New ’12th man’ rule killing the game – Derry boss Tally

After his side lost to Tyrone in Saturday’s Division One game at Healy Park, Derry manager Paddy Tally claims Gaelic football’s new rule for goalkeepers is “killing the game.”

Goalkeepers can create an overload in the opposition’s half thanks to one of the new rule “enhancements” created by the Football Review Committee (FRC).

An advancing goalkeeper can make it 12v11 for the attacking side if three outfielders are kept on each half of the pitch.

Tyrone made the most of this on Saturday when their winning margin was 2-13 to 1-9 with Peter Teague scoring from the penalty spot.

“The 12th man is killing the game. Tally, who took Mickey Harte’s place as Derry boss after his first competitive game, admitted defeat. “It’s as simple as that,” he said.

“That is no slight on any particular goalkeeper. Niall (Morgan) is a fantastic ‘ keeper but it doesn’t make any sense.

You wanted one-on-one combat, and there were times in the game when the ball was just bouncing back and forth across the field for two, three minutes straight.

Tally was unimpressed by the new 50-meter advancement rule, too. If a player objects to a player’s decision or doesn’t hand the ball over after conceding a free, the referee has the right to advance 50 meters.

“It doesn’t seem natural”, argued Tally.

“I believe it’s a very draconian punishment for something that seems so simple at times,” she said.

When asked what his opinion of the goalkeeper rule was, Tyrone manager Malachy O’Rourke responded that there were “a couple of ways to look at it.”

” It was always there, the goalkeeper could always come out. Last year it was 15 versus 14, so it’s exactly the same thing only there’s less numbers up there, “said O’Rourke, who had been a member of the FRC before stepping down to focus on his duties with Tyrone.

” I just do think that if you start curtailing the goalkeeper too much, you’ll lose then goalkeepers. We just felt that the goalkeeper in his own defense, getting the ball too much, caused a team to have a hard time pushing up, and that’s because I was a member of the committee that created the rules.

“Whereas at least when he’s coming across the halfway line, he’s in a more advanced position, it’s an attacking opportunity, but there’s a lot of risk in it as well. You saw it today, if the ball breaks down, you have to get back.