Colm Collins says real tests lie ahead for GAA rule changes

Football Review Committee member Colm Collins was at Croke Park for the interprovincial trial games with a raft of rule changes on show

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Football Review Committee (FRC) member Colm Collins says the new experimental rules won’t get a proper test until next year’s National League. The former Clare manager was in attendance at Croke Park as the proposed changes were put through their paces in the interprovincials semi-finals. Jim Gavin’s FRC have presented a raft of changes, including the solo and go, kickouts having to go beyond a 40 metre arc, a restriction on passing to the goalkeeper and teams having to keep three players inside the opposition 65 metre line at all times.

Read More: Legendary GAA cult figure 'Effin Eddie' Moroney rides again Read More: Rory Beggan details biggest obstacle in the way of his NFL American Football dream and future plans Collins, who was Banner boss for 10 years, says the FRC may tweak the proposals or discard some of them before they go before Central Council. They will then go before a GAA Special Congress on November 30. The FRC are in situ for another year and may review whatever rules are brought in at the end of the 2025 season and tweak them again.



Collins said: “This is only a glimpse really of what’s going to happen. Where you are going to give coaches time to work on these rules and prepare, I can see there are certain things happening already. “If coaches had time to prepare they (games) might be a bit different.

It’s lovely to see. “What I am enjoying is there’s way more foot passing, all going forward from a foot pass, which is way different to the ball going backwards from a foot pass. “I am liking what I am seeing.

I love the throw in. There has been no foul at any of the games so far. Overall happy but the test will obviously come when there are National League points at stake.

“If there’s anything sticking out after we’ve reviewed the videos of tonight’s matches we will be prepared to go back and tweak them no problem. “There’s a chance to correct your mistakes. The committee is going on for another 12 months.

We will be big enough to say change that.” Collins added: “I think there is a massive appetite for change. I think the ground is fertile.

It’s ripe for change and hopefully we’ll get them through.” To keep up to date with all the latest GAA news, sign-up to our GAA newsletter here..