Kerry selector Mike Quirke has suggested an intriguing rule change to reinvigorate the sport of Gaelic football, with many concerned about the current state of the game.
Quite a few prominent voices within the GAA have been critical of the direction the sport has travelled in over recent years, an issue that has become even more prominent in recent months. Some of the recent club action around the country resulted in quite a bit of concern about where Gaelic football is going, most notably the Mayo final between Breaffy and Ballina Stephenites.
It is clear that the game has become too conservative, something that is negatively affecting the spectacle on show. The defensive approach taken by many teams has turned quite a few viewers off, something that will be of massive concern to the GAA.
When it comes to remedying this issue, some sort of rule change seems like the most likely outcome.
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Kerry selector suggests intriguing Gaelic football rule change
Mike Quirke won four All-Irelands as a Kerry player and is now a selector with the county under Jack O'Connor.
Speaking on RTÉ's Sunday Sport, he suggested one rule change that he feels would make Gaelic football more attractive for viewers.
As adverse as I am to changing the rules of the game constantly, because we seem to be doing that a little too often. The biggest problem with Gaelic football is the fact that you can defend with 15 men inside a very small space inside your 45...
Could an official say you have to have four forwards in the attacking side of the field? Automatically you're limiting the number of guys that can go defend to 11.
Those guys can different - it doesn't have to be the same four fellas all the time - but four guys have to stay on the attacking side of the field.
At least that's creating more space inside the 45. A referee's job is a nightmare as it is and I don't know how they do it, and they do it very well. I don't know if it's something that's refereeable.
That's the biggest problem in the game. You're only kicking the ball backwards because there's 14 guys inside the 45. If there's less bodies in there, there's more space and opportunities to score.
It's about regulating that, and creating those opportunities, more than changing the rules wholesale.
Kerry usually employ a very attractive style of play, but even their approach has been altered in recent times in reaction to the way Gaelic football is currently being played.
It is becoming increasingly likely that the GAA will be forced to intervene if they want to avoid the prospect of the sport becoming completely unwatchable.
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