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Proposals from the Expert Advisory Group will be tested during the upcoming Higher Education league
Kevin McStay has asked for patience in the hope a new set of experimental rules devised by his Expert Advisory Group will be given a chance in upcoming trials before any knee-jerk judgments are made.
A series of rule adjustments – including a ban on fisted scores, four-point goals, limiting consecutive handpasses to three, and introducing a backcourt rule – will be tested during 15 Higher Education Division 1 league games in October and November. The EAG, chaired by McStay, will then analyse data from the fixtures before deciding which, if any, of the rules they intend to bring forward to be further road-tested at intercounty level in January.
McStay hopes any successful rules could be operational for the start of next year’s National Football League before formal motions are put to Congress in February.
“We’d like to see whatever stands up going straight into the league, and then they would be formalised at Congress. I think that’s possible,” said McStay.
“That would be the hope. Because if they stand up, they stand up. Let’s get them out there. ” Given the raft of changes introduced by the Football Review Committee last year, questions have been raised as to whether there is a need for more rule modifications.
But McStay feels areas remain which can be improved.
“ went a very long way to giving us a great game, but we’re thinking that there are still some little adjustments and tweaks that can take place,” said the former Mayo manager. “We’re attempting these trials now, probably with the game of football at peace. We’ve had a terrific championship.
So, in that space, it’s a little bit tricky for me and the EAG to come into the room and say, ‘We have a few other things now we’d like to try. ’ “We’re taking the position that essentially we want to do no harm to the game, but I think we have to accept also that there are issues around the current game that are unsatisfactory.
“For instance, there is far too much hand-passing, and the reduction of hand-passing is a large challenge. There’s not enough kick-passing, and increasing that is another dramatic challenge. These are not simple issues to remedy.
“We’ve also seen a significant growth in the two-pointer. We see that as a hugely positive development, but on the downside, the significance of the goal, the value of the goal, which I would argue is the most exciting moment in the game of Gaelic football, that seems to be under threat.
“I’d ask for patience, let the trials take place and let’s see where we are post-trial. ” Expanding on the impact of the two-pointer, McStay said: “The actual number of goals being scored is just over two per game. That’s the average in 2025-26 – 2.2 goals per game. It’s okay, it’s fine, but we think there’s just another layer now .
“If we don’t consider increasing the goal to four , over a period you’d imagine the two-pointers are going to probably take primacy. “That’s what we sense as a group. And so the goal will, I won’t say be an afterthought, but it will diminish over time.
“We believe it’s only going in one direction. So I think the four-point goal is having its moment. The idea of it, to have it trialled, is having its moment. ” Head of the GAA’s Games Intelligence Unit Johnny Bradley, who is also a member of the EAG, feels the limit on consecutive handpasses could bring about the biggest change.
“I think the most significant trial is probably limiting the handpass,” he said. “Looking at the information we have from this year’s championship, we know that those longer chains of possessions are in attack, when you go over the halfway line. “So it will be really interesting to see if the limit on handpasses increases kick-passing.
But more importantly, I will be focusing on, from a GIU perspective, not just if there is an increase in kick-passing, but is it a meaningful change that makes the game better?
” Rules to be trialled: Ban on fisted points, unless the ball is in flight Goal value to be increased to four points Consecutive handpasses to be limited to three Backcourt rule Kickouts must only go beyond 13 meters Increase number of subs allowed from five to six Extend the 40-meter arc to the end-line Fifty-meter advance for impeded marks All 50-meter advanced frees to be taken from the 13-meter line
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