In today's Irish Independent, Martin Breheny – the eagle eyed rule connoisseur that he is – has highlighted a anomaly in the new rules proposed by the GAA for hurling penalties and 20 metre frees.
He rightly points out that the changes specifically address 20 metre frees and not those that are given from further out the field. This means that, say for instance a player wins a free 21 metres out, well then the free taker is free to move seven metres forward in his run up and strike the ball just 14 metres from goal.
Even it's 25 metres out, they could still end up taking the shot from 18 metres.
While this sounds a little trivial, so did the fact that the rules didn't say a defender wasn't allowed charge down a free or penalty and that's what has caused all the drama in the first place.
Elsewhere, John Fogarty has made a point in today's Irish Examiner that Pat McEnaney advocated one-on-one penalties in hurling, during a meeting of the playing rules committee last year. Donal Óg Cusack was also in favour but the idea was struck down.
