GAA may tweak sin bin rule

While there are no complaints about the pick-up off the ground and only a few regarding the tee used by goalkeepers for the kick out, there has been widespread criticism of over use of the sin bin.
Players, who in the past got a yellow card for rough play are now sent to the so-called sin bin for 10 minutes. The rule is expected to be refined, with players probably getting a warning before being sent off.
However, according to Football Rules Task Force Chairman Tommy Moran, the new rules will be implemented in the upcoming National League.
“The sin bin will definitely be used for the League campaign, as will the other new rules,” Moran said. “The whole idea of an experiment is to find out more about something and I think it’s just a question of tidying up the approach to it. So we will be looking at the definitions of the rules and if they are not clear enough, then there is still time to change them before the start of the Leagues.”
The Hurling Task Force chairman, Nicky Brennan, said he feels that the changes will work better in hurling.
“I think there will be a lot less problems in hurling,” he said. “It’s still a physical game, but I think there’s less physical contact. To dispossess someone in football there is an element of pulling and dragging, but in hurling it’s more about the ball.”
The GAA’s head of games, Pat Daly, who has acted as secretary to both task forces, has no doubts that the new rules will help rid the games of dirty play.
“The bottom line is that the GAA had to so something about the growing problems of indiscipline,” he said. “We’re in a situation were we have had a number of court cases in the past year, and the one thing players are saying to us is that something must be done about this off-the-ball stuff and body checking.
“So I think it would have been very irresponsible of us, considering the feedback we are getting and given the trends that are developing, not to do what we are doing. Ultimately, it’s up to delegates at Congress to accept or reject to the rules, but as least we are trying to get that fine balance in terms of rewarding the skilful player and that the cynical player doesn’t win out.”
Meanwhile, players and management are happy with the pick-up off the ground, while the only criticism of the tee for a kick out is that its use could prevent a quick kick out when the goalkeeper sees a colleague unmarked. But it’s good news for goalkeepers who have suffered groin injuries as a result of continuous kick outs.