Stats to shed light on new rules during Football League

Jim Gavin said that a newly-established Games Intelligence Unit will evaluate the success or otherwise of the new gaelic football playing rules

Football Review Committee chairman Jim Gavin says that statistics shedding light on the impact of the new football rules will be made available following each round of the Allianz Football League.

The Football Review Committee intends to tap into the GPS information which inter-county teams invariably already collate in order to compare trends from the last couple of seasons.

This information will be made publicly available on a division by division basis during the Football League rather that details being published on each team.

"We're planning by the Wednesday if not the Tuesday after [Football League] games, that you'll have this data," Gavin told a media briefing on Friday.

"You won't know which particular teams we're talking about for GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) reasons so we'll be pushing out division by division what we are seeing in comparison to the previous years."

This will be done by the newly-established Games Intelligence Unit which will report to the Football Review Committee, who can then recommend to Croke Park that tweaks to the new rules may be necessary.

"We will be evaluating the physical demands of the new rules. Everything from high speed running from extent of kick passing and hand passing. We'll be sharing this data publicly with everybody as we march on," added Gavin.

The Football Review Committee chairman was at pains to point out that the GAA's Central Council does have the power to make changes to the new rules "at any time".

However, the former Dublin boss admitted, for example, that tinkering with the new two-point score after the Football League started was unlikely given that it would potentially undermine the integrity of a competition when scoring differences can settle promotion and relegation issues.

"The most logical place [to amend or remove new rules] would be between the National League and the championship but if something is obviously not working, I don't think we want to stand on ceremony," he added

Gavin said that Football Review Committee members have been attending inter-county training sessions since collective training resumed earlier this month to give briefings and advice on the new rules.

The Football Review Committee chairman added the feedback from inter-county players who have played in-house training games under the new rules has been positive.

"It's gaelic football. It's not a hybrid game. It's just a good game of gaelic football. That's pleasing and we obviously hope that transfers to the National League."

Gavin unperturbed by Sigerson decision

The Football Review Committee has been conducting online seminars with a variety of stakeholders over the past three weeks since the new rules were backed with huge majorities at the GAA's Special Congress on 30 November.

These include a session earlier this week attended by 800 club referees while 1500 club coaches took part in another webinar.

On Friday, the GAA also released 90-minute and 30-minute videos explaining the new rules.

Counties will have the autonomy not to introduce the new rules for underage games although the Football Review Committee is recommending that they should.

"That takes account of maybe counties playing 11-a-side or 13-a-side at under-13 level and you are putting the posts on the 20-metre line," said Gavin's Football Review Committee colleague Shane Flanagan.

"It's still a decent enough kick for that age. The arc could still be in play. So let it be still in play. I think you have a lot of kids who would be very disappointed if the arc is not in play. Let them have a go and be like their idols."

Gavin was unperturbed by the GAA's higher education committee's decision not to use the new rules in this season's Sigerson Cup and Trench Cup varsity competitions.

"The lead-in time was so short that I fully understand their decision. It was a very sensible decision for them and the point being made about players having to switch and back……I don't think that's too much of a drama."