Peter Canavan accepts there have been communication issues regarding the new Gaelic football rules, but doesn't believe the Football Review Committee (FRC) is to blame over the ensuing confusion.
With three rounds complete of the Allianz Football League, managers, players, officials and supporters alike are getting to grips with the landscape.
Errors along the way have been inevitable. Aidan Forker’s dismissal for Armagh against Donegal for example should have resulted in a throw ball, rather than a free, while some other infractions have been missed by all stakeholders.
There have been teething problems on a broader scale.
Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney said his county had received mixed messages over the '3 v 3’ rule change after the opening round of the league.
"We asked for clarification during the week and we were sent it last night," he said after the defeat to Galway last month. "I showed it to the ref (Conor Lane), and he showed me his (rule instructions) and they're completely different."
Some referees have indicated that the current rule book still contains errors.
Last week a meeting between the FRC and referees panel resulted in new guidelines issued to referees in relation to kickouts, where a goalkeeper now has just 20 seconds to get his restart away.
Over the weekend there were instances of referees clamping down on the delayed restarts, with 13-metre frees the result.
Four management teams across three divisions contacted by RTÉ Sport said they had not received any official communication regarding the 20-second guideline.
Canavan, who joined the Jim Gavin-led FRC last month, has sympathy with management teams and players.
"I accept there are communication issues and a number of obstacles," he said speaking on Allianz League Sunday.
"Things move slowly in the GAA. There are a lot of processes and committees to get through before we get all these rules verified for championship.
"That's not going to be accepted…" - Cora Staunton feels that there will be further scrutiny on rules implementation after Meath gained an extra point when Ronan Jones was award a two-pointer when he was clearly inside the arc. pic.twitter.com/BGAHKANywF
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) February 16, 2025
"It’s probably one of the unintended consequences of the new rules because a lot of people assumed the fact that a goalkeeper can now kick it out quicker that there would be quicker kickouts. That hasn’t transpired. Because so many kickouts are going long, they are taking their time. At times, 30, 40 seconds.
"As far as I’m aware, the new guideline was issued by the head of the referees Donal Smyth, to the referees, so the referees were aware of that, but I don’t think the inter-county managers or players were aware of that."
When pressed on who should be communicating any new guideline changes, he said: "I don’t think it should be Jim Gavin or the FRC. It’s not Donal Smyth’s job as the head of referees.
"If he issues guidance to the referees, I don’t think it is up to Jim Gavin to follow up on those guidelines. There is a wider issue here for Games administration to look into.
"I agree, inter-county management and players should have been notified."
