GAA confirm they will look into 2-point rule loophole
We reported earlier in the summer on the loophole which can save teams from suffering a 2-point score against them.
During the Connacht SFC final between Mayo and Galway, with Mayo just a point behind with 18 minutes to go, Ryan O’Donoghue sent what looked like a definite 2-pointer towards the Galway posts.
And while it did go over, it only counted as one after keeper Connor Gleeson cleverly touched the ball as it was going over.
As pointed out by the commentators, it was an unfair outcome for Mayo, who ended up losing the game.
Yesterday, the Football Review Committee published its final report on the new rules, and confirmed that they will “clarifying conditions for 2-point scores when touched by the opposition” at Special Congress on October 4 in Croke Park.
GAA president Jarlath Burns also paid tribute to the work of the FRC.
He said: “It is no exaggeration to state that we have got our game back and at inter-county level both the Allianz Leagues and GAA Championship as competitions bore this out,” said Burns.
“There was a degree of nervousness around how the same rules might apply from the highest level down into our club competitions, but this too has been a huge success, bedding in well and breathing life back into our game amongst the largest cohort that plays it – namely our club players.
“Needless to say, this juncture has not been reached by accident. An incredible amount of work was undertaken by the Football Review Committee and its chairperson Jim Gavin – work that began the day after Congress 2024 in Newry.
“The diligence of those charged with embracing what was an onerous task is something we should be grateful for and is one of the reasons the process ran in the efficient manner that it did.”
Sports Joe
