Hurling Rules being ignored

[Lone Shark]

(I don't normally put my paper pieces up here any more for obvious reasons, but I'm working on this bit and I'd like to throw it out there for debate as well as to get a bit of feedback on it. I stopped hurling at around 15 years of age due to ineptitude and as such I sometimes miss some of the subtleties of the game that others pick up on. This is my reading of matters, but others may have a more nuanced and experienced view....)

In so many ways, last Sunday's defeat to Kilkenny was a sign of how much Offaly had lost touch with the continuing evolution of hurling. Kilkenny, managed by a man who was one of the losing finalists in that famous Leinster final of 1980, took the field with a powerful and accomplished team of hurlers and blew Offaly away with a combination of efficient use of the sliothar and physical dominance all over the field. Brian Cody has long understood the importance of fielding and power in the game of modern hurling, with the prerequisite that the player had all the basics of the game already mastered.

Brian Hogan, Sunday's RTE man of the match, is in so many ways the perfect Brian Cody hurler. He holds his ground, he eats puckouts all day long and his ability to hurl off either side and his excellent vision means that when he gets the sliothar into his hand, he invariably delivers it to the advantage of a team mate.

For too long Offaly hurling trainers and players have stayed true to the old mantras of “letting the ball do the work” and ground hurling, at least until 2005 when the 31 point beating in Croke Park opened a few eyes about how unsuited to the modern game that style is. Next Wednesday Offaly will continue their Leinster under 21 campaign in Birr against Wexford and it's notable that this panel, by far the county's best chance of a Leinster title for many years, is much more adept at the aeriel power based hurling style which is now espoused by all successful teams. Derek Morkan, Brian Leonard, Diarmuid Horan and Joe Bergin are all examples of players who can marry traditional hurling skills with the fielding skills that are now crucial, while players like Derek Molloy and Conor Mahon play in a style that would not have seen them get close to a county panel twenty years ago but they nonetheless will be of vital importance next Wednesday.

However in exploring how this change in the game came about, there is a real case for saying that it is the lack of enforcement of many of hurling's rules that has handed so much advantage to the team in possession, to the point where possession has become nine tenths of the law in hurling terms as well as in general life. The rules in question have not changed in recent years and taken one by one, their transgression does not make a huge difference when they are applied equally to both sides. It is on looking at the composite effect that it becomes clear why a hurler who is very adept at winning 50/50 ball is nowadays much more valuable than one who is unable to do this but has all the other skills of the game.

Firstly, we look at the most significant offence not being whistled – charging. Historically, when a defender or attacker caught the ball, they did so under pressure and then turned away from their marker, using the four steps allowed to get some space before playing the ball, more often than not running towards their own goal. The resultant strike was then invariably played blind with little control. This also meant that the old fashioned skill of overhead pulling was prevalent as a good overhead connection was as likely to hit the ball in the right direction as a ball that had been caught and then hurled. A player like Brian Whelahan who could hit the ball exactly where he wanted it to go despite being under pressure and running the wrong way became an invaluable asset in this environment.

Nowadays however the game has changed – instead of the fielding player using his four steps to move away from his marker, he uses the first two to barge into him, knocking him back. He then takes one step to the side himself and can now look down the field to see exactly where he wants it to go before hitting the ball on his front foot. Brian Hogan, or indeed most modern half backs like Ken McGrath, Seán Óg Ó'hAilpín or Eamonn Corcoran are perfect exponents of this new style which rarely if ever gets whistled. Because the initial contact looks like a “clash” of two people moving into each other while there isn't any momentum built up, the ref lets it go and the player gets the ball cleared. The clearance goes 90 yards towards the target full forward instead of the usual 40 or 50 over the shoulder to no-one in particular and the catching player's advantage is more than doubled. This barging also plays into the hands of running forwards who often charge into the defender, another offence that doesn't get called. Kevin Broderick gets lauded for his pace yet a large part of his game is based on getting away with this.

The second foul being whistled intermittently rather than consistently is the throwing of the sliothar instead of the legal handpass and it follows on from the previous point. The catching player barges, but if the marker does not get bumped far enough back, modern fitness dictates that within a couple of seconds the player in possession will be swallowed up by three or four opponents. What is happening nowadays is that the player in possession uses this “cover” to throw the ball out of the crowd and this is being let go by referees. Several players, particularly in Cork where the running game is so prevalent, have developed a handpass where it is so close to being illegal that the ref has no choice but to let it go or he would be whistling for it all day and receive untold abuse in the media for "not letting the game flow". While technically it's a legal handpass once it goes so much as a half an inch out of the hand before being struck, so many of the modern handpasses as so imperceptible to the modern eye that referees forgive all but the most blatant – furthering the advantage to the team in possession.

Our third foul is the next resort of the charging player when bottled up – lying on the sliothar. In theory this is a free against the offender – but the surprise when Brian Gavin correctly gave this decision against Dónal Óg Cusack in last year's drawn All Ireland quarter final shows just how unused to seeing this we are. This is another get out clause for the team in possession and another blow to ground hurling as it means that players lie on the ball rather than dropping it to be played along the ground.

Finally, there is one last sly trick of the running player – the throw ahead of himself. Check out the replays of last Sunday's game and look at the first goal, where Shefflin flings the ball some five feet ahead of himself in order to give himself room, then scoops it up without breaking stride, thus securing the space he needs. In theory the player is attempting to put the ball onto his stick for a solo run, but of course if he has his opponent beaten for pace or turning, the careless fling is just as useful and easier to execute. If a player as good as Shefflin really wanted to put the ball on his hurl, he would. The fact that he did not break stride shows that the sliothar was exactly where he expected it to be. The O'Connor twins in Cork, Eoin Kelly in Tipperary and Barry Whelahan of Birr are other exponents of this trick, which is also – as long as the ball hits the ground before hitting the hurl – a foul.

No referee goes out to deliberately ignore the rule book, but much like classroom Irish and spoken Irish having subtle differences on occasion, rulebook hurling and real hurling are two slightly different games and it is the imbalance in favour of the team in possession that has led to the modern game becoming so different to what Offaly players have been indoctrinated with for so long. Trainers and players have no choice but to adapt to the game as it is played and certainly the fervent hope is that we begin to see this in Offaly at adult level very soon, but in the mean time referees would do well to remember the rule book as it is written, rather than as people have come to perceive it.

[Efan]

Agree 100% with all your observations LS. Quiet a few of them (espeically barging your opponent) are old chestnuts of mine.

One other I would add to this is playing the players arms when he is posession of the ball. I saw it several times last Sunday and it is something that is becoming part and parcel of the modern game. When a player is “bottled up” and has the sliotar in hand his opponent uses either his arms or their hurl to hold down his opponents arm that is in possession of the ball. This prevents a hand pass (or throw!!) or the ability to get the ball on to hurl to prevent an over carrying call. Its an example where like in many sports increased coaching is as much channeled into methods to prevent your opponent playing as it is to improve the basic skills. I have sympathy for refs on this one as it’s a really hard one for them to police but when your sitting in close proximity to the action at a game and you can see it happening it jumps out at you.

There is an element of “you are dammed if you do” and “your dammed if you don’t” about this. If refs all of a sudden blow every foul then the game will be free riddled and they will get heaps of stick. If they don’t they get our criticism above. Each area should be focused on one by one until it is cleared up and then move on to the next. The process would take a few seasons but it is more likley to work.

Hurling is played as such speed and so many calls are made from long distances. It is a sport that cries for a system whereby the lines man has the authority to award a free in the same way they do as in soccer when it comes to a technical infringement. With the exception of an off the ball incident the lines man is not involved.

In the same way the players are coached to be “cute” the referee coaching needs to continue to develop. At elite inter county levels players should get clear instruction as to what will and will not be tolerated in advance of a “clamp down” to ensure that we do not get the usual GAA knee jerk reaction to trying to improve the game and to make it fairer. Inter county banisteoir tells chairman “These rule changes are bad and will hurt us” …. Intercounty chairman brings pressure to bear to maintain the status quo … the usual GAA way of dealing with anything that is in anyway radical when it comes to a rule change.

[Sydthebeat]

Im not a hurler, never was, but can i ask a few questions...

If the player throws the ball ahead and feins missing his hurl.... is it not considered throwing the ball?

are free takers supposed to flick the ball up? almost every freetakers these days rests the ball on the hurl before flicking it up... i though this was a foul?

are helmets compulosry? the Kk corner back in the second half played without one....

[Plain of the Herbs]

I’ll deal with these three points if I may.

I must admit it took me a few times to cop Shefflin’s throw even when watching on television. While strictly speaking ‘throwing’ the ball is outlawed, obviously a hurler has to ‘throw’ the ball up to hit it. Some hurlers have in recent years taken the rule to the limits by throwing the ball a few yards in front of them, riding a challenge and collecting the ball again.

A query I have relates to the final free in the Wexford Dublin match when Hiney was pulled for three catches. Because he lobbed the ball over an opponent’s head and collected again, had he let the ball hop he would have been OK. But could he be deemed, by lofting the ball over his opponent that he wasn’t in possession and it was OK to catch again?

A freetaker is not allowed hop the ball on his hurl while taking a free. To my knowledge there is no time limit for the amount of time he can rest the ball on the hurl though.

Helmets are compulsory up to under 21 level only.

Hope that helps, Sid, though I’ve probably more questions than answers there.

Im not a hurler, never was, but can i ask a few questions...

If the player throws the ball ahead and feins missing his hurl.... is it not considered throwing the ball?

are free takers supposed to flick the ball up? almost every freetakers these days rests the ball on the hurl before flicking it up... i though this was a foul?

are helmets compulosry? the Kk corner back in the second half played without one....

[royalblue]

Syd Helmets will be soon complusory for every grade.

[bula bula]

That was a really good spot with the players throwing the ball forward and re-collecting it. Have to admit I never noticed it and didnt until I looked back over the game. Has this ever been brought up before? Have never heard it discussed or read anything about it. Is it well known? and how can this be countered if the referees dont pick up on it?

[True Red]

Has this ever been brought up before?

I seem to recall The Sunday Game hurling analysts highlighting Dan Shanahan employing this tactic in a Munster championship match and rightly pointing out that it was against the rules. That was couple of years ago.

[uibhfhaili]

KK have perfected a number of tackling techniques which are v questionable to say the least.
KK backs, under a dropping ball, consistently put the hurley around their opponents throat /neck and jerk back just before the ball lands unbalancing the poor victim. You'll only cop this if you watch tv replays. They never get caught for it and it works perfectly.
They consistently lead high with the hurley into an oncoming opponent which is quite dangerous the times it goes wrong.
As for Noel Hickey - wel the less said the better.

[jimmyeatworld]

Another couple for the list.

1. When a player has almost fully broken past the tackle and lashes back with the hurl to put off opponent to gain the extra bit of space needed to strike the ball. Eoin Kelly of Tipp and Tommy Walsh are the best exponents of this. Not alone is this against the rules but it's also dangerous, nasty and very painful if you're on the receiving end!

2. Damien Fitzhenry vs Dublin at the weekend: Go into the tackle in possession, relaise you can't break it, hold onto opponents arm and go to ground, win free.
More prevalent in football but is present in hurling too.

[Phoenix]

LS, the article as posted looks great to me. It deserves to be in a national newspaper, to get a national debate going. Maybe the Offaly Independent could syndicate it around the local newspapers or stick it in the Irish Indo.

You've highlighted all the reasons why Offaly, regrettably, have to change with the times and change their style. I'd much prefer to see better refereeing which would give more room for the traditional Offaly style to breathe but I doubt that's going to happen any time soon. In fact most referees favour the man in possession and whistle up the Offaly attempts to flick the ball away.

By the way I've never seen a team as cute and streetwise as the present Kilkenny team. Watching them live on Sunday was to get a lesson on how to give the opposition the hardest possible time without getting penalised. The most amazing thing to my eye was that once they were safely ahead they started to play exhibition hurling without a hint of anything borderline. So it looked as if they can up the physical stakes at will. They'd have beaten us on Sunday no matter what style they adopted but it was still interesting to see them in action live. Mighty impressive.

[Aweflee]

Another couple for the list.

1. When a player has almost fully broken past the tackle and lashes back with the hurl to put off opponent to gain the extra bit of space needed to strike the ball. Eoin Kelly of Tipp and Tommy Walsh are the best exponents of this. Not alone is this against the rules but it's also dangerous, nasty and very painful if you're on the receiving end!

Ronan Curran of Cork is another lad who's fond of throwing back the hurl. It's dangerous but never blown up by referees.

[gutless08]

how bout sideline cuts been taken 3-4 yards from sideline? corcoran , canning and farragher when allowed chance it all the time. good post lone shark.

[DD]

Slight change in subject (hurling to football) but in there with rules that are being totally ignored is the handpass/throw over the bar.
Corner forwards coming in along the endline and somehow flinging the ball over the bar in what certainly is not a fisted score is now a weekly occurence in the Championship - I haven't seen a ref pull anyone up on it yet..

[bula bula]

Have just seen that the Cork county board have been fined for Donal og Cusack using his own supply of sliothars in the Tipperary game. Now I dont know what, if any rules there are regarding this and how much of an advantage this gives, but it just shows what some are prepared to do to get that little edge. Have watched the gooch a few times now and some of his off the ball "tricks" would give a real insight into what players can do when there is no-one looking, but I still rate him as the best forward around. Perhaps we need to get that little bit of sneakiness into us as it seems that all the top teams are at something or other.

[duckdiggler]

usual one for me is a defender aiming hurl at elbow hands knuckles when "going for Sliothar". Little flicks on player under dropping ball to distract before referee looks at them also.

I thought KK were getting away with a lot of that in Portlaoise, and then cleaning up all the broken/ spilled ball