The football season kicked off at the weekend signalling the official start of summer. Kerry met Tipperary in the first round of the Munster championship and, despite a spirited first half by the Tipp men, the Kingdom ran out easy winners by 2-18 to 2-06. In Ulster, Armagh beat Derry by 1-10 to 1-07, while in the east, Mick O’Dwyer’s Wicklow overcame Carlow by 3-13 to 0-12.
However, the big talking point in GAA circles at present is the new rule changes put in place for the 2010 championship, and in particular the one pertaining to the hand pass, which seems to be causing considerable difficulty to players, managers and referees.
Of all of the skills in Gaelic Football the humble handpass would seem to be the simplest to execute. There is great expertise in fielding a high ball, and in kicking accurately both off the ground and from the hand, but any moderate player should be capable of hand-passing the ball to a colleague.
The new rule states; “When in possession, the ball may be played away with (i) the fist or (ii) an open hand – in which instance there shall be a definite underhand striking action. The striking hand shall not be in contact with the ball before delivering the strike.When both hands are involved, the ball may be struck off a holding hand by the other hand or released from the holding hand and struck with the other hand. When one hand is involved, the ball may be released from the holding hand and struck with the same hand The releasing of the ball, when used, is considered an integral part of the fisted/open handpass.”
Basically then, you can fist it any way you like, but if you palm it there must be an obvious underhand striking action. The problem here seems to be that referees who are not close to the play, have difficulty in seeing whether an open or closed hand is used – and if there is a doubt, they tend to award the free.
As William Shakespeare said; “Much ado about nothing.”
There have been many rule changes down through the years (some good, some bad) as the game continues to flourish and evolve. Other codes, such as soccer and rugby have also made significant changes. Nothing remains the same forever.
It was all so different in our day. Tactical play was unheard of. The aim was to beat your man and kick the ball as hard as you could in the direction of the opposition goals while all the while inflicting as much pain and suffering as was legally possible. Players stood toe-to-toe and shoulder-to-shoulder to contest each ball. There was no place to run and no place to hide.
The full-back was king. He protected his patch of ground with all the ferocity of a rampaging bull in a haggart full of heifers. He terrorized both the attackers and his own defenders. There was no more invigorating sight than to see the full-back plucking a ball out of the sky on the verge of his own square and emerging through a forest of players, scattering friend and foe in all directions, and then delivering a mighty thump of a kick, high and hard and straight, down the middle of the pitch to his centre-field men. And, if the centre-field men failed to collect the ball and send it in to the attackers, the full-back would march resolutely down the pitch and demand to know the reason why.
Full-backs are now becoming an endangered species and, instead of clearing their lines, they have even been known to deliver an occasional back-pass to their own goalkeeper!
In our time, lads were dropped for less.
Today, a corner-forward might shake hands with his marker at the start of a game, and might not see him again until the game was over. The corner-back spends most of his time kicking wides in attack, while the corner-forward stands in splendid isolation at the other end of the pitch, sniffing his armpits and wondering if he is suffering from B.O.
In a famous street-league game back in the sixties, the Main Street corner back was holding his Killarney Road man scoreless. The hapless forward decided on subterfuge.
As both players moved out the field from yet another fruitless attack, the score-hungry forward leaned in and whispered suggestively, “Tell that good looking sister of yours that I was asking for her.”
The Main Street man acted as any red-blooded male would in defence of his sister’s honour and reputation. He turned and, right in front of the referee, flattened the Killarney Road player with the belt of a fist. And, without even waiting for the official to dismiss him, he made his way slowly towards the sideline.
But then he paused, turned around and came back.
“What is going on here?” enquired the referee, as he busily scribbled in his note book.
“That fellow insulted my sister.” said the Main Street man.
“So?” said the referee.
“I just remembered – I don’t have a sister.”
“Fair enough” said the referee, replacing his notebook and blowing his whistle. “Play on. It’ll be a hop-ball.”
*Incidentally, if you want to see a perfectly executed handpass using the open palm, check out Thierry Henry’s pass that set up the goal for Gallas against Ireland in the World Cup qualifier. It is rumoured that the GAA are now in talks with the Frenchman to see if he will visit the various county boards around the country and give handpassing lessons to clear up all of this confusion.
The new rules in football and hurling for the 2010 championship can be summarised as follows;
Football Only:
1. Handpass – If a player handpasses the ball using the open hand, there must
be a definite underhand striking action.
2. Penalty Kicks – All penalty kicks will now be taken from 11 metres out
3. Kick Outs – All kick outs will now be from the 13 metre line
4. Sideline kicks – Line balls must be kicked from outside the boundary line
5. Illegal Charge – It is illegal for a charge to be made on a player kicking the
ball.
6. Definition of bounce – The redefinition of the bounce has the effect that the
“Basketball Type”, bounce, per se, is not a foul.
Hurling only:
1. Puck Outs – The penalty for taking a puck-out from outside the small
rectangle is changed from the award of a 65m free to the opposition to a
throw in the ball on the defenders’ 20m line.
2. Handpass – The ball must be released and struck with a definite striking
action of the hand
3. Penalties – Both attackers and defenders must remain outside the 20m line
and the arc until the ball is struck from a penalty and the three defenders on
the line must not move off the line until the ball is struck.
Both Hurling and Football:
1. Restarting Play – If play is stopped by the referee to enable a seriously
injured player to be treated, play will now resume with a free to the team that
had possession. However it will not be permitted to score from such a free (if
neither team is “in possession”, play shall re-start with a throw in)
2. Throw ins – when the play is being restarted by a throw-in, this must take
place a minimum of 13 metres from the sideline
3. Advantage – A referee will now signal that advantage is being played by
raising his arm
4. Extra Time – Extra time consists of 10 minutes per half only. The provision
for two additional periods of 5 minutes per half has been removed
5. Boundary Lines – The penalty for a player deliberately going outside the
boundary lines of the pitch to gain an advantage has changed from a caution
to a free.
6. Charge – A charge is now defined as “shoulder to shoulder” rather than “side
to side”
TABLE QUIZ
A Table Quiz will be held in Jack O’Rourke’s Bar, The Square, Abbeyfeale on Friday May 28 in aid of the RehabCare Centre in Listowel. All are welcome.
RAILWAY BAR
Congratulations to The Railway Bar who are celebrating 38 years of dancing next Friday, May 21st with a great night of waltzing and jiving with Mike Condon. There will be complimentary food served and lots of spot prizes. All are welcome.
. HOLY COMMUNION
There was a very large turn out of children from the parish schools receiving their First Holy Communion last Saturday
ABBEYFEALE GOLFING SOCIEY
The next outing is our Captain’s Prize Day at Newcastlewest Golf Club on Saturday, May 29 sponsored by Captain Tim Kelly and additional prizes sponsored by Crowley & Keane Quarry & Plant Hire Ltd. Tee-times are 09.00-11.10. To be included in the draw for tee-times text your name to 086-2234074 by 6pm Wednesday, May 26. Players are asked to be at the clubhouse 30 mins. prior to their tee-times. Committee meeting Wednesday, May 26 in Jack O‘Rourke’s, Abbeyfeale at 9.00pm.
ABBEYFEALE ANGLERS
The angling season has entered the three fish a day period on the Feale. Unfortunately, no salmon has yet been caught on our stretch of the river, so the chances of three are very slim to zero. The six angling clubs on the Feale had a meeting in the GAA pavilion in Abbeyfeale on Tuesday night last to organise a protest against the extension of the netting season on the Cashen. All anglers who wish to show their disapproval to the extension are asked to support this protest. Secretary Dee Dennison said recently “If we do nothing, we deserve the treatment we get.”
RUGBY;
There was no Jackpot winner in the weekly draw which took place on Monday night , May 17th at the Rugby Pavillion.

Winning numbers were 24 – 28 – 29 – 31. This week’s Jackpot now increases to € 4 , 350. Lucky Dip winners who win 25 € each were Carl Collins , C/O KOSTAL , Kathleen Murphy , The Hill , Theresa Dee , Devon Road , Peig Collins C/O Donal & Annes , Deirdre O’Connell C/O Kostal. Next draw takes place Monday night , May 24th at The Rugby Club so please make sure to purchase your ticket to be in with a chance! Tickets are available from local ticket sellers and outlets.
SOCCER;
Abbeyfeale Utd A (0) Rathkeale (0)

Limerick play Kerry this evening in Newcastlewest in the semi-final of the Munster Minor football championship. (Throw-in 7pm.) Limerick are managed by former Fr Casey’s captain, Gerard O’Connor, and included in the backroom staff are Gerard Moloney, a towering midfielder for Abbeyfeale in the early nineties, and the irrepressible Danny Browne, a fast-running and free-scoring [...]

The weather was good, the music was great, and the craic was only mighty as traditional musicians from all over Ireland as well as from Europe and America converged on Abbeyfeale last weekend for the annual Fleadh By The Feale festival of music, song, dance and wholesale merrymaking. We may be in the grip of [...]

Fleadh by the Feale takes place this weekend from Thursday 29th April to Monday 3rd May. (May Bank Holiday Weekend) The Celebrity Concert will feature noted fiddle player, Frankie Gavin and the new De Dannan group; “For many years traditional super group De Dannan were the forerunners in the Irish traditional music world but after [...]

As aeroplanes once more take to the clear blue skies to rescue passengers stranded in such exotic places as Lanzarote, Rome, Paris and even Lyrocrompane, (that’s a story for another day) spare a thought for the poor, beleaguered denizens of Knocknaboul who are cut off from Abbeyfeale and civilization due to the closure of the [...]