other team is within an asses roar of tbh.
What is so admirable about them is the levels of natural skill matched to their physical advantages.
Peter Casey worked like a dog in defence Sunday showing up in his HB line spoiling & tackling.
Yet, the scores he took were breathtakingly skilful.
I know I had a pop off Nicky Quaid early doors for the knee taking routine but they are so prepared they do this instinctively.
They know when the pressure is on & the opposition momentum needs stalling.
Tom Morrissey tried it Sunday but Keenan played on & Tom found his feet quickly.
This is all part of the project of winning. Simple as that.
Whether it’s Kiely, Kinnerick or Currids influence they are all on point all the time.
Panic never sets in.
It’s going to take a team full of Strength, Supreme fitness and top class hurling to beat them.
Looking at what’s coming underage, perhaps Cork are the legitimate threat?
Whether there is a leadership core in Cork to oversee such a project is questionable.
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The new trial rules will be interesting and in fairness are a good attempt at finding an unambiguous fix to the issue. I don’t think it will lead to a lot more rucks, certainly not in the long term. The one-handed stick-strike was getting a good workout on training pitches earlier this year and this is a skill that will evolve quickly, particularly if the trial rules are adopted as standard.
I also don’t agree that what his happening right now is a blight on the game. Personally I think the way Limerick move the ball is breathtaking to watch when they are in full flow, both through the hands and off the stick. The thing is, the handpasses are generally not really throws per se, but they are on the absolute borderline of being so, and that is the danger, because if you can’t ref a handpass then there is nothing stopping the game becoming Olympic Handball.
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All true, And well said as well.
I think Clare, obviously, are real close. Should have won Munster Final.
And Cork are coming, yes.
The throw makes the game hard to watch at present IMO
I want the rule to remain the same but the refs just don’t have the bottle for it in championship for whatever reason
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The handpass can’t & shouldn’t be scrapped.
Done correctly it has seen some classic goals scored over the years.
Blatant throws should be called as fouls and no more about it.
If a referee can’t deem it as a clear handpass, he must blow his whistle.
If it’s borderline line the player must & will do more to make it clear to the officials
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Is banning the crowd running onto the pitch at the final whistle the only good thing the gaa have done in recent years?
It’s superb.
Mildly ruined by annoying fireworks display for those situated in the lower hogan.
I’d be interested to hear what both club and intercounty refs make of it and how to approach it
So would I tbh.
Would you be in favour of getting rid of the Handpass?
Usually they can keep it in for 48 hours but it’s generally around day 3 when the stark reality hits
I have no issue if there are two distinct actions with a separate release and then strike. All too often the release and strike are for all intents and purposes are the one motion which is a push rather than a hand pass which I’d like to see removed from the game.
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I essentially agree. But nothing we have seen over the last few years indicates there will be the requisite shift in refereeing – or that the appetite is there to see out what such a shift would entail.
Wish I could say different. But…
What about modifying the rule so that it says that the ball has to be released upwards and hit by the same hand, but only after it starts descending? It would eliminate the throws and the ones that are technically legal but look like throws, while maintaining the skill and the ability to give a pass in a tight spot.
Requiring the ball to be falling would introduce a split second that balances out the equation. You might say that would be too fine of a thing for refs to watch for, but I think people would be surprised at how clear it might be to see that a ball has reached the top of it’s arc when released upwards.
I’ll answer my own question and reply to a few of the comments.
The hand pass should stay obviously, but reffed correctly. They had a shot of (in this case) the Limerick team warming up before the game and they were practicing the hand pass. Anyone else admire how quick they were able to do it?
And it’s not sour grapes, we were beaten by the better team, no doubt about it. But plays were initiated and scores were gotten by series of very quick hand passing.
I’ve reffed underage games like u12/u13 where the result doesn’t ultimately count. I hate the rucks, can’t abide them. But if I’m asked to ref a game, I’ll say it before the match starts to both sets of coaches that rucks will not be happening, and for them to encourage their teams to pull on the ball. I haven’t reffed for a few years so I can’t say that the very quick hand pass is a thing or not at underage - I’m sure it’s creeping in.
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I do think something should be done about football, but what I don’t know. Cork were absolutely awful to watch this year. There may need to be litigation against having every single player in your own 45 (half). I quite like tactical football, but man some games were bad this year.
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I’m probably up there as being critical of refereeing the hand pass, and steps for that matter, for a number of years. But the handpass has been a problem for about 20 years. It feels we’re getting close to a tipping point seeing how there are competitions experimenting with rule changes. I welcome that but I feel the fix is simpler.
The Cork team of the early 2000s started this trend as part of their short passing/possession based game. That’s why you will not hear Dónal Óg complain about It. He’s Frankenstein and this is his, Dónal O’Grady and Newtownshandrums monster. They probably look on it positively as their legacy to the game. It started as an edge they found in the weakness of rule enforcement and it has continued to evolve over two decades into what you see right now. Everyone has availed of this to a certain extent in that period. E.g. On the peak Kilkenny team Jackie Tyrrell’s handpasses were questionable at best. Very easy to find half a dozen lads on every team today that do it. Which goes to show it’s being coached. You’re now in a situation where it’s more likely that a referee blows a good handpass for a throw than a bad one.
I’ve also talked a lot about steps over the last few years, especially straight line steps. Lads get possession and run 10 steps before playing the ball. Even if there’s nobody in the immediate vicinity to tackle them. And yet, if you have the ball and you pivot a couple of times and have taken 6 steps you’re far more likely to be called than for 10 straight line steps.
To me it’s all a question of enforcement. We’ve all seen at the start of a league there is the flavour of the month enforcement. Sometimes it’s followed through for the summer, sometimes it’s gone by May. About 10 years ago Gaelic Football got very strict on the handpass. It was a bit heavy handed by referees for a few weeks and then something magical happened. Players took responsibility and modified their behaviour for the betterment of their team.
If hurling referees did go hard on this for a month and said before the start of the season:
- If you handpass the ball it must have a clear and obvious striking action or a foul will be given against you.
- If you’re carrying the ball upfield in hand be aware, we will be more strict on the steps you take. Make sure you take your touches or you will be called for over carrying.
We may have a week or two of heavy free count but in my opinion the end absolutely justifies the means if we have a better sport as a result.
I’m wary of the unintended consequences of this. I believe though that both of these changes should, on balance, favour defenders and defending which I believe is a good thing. As the high level of scoring shows, scoring and attacking has become easier in the last decade for a number of reasons both tactical and physical. Anything that cleanly tips the scales back in the other direction should be welcomed.
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the scrum half