Wicklow boss Oisín McConville believes the initial goodwill towards football’s new rules is fading fast, with inconsistencies now coming under the spotlight as the league heats up.

Brought in at the start of the year, the rule changes have been met with mixed reactions from inter-county managers. Football Rules Committee (FRC) chairman Jim Gavin confirmed this morning that further refinements are on the table, with discussions set for the GAA’s Central Council meeting on March 13th.

McConville, speaking on BBC Sport NI’s The GAA Social podcast, highlighted a major disparity in their application across the Allianz League. He pointed out that while some divisions use the hooter to signal full-time, others do not.

“It’s not a level playing field,” the former Armagh star remarked. “If we can’t get it right across four inter-county divisions, what hope do we have of rolling it out properly at grassroots? No chance.”

With every point now crucial in the race for promotion and survival, McConville feels the reality of the new rules is setting in.

“The honeymoon period is over,” he admitted. “We always knew these games would take on greater importance as the season progressed. Now that they do, everything is under the microscope. The smallest decisions can have a massive impact on a team’s entire season.”

As the GAA prepares to assess potential changes, the focus will be on whether they can ensure greater uniformity across all levels of the game.

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Galway’s position at the top of Division 1 puts them in prime contention for a league final spot, while Tyrone, currently seventh, face a fight to avoid relegation with crucial fixtures against Donegal and Dublin ahead.

Weekend Wrap up
Galway Senior football manager, Pádraic Joyce, spoke to the media and Galway GAA TV after this afternoon’s draw with Tyrone in Round 5 of the Allianz Football League in Tuam Stadium pic.twitter.com/J7ZkdLgHxi

— Galway GAA Official (@Galway_GAA) March 2, 2025

“We know that teams who were top of the league the last two seasons didn’t go so well [in the championship], so we’ll keep an eye on that,” Joyce noted.

“We haven’t won a league in Galway since 1981. My uncle was on the last team that won it, and he keeps telling me about it.

“If we’re there, we’re there. We don’t go out to lose any game, and we’ve two huge games now – in two weeks’ time we’ve Dublin away and then Kerry at home, so they’re going to be great learning curves for us.”

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Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney remains unimpressed by how the new rules, particularly those concerning goalkeeping time limits, are being enforced.

Armagh TV caught up with Armagh Manager Kieran McGeeney after victory over @DubGAAOfficial this evening. pic.twitter.com/8aPTo5wwrv

— Armagh_GAA (@Armagh_GAA) March 1, 2025

Last week, McGeeney stated that the FRC had issued a ‘guideline’ rather than a strict rule on the 20-second kick-out limit. However, that ambiguity came under scrutiny during Armagh’s weekend win over Dublin, as both goalkeepers were penalised for delays.

“I do think some of the stuff is a joke,” McGeeney said. “Like 20 seconds ‘maybe’ – can somebody tell me how that is a rule? There wasn’t one of those kick-outs that he blew tonight that was over 15 seconds.”

McGeeney also criticised a ruling on passing within the goalkeeper’s square.

“I just think that people are getting carried away with themselves, and now we’re being told that when you pass the ball back into the square that it is a ‘pass’, as in one pass.

“The next thing is, you will only be allowed to do it on a Sunday when the sun is shining from the east.

“What is it that they want us to do, just not let goalkeepers touch the ball?”

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Pádraic Joyce has urged the Football Review Committee (FRC) to make its final decisions on rule changes and stick to them, as the group prepares to meet this evening to finalise any amendments ahead of the upcoming championship.

Weekend Wrap up
Galway Senior football manager, Pádraic Joyce, spoke to the media and Galway GAA TV after this afternoon’s draw with Tyrone in Round 5 of the Allianz Football League in Tuam Stadium pic.twitter.com/J7ZkdLgHxi

— Galway GAA Official (@Galway_GAA) March 2, 2025

“That has to be it. We can’t be changing them [after that],” the Galway boss insisted after his side salvaged a dramatic home draw against Tyrone, maintaining their position at the top of Division 1.

Joyce pointed to recent tweaks—such as penalising goalkeepers for delaying kick-outs beyond 20 seconds—being poorly communicated.

“They changed the goalkeeping one and we got an email the week after it was changed, which is ridiculous. So look, again, a small breakdown in communication there,” he remarked.

Despite these frustrations, Joyce praised the FRC’s overall efforts, noting that the rule changes have brought more excitement and fluidity to the game.

“Whatever they decide to do, we’ll coach it . . . but it needs to be whatever is decided. They have two weeks now to look at it and get the information out,” he added.

“But all in all, you have to praise the FRC because people were probably doubting at the start, will this work, will it not work? But it seems to have worked a good bit and there’s a bit more excitement in the game, a bit more jeopardy – and a bit more football being played as well, which is no harm.”

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