Mark from kickouts

[Mick Lyons]

I'd be in favour of this if it is only from kickouts and the player must be outside the 45.

Skryne eager to make mark

By Martin Breheny

Wednesday January 28 2009

Meath club Skryne have launched a campaign to introduce the 'mark' in Gaelic football. They want a player who makes a clean catch over his head from a kick-out awarded a 'mark' provided he is outside the 45-metre line. He would then be allowed to play the ball away unchallenged.

Meath are backing the idea, which will go before Congress in 2010, the next rule-changing year. There's a lot of merit in it as it would reward high-fielding unlike the current situation where the fetcher is greeted on landing by a posse of markers. Often he is penalised for over-carrying so real skill loses out to swarm-marking.

Presumably, Skryne's move was influenced by the exploits of their own Liam Hayes and John McDermott, two of the best catchers of modern times.

[de mange]

I'd be in favour of this if it is only from kickouts and the player must be outside the 45.

Skryne eager to make mark

By Martin Breheny

Wednesday January 28 2009

Meath club Skryne have launched a campaign to introduce the 'mark' in Gaelic football. They want a player who makes a clean catch over his head from a kick-out awarded a 'mark' provided he is outside the 45-metre line. He would then be allowed to play the ball away unchallenged.

Meath are backing the idea, which will go before Congress in 2010, the next rule-changing year. There's a lot of merit in it as it would reward high-fielding unlike the current situation where the fetcher is greeted on landing by a posse of markers. Often he is penalised for over-carrying so real skill loses out to swarm-marking.

Presumably, Skryne's move was influenced by the exploits of their own Liam Hayes and John McDermott, two of the best catchers of modern times.

the game is stopped too much as it is for minor fouls - the last thing you want is the game to be stopped another 20 times per match

what would anyone gain from such a rule? good fielders of the ball already have all of the advantage they need

[Mick Lyons]

How is it an advantage if you field the ball and land only to have 4 lads form a circle around you? Play would be stopped a maximum of 5/6 times not 20 times a game and the player who marks the ball would presumably have the opton of playing on if no one was near him. It's pretty straightforward and makes perfect sense IMO.

[de mange]

How is it an advantage if you field the ball and land only to have 4 lads form a circle around you? Play would be stopped a maximum of 5/6 times not 20 times a game and the player who marks the ball would presumably have the opton of playing on if no one was near him. It's pretty straightforward and makes perfect sense IMO.

theres a sport where this scenario is pretty much available right now...its called basketball :rolleyes:

fielding the ball, landing, breaking a few tackles and distributing the ball is something all decent midfield players are already well able to do

[dotty]

How is it an advantage if you field the ball and land only to have 4 lads form a circle around you? Play would be stopped a maximum of 5/6 times not 20 times a game and the player who marks the ball would presumably have the opton of playing on if no one was near him. It's pretty straightforward and makes perfect sense IMO.

would assume the same,as they do down under.

the ability to take a mark is revered among afl fans and its the same here buts its spoilt by the fact that often its not advantageous to do so.

[Mick Lyons]

theres a sport where this scenario is pretty much available right now...its called basketball :rolleyes:

fielding the ball, landing, breaking a few tackles and distributing the ball is something all decent midfield players are already well able to do

What are you on about?

[de mange]

What are you on about?

with a rule like that the game would be unrecognisable as we know it

step 1 - big punt from keeper, lanky midfielders fields and calls a mark
step 2 - lanky midfielder pumps ball into lanky full forward
step 3 - lanky full forward fists into goal

repeat

think about it - considering how the full forwards role has changed over the last few years since kerry copped on that raining balls in around donaghy results in fisted goals a good portion of the time.. and cork have followed suit with the likes of cussan. admittedly the supply generally comes from the wing half forwards right now, but its not a million miles away

[BlackAvon08]

I think it a good idea and certainly worth a trial.

It would go someway to reducing the congested midfield area as it would encourage half forwards in particular to play their positions on kick outs and not sweeping back looking for breaking ball.

I don’t think it would slow the game up because as it stands a good proportion of kickouts result in frees anyway due to the catcher being pulled down or the catcher “barging”. The mark will reward good skill rather that the current situation where blocking, pulling & dragging is the norm.

I was never in favour of implementing an Aussie style Mark. However this proposal for limiting the mark for Kickouts over 45 meters looks like a very simple & clean rule which will encourage high fielding & more free flowing play.

[Lamps]

I think its a good idea and it would be well worth a go. Some teams (Kerry) have specialised spoiling at kickouts. It needs to be looked at

[Rebelred]

I think it a good idea and certainly worth a trial.

It would go someway to reducing the congested midfield area as it would encourage half forwards in particular to play their positions on kick outs and not sweeping back looking for breaking ball.

I don’t think it would slow the game up because as it stands a good proportion of kickouts result in frees anyway due to the catcher being pulled down or the catcher “barging”. The mark will reward good skill rather that the current situation where blocking, pulling & dragging is the norm.

I was never in favour of implementing an Aussie style Mark. However this proposal for limiting the mark for Kickouts over 45 meters looks like a very simple & clean rule which will encourage high fielding & more free flowing play.
that is the idea but we'll have to see it in action. The tendency to crowd out catchers hasn't enhanced the game one bit. You often see a guy go up uncontested only to be surrounded when he gets back down.

[Mick Lyons]

If a player fields an opposition kickout, very often his momentum will be carrying him towards the opposition goal so it would be in his interests NOT to call a mark. However, if you have a good fielder, and your keeper is good at hitting him then opposition players will have to do their best to contest possession in the air. Flooding the midfield area with half backs & wing forwards leaves a lot of space in front of the FF line. Clean possession followed by a quick delivery into the full forward line will be tough for full back lines to cope with. There aren't many players who can bomb it in on top of their full forward from the halfway line so it'd mean more diagonal balls into space I'd imagine.

[Coin]

theres a sport where this scenario is pretty much available right now...its called basketball :rolleyes:
Eh, no, that's called netball. There is nothing in basketball remotely resembling the concept of a "mark".

In general, this won't stop the swarming midfield, it will just mean the kick has to be more contested. Since catching a mark is the same as winning a free, allowing good ball into the forwards, preventing anyone from catching marks will be critical, so teams will still have to flood the centre to prevent good fielders from killing them. Allowing a good fielder space would be stupid, and you might find even more crowding.

[RonnyB]

I think its an excellent idea. It will enhance a terrific skill IMO.

[stevetharlear]

I'd usually agree with the likes of Lamps, Mick Lyons and RonnyB especially, but I do think it's ok at the moment and doesn't need much changing. Darragh seems to do ok out of it as does PON. It's improved a hundred fold since the introduction of the kicking tee.

I think you'd have fella's spoiling in the air rather than waiting for the man to come down if you introduced it. A better idea would be to issue a directive to referees to err on the side of the fielder when he comes down, any pulling and dragging to be penalised and 10 yards and a ticking to be given for not letting the fielder take the free quickly.

Gaelic football is getting like this unfortuately, lesser teams are inventing the spoiling tactics as a means of a leveller, while the best teams are taking it on to gain an edge over their rivals at the top end.

[RonnyB]

I'd usually agree with the likes of Lamps, Mick Lyons and RonnyB especially, but I do think it's ok at the moment and doesn't need much changing. Darragh seems to do ok out of it as does PON. It's improved a hundred fold since the introduction of the kicking tee.

I think you'd have fella's spoiling in the air rather than waiting for the man to come down if you introduced it. A better idea would be to issue a directive to referees to err on the side of the fielder when he comes down, any pulling and dragging to be penalised and 10 yards and a ticking to be given for not letting the fielder take the free quickly.

Gaelic football is getting like this unfortuately, lesser teams are inventing the spoiling tactics as a means of a leveller, while the best teams are taking it on to gain an edge over their rivals at the top end.

Good point but I think it would be very hard for a fella to spoil when the players are in mid air. It will in most cases result in a free so it renders the point of spoiling in the 1st place useless.

[Mick Lyons]

I think an added benefit would be that refs would watch competing fielders more closely so Darraghs restless knee syndrome might be picked up more often.

[stevetharlear]

I think he has knee spasms due to some asthma meds he's been on.