The introduction of new rule enhancements in the 2025 Allianz Football League (AFL) has significantly influenced how Gaelic football is played, impacting scoring patterns, discipline, and game flow. Statistical analysis from the first four rounds offers insights into these effects, revealing shifts in key areas such as fouls, kick-out strategies, and overall game tempo.

1. Increased Tactical Adjustments in Kick-Outs

One of the most noticeable effects of the rule changes has been on kick-outs. The trend towards longer kick-outs has continued, with 80% of kick-outs travelling beyond the 45m line, compared to just 59% in 2023. This shift has forced teams to contest possession more aggressively in midfield, with contested kick-outs now at 67%, a significant increase from previous seasons.

While teams have adapted to this change, there has been little impact on primary possession success rates beyond the 45m line, which remain stable at 10-11 per game. However, secondary possessions from break balls have become more important, averaging 18 per game. The emphasis on winning breaking ball highlights the growing need for physical midfielders who can dominate aerial contests.

2. Rule Enforcement Leads to More Fouls and Delays

Referees have been stricter on technical fouls and delay-related infractions, leading to a rise in overall foul counts. The number of technical fouls peaked at 67 in Round 3, well above the 50 recorded in Round 1. Delay fouls, where teams are penalised for slowing the game, have also increased steadily, reaching 33 in Round 4, with 20 of these being moved inside the 40m arc, giving attacking teams more opportunities to score.

Dissent fouls have fluctuated but saw a sharp rise in Round 4, with 8 instances recorded, compared to just 3 in Round 2 and Round 3. This suggests that players are still adapting to the stricter officiating standards, particularly regarding interactions with referees.

3. Mixed Impact on Scoring Trends

One of the major objectives of the new rules was to increase scoring opportunities, particularly through the advanced mark and two-point shots. However, the data suggests that the effectiveness of these changes remains inconsistent.

• Advanced Mark: The number of scores from advanced marks has been low, peaking at 6 in Round 2 but dropping to just 1 in Round 4. This suggests teams may still prefer open-play attacking patterns rather than relying on advanced mark opportunities.

• Two-Point Shots: While two-point shots remain an option, their efficiency varies. The shot-to-score ratio from two-point attempts stood at 38.4% across all divisions, with Division 2 achieving the highest success rate at 57.1%. Division 3, by contrast, struggled, converting only 8.7% of these attempts.

Overall, scoring from open play remains dominant, with 82% of all shots coming from open play in Round 4, slightly up from 78% in the 2024 Championship.

4. Goalkeeper Influence Growing

A key tactical evolution influenced by the new rules is the increasing involvement of goalkeepers in general play. The number of passes to goalkeepers has steadily risen, averaging 23.9 per game in Round 4, compared to 16.6 in Round 1. This reflects a growing trend of keepers acting as additional playmakers, particularly in structured build-up play.

Interestingly, goalkeepers are also becoming more active further up the pitch, with 17% of their passes occurring beyond their own 45m line. While goalkeeper shot attempts remain rare (averaging just 1.1 per game), this tactical shift could see keepers playing an even bigger role in future seasons.

5. Game Flow and Ball-in-Play Time

Despite the increase in fouls and stricter rule enforcement, the overall ball-in-play time has remained relatively stable. The percentage of time the ball was in play averaged 57% in Round 4, similar to last season. However, the overall match duration has slightly decreased to 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 59 seconds, reflecting efforts to reduce time-wasting.

The reduction in short kick-outs has led to more dynamic contests, ensuring that the game remains fluid. However, the rising number of delay fouls suggests some teams may still be attempting to slow down the tempo to control matches.

Shane Walsh, who kicked 0-11 today, on the new rules and the impact it’s having on Gaelic Football

Hearing the defenders perspective from Johnny McGrath + reaction from Padraic Joyce & Jim McGuinness to follow across @offtheball

Galway 0-21 (0-7-7) Donegal 0-14 (0-3-8) #GAA pic.twitter.com/RrMsY6uAzx

— Tommy Rooney (@TomasORuanaidh) February 23, 2025

Conclusion: A Work in Progress

The impact of the new Gaelic football rules in 2025 has been a mix of intended and unintended consequences. While longer kick-outs and stricter refereeing have added new tactical layers to the game, the effectiveness of scoring rule changes remains uncertain. Advanced marks have not had the desired effect, and two-point shots are inconsistent in their impact.

Teams are still adapting to these changes, and the true effects will only become clearer as the season progresses. However, the increased physicality in midfield, greater goalkeeper involvement, and rising foul counts suggest a shift towards a more contested and tactical style of play.

As the championship approaches, teams that best adjust to these rule modifications will likely gain a competitive edge, making 2025 a pivotal season in the evolution of Gaelic football.

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Preview

Galway currently sit top of Division 1 with five games played, they have won four and lost one. They have a good scoring difference of +22 also which could help them if things boil down to that on Sunday. Padraic Joyce’s charges have beaten Monaghan, Donegal, Tyrone and most recently Meath 1-14 to 1-12. This will be a difficult game against old rivals Mayo but they have the players that can win the game. Players like Shane Walsh, Paul Conroy, Michael Daly and Johnny Heaney will be key to success here.

Mayo are staring down the barrel of relegation. A loss and they will be playing Division 2 football next year it is as simple at that for James Horans side. Mayo have played 5 games, losing 3, winning 1 and drawing 1. The win came against Meath very narrowly 1-9 to 2-5. Speaking ahead of the game Stephen Coen said, “I suppose in the games we have just been inconsistent,”. He continued, “I think if we just try and get as close as possible to a 70-minute performance and a solid performance all the way through, then we would be more in control and find it easier to get the two points. That’s what we are focusing on.”

Team News 

Galway (FL1 V Mayo): Connor Gleeson; Seán Kelly, Séan Ó Maoilchiaráin, Johnny Heaney; Gary O’Donnell, John Daly, Cillian McDaid; Ronan Steede, Tom Flynn; Eamonn Brannigan, Damien Comer, Michael Daly; Rob Finnerty, Shane Walsh, Adrian Varley

Mayo: TBA

Betting

Galway are 8/13 to win this game, while Mayo are 7/4. For me it has to be a Galway considering the poor form of Mayo. Backing Galway -2 at 6/5 is the smart bet. There is no live coverage of Galway v Mayo so be sure to follow our score updates.

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Kerry made a dream start to this game with with Sean O’Shea grabbing a goal inside two minutes. They should have had another goal only for David Clifford’s penalty to come back off crossbar on five minutes. Mayo were very slow out of the blocks and it is obviously what cost them this game. Kerry led by 1-08 to 0-02 with 32 minutes played. Gavin White, Dara Moynihan, Tony Brosnan, Michael Burns and David Clifford (2) all raising white flags for Peter Keane’s side. Tom Parsons would get a Mayo point, there only score from play in the opening half. The gap was 1-08 to 0-04 at the break as Kevin McLoughlin tagged on two points for the hosts.

The second half was a different game altogether. James Horan obviously gave his side a stern dressing down at the interval. He brought on Eoin O’Donoghue, Eoghan McLaughlin and Tommy Conroy. All made an impact in the game to be fair. Mayo kicked four points in a row with Diarmuid O’Connor (2), Ryan O’Donoghue and Eoghan McLaughlin. Kerry did respond with scores from Sean O’Shea and David Clifford. Eoghan McLaughlin intercepted a pass from goalkeeper Shane Ryan before he found Aidan O’Shea who played the ball to McLaughlin to finish to the net.

Kevin McLoughlin kicked a long range free with four minutes into added time. There was still a chance for Mayo to tie up the game. The win now means Peter Keane’s side are still in contention of making another league final. They travel to Monaghan in two weeks time. Mayo will face Galway in Salthill also in two weeks time and they will need a win there if they are to avoid relegation.

Kerry: S Ryan; G O’Sullivan, T Morley, T O’Sullivan; P Murphy, S Enright, G White (0-01); D O’Connor, J Barry (0-01); M Burns (0-01), S O’Shea (1-04, 3fs), T Walsh; D Moynihan (0-01), D Clifford (0-03), T Brosnan (0-01).

Subs used: S O’Brien (0-01) for Burns (50mins); P Geaney (0-01) for Walsh (53mins); G Crowley for G O’Sullivan (63mins); K Spillane for Moynihan (65mins); L Kearney for Brosnan (72mins).

Mayo: D Clarke;  J McCormack, O Mullin, L Keegan;, S Coen, K Higgins, P Durcan; A O’Shea (0-01), T Parsons (0-01); K McLoughlin (0-03, 2fs), D O’Connor (0-02, 2fs), J Durcan; J Flynn, D Coen (0-01, 1f), R O’Donoghue (0-01).

Subs used: E O’Donoghue (0-01) for Parsons (HT); E McLaughlin (1-01) for J Durcan; T Conroy (0-01) for D Coen (HT); P Towey (0-01, 1f) for Flynn (71mins).

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Preview

Mayo need a win here in my opinion as they are currently looking at relegation along with Meath. In fact Mayo are one of the favourites for relegation. James Horan’s side have 2 losses, 1 win and 1 draw from four games played. Their final two games come against Galway and Tyrone so they will at least need 2 wins in my opinion for the three remaining games.

They narrowly beat Meath 1-09 to 2-05 in their only win but they will need big improvement if they are to beat Kerry on Saturday. James Horan was somewhat disappointed after the defeat to Mayo but speaking to the Irish Daily Star he said, We are looking at winning games, we are looking at playing well and we haven’t played well yet and we want to try and get a good performance,”. He continued, “You have to move on straight away and try and fix a few things and play next Saturday night.” Players like Lee Keegan, Aidan O’Shea, Kevin McLoughlin and Darren Coen will all look to have big games.

Kerry come into the game in mid table. A win here would certainly boost their chances of reaching a league final. Peter Keane’s side have won 2, lost 1 and drawn 1 from their four games. They beat Meath last weekend 1-19 to 2-13. The draw came against Dublin in the opening round 1-19 each. Speaking to the Irish Daily Star after the win over Meath last weekend Keane said, It was a struggle. We went up to Navan last year in the Super 8s and we struggled enough against them,”. Keane will look to players like David Clifford, Tommy Walsh and Sean O’Shea in attack.

Team News

Team have yet to be announced.

Mayo: TBA

Kerry: TBA

Betting 

Kerry are 4/7 to win this game. Mayo are 7/4. For me it’s a game Mayo have to win and they won fear Kerry. However, Kerry have a greater scoring threat and that pips the tie in their favour by 2 or 3 points. Mayo v Kerry is live on eir sport. However, if you can’t make the game be sure to follow our up to date live gaa scores match tracker.

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Preview 

Meath are staring down the barrel of relegation and a win here will be needed to have any chance of staying in the top flight in 2021. They will face Dublin and Monaghan in their final two games and will likely need to win those as well. Andy McEntee’s charges have been unlucky in some games. They lost narrowly to Mayo 1-09 to 2-05, while last weekend they put up a brave performance against Kerry only losing by a goal, 1-19 to 2-13.

They have good players in their ranks like Donal Keogan, Bryan Menton and Cillian O’Sullivan. Speaking to GAA.ie about the game Keogan said, If the result goes your way there that weekend, you can look forward to the next weekend. Potentially four points might do it, six points probably will do it. You’ve three games left, there’s six points on offer there, so obviously it starts with Galway this weekend. It’s a big game.”

Galway come into this game on the back of an impressive 19 point win over Tyrone last weekend. Padraig Joyces charges sit top of the table having won three games and lost one game. A win here will likely secure a place in the final in my opinion. Galway will have games against Mayo and Dublin to come. Galway have quality players like Shane Walsh, Liam Silke and Damien Comer will be key once more for the Westerners.

Team News 

Meath: TBA

Galway (Allianz FL Division 1 v Meath): Conor Gleeson; Sean Kelly, Sean Mulkerrin, Johnny Heaney; Liam Silke, John Daly, Cillian McDaid; Ronan Steede, Tom Flynn; Eamonn Brannigan, Damien Comer, Michael Daly; Martin Farragher, Shane Walsh, Adrian Varley.

Betting

Galway are 2/5 favourites to win this, while Meath are priced at odds of 5/2. For me it’s a Galway win. The emphatic win over Tyrone shows where this Galway side are at present in terms of confidence. Galway -3 at 11/10 has to be bet. There is no live coverage of Meath v Galway so be sure to follow our live gaa score updates.

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Shane Walsh was the star as the Galway captain led his side to a convincing 2-25 to 0-12, 19 point win over Tyrone on Sunday.

Although it was another terrific performance from Padraig Joyce’s men it was far from that for their opponents. They had two players sent off (Frank’s Burns and Kieran McGeary), while Cathal McShane was also stretchered off with what appeared to be an ankle injury. To add further insult Tyrone are now in the relegation mix following the defeat.

One of the most skilful forwards in the game. What a point @Galway_GAA https://t.co/CppXyfyNX3

— Karen Canavan (@KarCanavan) February 23, 2020

Looking at the game itself. Darren McCurry opened the scoring for Mickey Harte’s charges. However, Galway rattled off points from Ronan Steede, Damian Comer and Eamonn Brannigan to lead 0-03 to 0-01 with 8 minutes played. McShane and Steede then traded scores, before McShane who turned down AFL football scored another Comer cancelling that out. It was double scores midway through the half as Shane Walsh pointed. They stormed five points clear then as Varley and Walsh raised further white flags. McGeary registered a Tyrone point but Daly replied a minute later. McGeary was sent off not long after his score. Galway leading 0-12 to 0-06 at the break.

It went from bad to worse for Tyrone. McShane had to be stretchered off once Walsh increased the Galway advantage after the break. Darren McCurry sparked Mickey Harte’s men ino life with a brace of frees, before Mark Bradley kicked a fine score. Adrian Varley was on target for Galway. Tyrone’s hopes of staging any sort of come back were dashed come 53 minutes. Shane Walsh finishing a penalty to the net past Morgan after Comer was fouled inside the box. 1-14 to 0-11 now. Daly increased the gap to seven points, while Walsh tagged on a further two frees. Franks Burns was sent off on a second yellow card soon after.

Paul Conroy then grabbed a quick 1-01 in a matter of minutes Galway coasting to victory with 61 minutes played. Walsh brought his personal tally to 1-07, before Brannigan kicked three points to leave a massive 17 points between the sides with 67 minutes played. McCurry would go on to kick a free but Varley kicked a brace and man of the match Shane Walsh closed out the scoring as Galway beat Tyrone handsomely in the end.

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Preview

Kerry come into this game sitting in joint second in the league. They have three points from three games. They have one win, one loss and a draw. The draw came against Dublin 1-19 each in the opening round, while they suffered a loss to Tyrone, before beating Galway narrowly 1-15 to 2-11. Peter Keane has an abundance of talent at his disposal. In fact it’s a mixture of experienced and up and coming players. Players like Tommy Walsh, Paul Geaney and James O’Donoghue are all top class players as is David Clifford, Sean O’Shea and Peter Crowley.

Meath really need a draw here at the very least to have any hope of staying in the division next season. Andy McEntee’s men have struggled in their three games and sit on a scoring difference of -16. They lost to Tyrone 1-14 to 1-09 , then Donegal 3-08 to 0-07, before succumbing to a narrow 1 point loss to fellow relegation contenders Mayo. Donal Keogan, Bryan Menton and Thomas O’Reilly will need to have big performances here.

Team News

Teams have yet to be announced

Kerry (Allianz FL Division 1 v Meath): Shane Ryan; Graham O’Sullivan, Tadhg Morley, Tom O’Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Shane Enright, Gavin White; Liam Kearney, Jack Barry; Micheal Burns, Sean O’Shea, Stephen O’Brien; Dara Moynihan, David Clifford, Paul Geaney.

Meath: TBA

Betting

Kerry are 1/8 to win this game, while Meath are 11/2. For me it simply has to be a Kerry win on recent form. Therefore backing Kerry -6 ay 4/5 is the selection. There is no live coverage of Kerry v Meath so be sure to follow our match tracker above.

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Preview

Gallway come into this game in good form and are one of the teams many expect to challenge Dublin in the league this year. The Westerners sit in joint third in the Division on points difference behind Dublin and Tyrone. Padraig Joyce has got the players playing well and fighting for each other which is what you need if you are to win big games. This is a big game as well. Speaking to the Connacht Tribune Joyce said, “The pleasing thing for us is that the players are showing real desire and real want to play for Galway and that’s a huge thing for us. We are just delighted with that.” Once again key players will be Shane Walsh and Damian Comer in attack. However, Corofin duo Ronan Steede and Liam Silke will also be key to the Galway men’s chances.

Mickey Harte’s Tyrone will travel to Tuam knowing would possibly put them top of the table this weekend. His side have made a bright start to the campaign with 2 wins from three games, the wins coming against Kerry and Meath. They did however lose 1-12 to 0-11 to Ulster rivals Monaghan. Players like Darren McCurry, Cathal McShane and Colm Cavanagh will all likely be heavily involved.

Team News

Galway: 1. Conor Gleeson, 2. Sean Kelly, 3. Sean Mulkerrin, 4. Johnny Heaney, 5. Gary O’ Donnell, 6. Liam Silke, 7. Cillian McDaid, 8. Ronan Steede, 9. Cein D’Arcy,10. Eamonn Brannigan, 11. Damien Comer 12. Michael Daly, 13. Robert Finnerty, 14. Shane Walsh (Captain), 15. Adrian Varley

Tyrone: TBA

Betting

Galway are 45 to win this game, whereas Tyrone are 11/8. The draw looks great odds at 15/2. It’s a hard game to call but home advantage swings in in Galway’s favour for me. Backing Shane Walsh at 15/2 for the first goal is also worth a bet. Galway v Tyrone is live on TG4 from 2pm.

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Preview

This game forms part of a double header at Croke Park so a big crowd is likely, as Wexford take on Dublin at 5pm in the hurling league. Dessie Farrell’s side come into this game on top of the Division 1 table having recorded 1 win and 2 draws from three games. They beat Mayo 1-11 to 0-08, drew with Monaghan 1-15 each and also drew with Kerry 1-19 apiece. They are in a good position and a win here would only boost their chances of reaching a league final in late March. Players like James McCarthy, Brian Fenton and Ciaran Kilkenny will once again be key to the winning of this game.

Donegal are not far behind in the table in terms of points they are on 3 points, 1 point behind the Dubs. A win here for Declan Bonners men will put them in a good position also. The Tir Chonaill men have had a mixed bag of results thus far, winning 1, drawing one and losing one. The win came over Meath 3-08 to 0-07, the draw came against Mayo 0-19 to 2-13 and the loss came at the hands of Galway 2-8 to 2-07. Players like the dependable Michael Murphy, Ryan McHugh and Jamie Brennan will be key if Donegal are to come away from Croker with the win.

Team News

Teams are expected to be announced on Friday.

Dublin: TBA

Donegal: TBA

Betting

Dublin are favourites to win as they are so often these days. They are 1/3. Donegal are 3/1 outsiders to win this game. For me it’s a Dublin win by 3 or 4 points. Dublin v Donegal is live on Eir Sport at 7pm.

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Darren McCurry starred as Tyrone claimed a narrow 1 point win over Kerry at Edendork. The game was due to be played in Omagh but the pitch was waterlogged. McCurry kicked 0-06 in a man of the match performance by Darren McCurry, while Niall Morgan also slotted 0-04 from frees.

Sean O’Shea opened the scoring for the visitors, but Niall Morgan’s free levelled matters. The home fans delighted to see their local hero pointing a super free. David Clifford once again showed his magic when pointing, he was dragging Ronan McNamee all over the field. Clifford would assist O’Shea for another score, before floating over a free. Michael Burns extended the lead 0-05 to 0-01 with 15 minutes played.

Kerry should have had a couple of more scores on the board but missed some scorable chances. However, they did find the radar with Clifford once again pointing. Morgan then knocked two frees one of them was from around 50m into the strong breeze. Kerry took a 0-08 to 0-04 lead at the break.

The intensity of the game upped in the second half. Mickey Harte introduced Cathal McShane on 40 minutes and he immediately made an impact winning a free which he converted. The scores were level 0-09 each after 50 minutes. Morgan then knocked over a 55m free as the Red Hands took the lead. Tyrone lost Peter Harte on 58 minutes through a second yellow card, black cards followed for Jack Barry and Ronan McNamee. Only 26 players were on the field not long after David Clifford was sent off on a second yellow card. Although it appeared he actually done nothing for the second one.

Darren McCurry kicked a sublime sideline but O’Shea pointed in response to leave the minimum between the sides. We were into added time at this stage. Darren McCurry kicked over an excellent point then from a mark which edged the tie in Tyrone’s favour. Tyrone winning but just about on a very wet and windy day in Edendork. McCurry picked up the man of the match award for his excellent performance.

Tyrone: N Morgan (0-04, 4f); N Kelly R McNamee, L Rafferty; T McCann (0-01), R Brennan (0-01), P Harte; C Cavanagh, C Kilpatrick; K McGeary, N Sludden, D McCurry (0-06, 3f, 1 s/l, 1 mark); D Kerr, F Burns, C Meyler (0-01, mark).

Subs: C McShane (0-01, f) for Kerr (40), K Coney for Kelly (47), B McDonnell for Kilpatrick (60), HP McGeary for Burns (68), M Cassidy for McCann (74)

Kerry: S Ryan; J Foley, T Morley, G O’Sullivan; P Murphy, G Crowley, G White; L Kearney, J Barry; M Burns (0-01), S O’Shea (0-06, 5f), S O’Brien; K Spillane, D Clifford (0-06, 2f, 1 mark), P Geaney.

Subs: D Moynihan for O’Brien (42), T O’Sullivan for Spillane (45), D O’Connor for Burns (53), T Walsh for Kearney (67), T Brosnan for White (72)

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