Led by Jim Gavin, the group has met 19 times since February's Congress with a clear goal; to improve the spectacle of the sport.
The group cannot be faulted for effort. It has consulted with GAA management, central council, provincial councils, referees, the GAA’s Standing Committee on Playing Rules and county board chairs. A public survey has drawn more than 5,000 responses.
After consulting with the stakeholders, a number of 'sandbox’ (a concept taken from software development) games, starting in Mullingar on Saturday and continuing in Claremorris, Portlaoise, Armagh and Limerick later in the month, will take place involving inter-county players whose teams have dropped out of the championship.
Trial rules include two points for a 'point' from the new 40-metre arc and four points for a goal are the marquee proposals, one-v-one at throw-ins, kick-out variations, both teams keeping three players, including the ’keeper, inside their own 65-metre line to name just a few.
Speaking on this week’s RTÉ GAA podcast, Peter Canavan said that while he acknowledges the work carried out by the FRC, he is concerned at the sheer volume of trial rules that referees must master.
"I think there’s too much on the table for these games," he said.
🏐 Peter Canavan has some reservations over the number of new football rules to be trialled over the coming weeks
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) June 13, 2024
🎧 Listen to full RTÉ GAA podcast 👉 https://t.co/D6uJ9uAeYQ pic.twitter.com/DFAwlnTCdc
"There is too much going on and you have to consider the referee. A lot of these rules are making the job of the referee more difficult, and that's the last thing we need."
The former Tyrone star is unsure of the need for some of the trial rules, such as vanishing foam (to be used by an official to mark where a free, inside 65-metres, is taken from) and the one-v-one at throw-ins instead of the current two-v-two.
He does, however, welcome the four points for a goal, two points for a ‘point’, the stronger penalty for dissent and teams having to keep three players, including the goalkeeper, inside their own 65-metre line.
"In theory the ball should be moving much quicker, less congestion in opposition defences."
Tomás Ó Sé said the body of work carried out by the FRC is to be admired, and is confident with the personnel involved, the game will reap the benefits.
"Every possible change that you could apply is on the table," he said.
"The whole point of these rules coming in the first place, was to make the spectacle of football a little but more appeasing for the viewer, to thin out the congestion that is always inside the 65."
The five-time All-Ireland winner likes a number of rules being trialled, but is concerned with the policing of the rule where three players from one team must stay within the 65.
Ó Sé has tried to visualise how this would play out if he was operating as an attacking wing-back.
"I’m not sure how the ‘three men’ will be policed," he said. "I’ve always questioned this."
"Let’s say, for arguments sake, in an attack, something has happened and I end up marking the corner-forward, who is not allowed go back into his own half.
"If I’m a wing-back, I’m allowed attack into the opposition half, but that corner-forward isn’t. I don’t get how they can police that."
Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast on the RTÉ Radio Player, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
