THE GAA COULD BE IN FOR AN AUTUMN OF DISCONTENT AS CLUBS ENCOUNTER NEW RULES

A LEAGUE FINAL in Fermanagh may not have caught the attention of many Gaelic football fans across the country but it could well prove to be a touchstone.

- By KARL O'KANE

If you thought you'd seen controversy in the inter-county game over the new rules, it may be nothing compared to what unfolds at club level.

The game is immeasurably better than it was, even though it's very like an 11 v 11 game of basketball now at times.

The game is also easier to referee as there's less dissent and more respect. It no longer pays to foul, which it did for decades.

This is all great, but it’s not perfect and we shouldn't be afraid to say so. The introduction of the two-point arc has created an artificial barrier.

There were always going to be issues around it and because they relate to fact when it comes to scoring, this has opened a can of worms for the GAA.

The Football Review Committee haven't helped themselves either by giving one point for a shot from outside the arc which is tipped over the bar.

A wrongly-recorded score is a matter of fact. So if a referee, as happened in the Fermanagh League final, records a one-point effort as a two-pointer, it’s a factual error.