One of the more significant rule changes Gaelic football has witnessed in modern times will come into force on 1 January 2017.
The GAA trialled the rule in Division One of the Higher Education League. They have deemed this trial a success and are now introducing the rule across the board from the beginning of next year.
The GAA posted a video showing the mark in operation in the Higher Education League last month.
Here's an example of what 'The Mark' in Gaelic Football will be like from yesterday's @HigherEdGAA action! Rule comes into effect from Jan 1 pic.twitter.com/VawEZxpis9
— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 20, 2016
The rule was passed at Congress in Carlow last year. The rule change secured the support of 68% of the delegates, thereby just about clearing the required two-thirds majority.
Here's the rule change. |It only applies from the kick-out.
When a player catches the ball cleanly from a Kick-out without it touching the ground, on or past the 45m line nearest the kick-out point, he shall be awarded a 'Mark' by the referee. The player awarded the mark will have the option of (a.) taking a free or (b.) playing on immediately
At the time of the rule's passage through the Congress, Gaelic footballers expressed bemusement that it was being introduced without a trial.
Past rule changes have often been trialled in the League before being used in the summer.
Some of them never got past the trial stage. Ironically, the mark was one of those rules. It was trialled in the 2010 League campaign but not brought forward to the championship.
Needless to say, the rule was introduced to reward and protect the skill of 'high fielding'. The aim is to prevent the catcher being swarmed by a phalanx of defenders after plucking the ball from the sky.
[Irish Independent]
