Sinead welcomes ‘positive’ changes to ladies rules

Mayo LGFA chairperson Sinead Stagg has described the decision by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association to trial 12 playing rules for next year’s National League and Higher Education Colleges competitions as ‘really positive’.

Six of the dozen changes mirror the GAA Football Review Committee’s rule enhancements in the men’s game: the kickout mark, the two-point scoring arc, the requirement to keep three players in the opposition half at all times, the solo and go, and frees being brought forward for tactical fouling or dissent from the sideline. Short restarts within the 40-metre arc will still be allowed, however.

The six other rule changes look specifically at the women’s rules, including those related to the tackle and increased physicality.

For the tackle, a player can now tackle the ball even if it is in the body, but they still must use the open hand, and the initial contact must be with the ball. The tackling player may make incidental contact with the player at the same time once the initial contact is with the ball and they cannot leave their hand in on the ball.

For preventing a collision, a player may now use one or both hands to legally delay an opponent’s forward movement provided the opponent is in possession of the ball and that the contact is made below shoulder height and is not a push backwards.

For controlled contact, a player can now use their body to fairly contest for possession of the ball provided the challenge does not involve excessive force. A shoulder charge is still not permitted, though.

For a square ball from play, a player still cannot enter the small rectangle before the ball. However, during play an attacking player can now legally enter the small rectangle after the final play of the ball – kick or handpass into the small rectangle.

The other three rules are that a 45m kick must also go forward or a throw-in will be rewarded, and three non-technical fouls by a player will result in a yellow card for persistent fouling.

“In fairness, the LGFA have been able to learn from that as to what kind of worked initially and what didn't,” Sinead Stagg told the Western People. “We're very lucky that the girls would have seen a lot of the clubs playing with these particular rules, the likes of the two pointer and the solo and go.

“They're really excited, particularly about those two. I think it's a huge improvement and I suppose it helps speed up the game. The ladies' game was a faster game on the field and this is just going to really make it an even better spectacle for the spectators.

“I also feel that the rule ensuring a minimum of three players stay in the other half means the game will become less defensive which had crept into the game, and it will allow for more attacking football.” 

Brian Regan, a selector for the Mayo senior champions Westport, believes calls for changes were heightened after the effect the new rules had on the men’s game.

“It shone a light on it really. We'd noticed it ourselves even in the schools games,” said Regan, who works in Sacred Heart School Westport. “We played an All-Ireland semi-final a couple of years ago against an Ulster team. Everyone was behind the ball trying to break them down and all that and it really had gone very much like the men's game at its worst.

“It wasn't widespread, it wasn't in every game, but it was starting to really creep in. Even recently just chatting to another guy who's a coach in the club, he said it was the first time he enjoyed watching the men's championship more than the ladies in quite a number of years.

“I’m excited about it. I think the way we play football in Mayo, I think it's good for us as well. Across the county, we do like to play attacking football. I think it's in our DNA.” 

Sinead Stagg added: “When you saw what it did to the men's game, like the solo and go, we’re all going, ‘God, that would be massive to get that into the girls' game’.

“You could see the particular players that it would really suit to be able to head off, solo and go and you're gone with the ball.

“I think the likes of the two-pointer, Sinead Walsh will only take that on board and the likes of Kayla Doherty. It's something I even have my own 14-year-old at home practicing. I'm not making her practice; she's doing it herself! She's on the under-16 squad this year and it's like a target that they all want to make.

“It's making both codes very similar and the way it changed the men's game really means that the women were really looking forward to hopefully bringing it in. Then when it happened, it's like ‘this is great’. It's a real move in the right direction for ladies football and we're looking forward to seeing it happen.” 

On the tackle and physicality in the game, Stagg offered: “There's a lot of physicality in the game but when you read the rules, the rules very clearly state its non-contact.

“It has to reflect what's actually happening on the field and what is happening on the field is that there is contact and it is physical.

“If the ball was in contact, you couldn't put your hands in, but now you can put your hands in and just get them out again, but it all depends on how that's going to be refereed.” 

The recommendations have been proposed by a Playing Rules Review Workgroup headed up by former LGFA President Mícheál Naughton, and which also had Mayo captain Danielle Caldwell among their workgroup.

“She’s a great role model for any young girl playing football and a great role model for our county,” said Stagg of Caldwell, who was also the GPA representative for Mayo this year.

The rule changes will be reviewed after round 3 of the National League, and further alterations will be made at that point, if required.

At the end of the National League, a full evaluation of the enhancements and proposed motions will be put to Special Congress to bring the rules in for all competitions.