Donegal manager Jim McGuinness believes football has rolled back two decades following the rules changes brought into the sport, but in a positive way.
The beginning of the Allianz Football League brings excitement as well as intrigue because of the impact of what McGuinness, like many others, describes as a completely new sport compared to before.
He is looking at the positives of such changes and is willing to embrace it rather than be cautious.
The former soccer coach told the BBC: "I think a lot of it is going to work to be honest with you. And I don't think it's going to be that difficult to police either. Probably the lads coming back from the other half [will be the most difficult].
"We've had a referee on the sideline trying to police that for us as they were dropping back in to help the man in the middle. But apart from that, they haven't been too difficult.
"One of the major issues that [got us here] in the first place was possession football.
"And I think you might have a situation where that can end up happening in the attack half and slowing play. But we'll have to wait and see. Will goalkeepers be as brave in reality as they are maybe in the off-season or the challenge games?
"I think the role of the keeper did become very pivotal. But I think in terms of kick out strategy, it became all short ones.
"And I think now you're going to see a different type of role required for the goalkeeper in terms of keeping the ball away from the opposition but also having a situation where there's length on the kick.
"And I think that's going to make it more exciting probably. The ball is going to be in contest a lot more and you know it's going to mean that people have to go back to the drawing board in many respects in terms of trying to work out how they can keep the ball but go long.
"We're probably going back to maybe two decades ago now because that's what teams were thinking about back then."
McGuinness is honing his Donegal panel into potential All-Ireland contenders after a good opening year in his second stint in charge of the county.
With a number of players returning to the panel, they look in better shape to build on their All-Ireland semi-final appearance and Ulster title from last season.
The Donegal boss admitted the alterations to the sport will have an impact on the work he has done in the opening 12 months, however.
A challenge game at the weekend brought that point home.
"We're not starting from where we were last year. We're starting at a more advanced stage because of all the work that we did last year. So we have to try and tap into that. But then, you know a lot of that might go to the wayside now because it's a different game.
"It literally is a different game and nobody really knows what it's going to look like.
"We played Sligo here last weekend. I was chatting to Tony McEntee afterwards.
"The conversation was around the game never really settled and will the game find a pattern or is this the new reality that there won't be a pattern and there is going to be like a relentless nature to it.
"That'll all bear out over the course of the next number of months
"People will be getting the pen and paper out and trying to work out what might benefit them and other people will be picking that up, so there's going to be a lot of change in the game obviously, but there'll be a lot of change I would feel between games and as the National League goes on.
"Hopefully at that stage then things do start to settle going into the Championship and everybody can sort of have a clear idea of what they want to do on the pitch."
The major internal change for the Ulster champions has been the return of their greatest ever player in Michael Murphy who has paused his retirement to line out once again, possibly in a new role of goalkeeper.
McGuinness would not confirm if that would be his sole role over the year, or why he has opted to return, simply to say Donegal now have their best player available once again.
"You'd have to ask Michael [why he said yes to a return]," he stated.
"Obviously you just want to have everybody available to you that you feel they can add value.
"He was the best player in the club championship and so it would be remiss of me not to ask a person like that [to come back] if you're still doing it and you feel you've got the hunger and that was I think an important part for him.
"Michael carried a lot of pressure, he’s captained for his whole career pretty much. So yeah, I think that circuit breaker has refreshed him and hopefully now he'll come back and enjoy his football and obviously the rules will help, the fact that he can stay up the park or get up the park quickly from the goalkeeping position."
Watch Galway v Armagh in the Allianz Football League on Saturday from 4.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
Watch Allianz League Sunday from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates around the country on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
