Post by admin on May 10, 2007 11:53:29 GMT
Jus said we'd keep a centralised place for all the articles posted up.
It's so funny how we don't seem to kick any more
Former Kerry manager Jack O'Connor joins The Irish Times GAA team in a hard-hitting weekly column every Wednesday
Two things struck me about the recent league. Too much handpassing. Lots of bad refereeing.
I checked the figures. There were well over 200 handpasses in several games - 235 when Kerry played Tyrone, nearly the same between Cork and Tyrone.
The Aussies came here last year and were better kickers with our ball. No wonder. We don't kick any more. It's too easy to coach handpassing rather than the natural skills of the game. You can get any bunch of athletes to develop into a handpassing team just running and handpassing.
One theory is that in winter teams train in grounds where the lights aren't great. And they do lots of training inside grids, handpassing and doing contact stuff. It gets ingrained.
I've said this in the past about Dublin, for example, they pick athletes and hope to make footballers out of them. Great teams get footballers and turn them into athletes.
Coaches take the easy option. Working on kicking or developing the skill isn't done at county level. Kicking is all about trying to get the balance right. You don't want fellas kicking the ball stupidly. The long ball has to land in the scoring zone and you need constructive diagonal footpassing out the field. One or two quick handpasses, a good diagonal ball for half forwards to come on to and then inside the 21 with the ball is the ideal.
We started out last year in Kerry one way and ended up moving back towards a kicking game. We worked hard on constructive diagonal kicking in each side of the field.
My cure is a change in rules. Two consecutive handpasses and then make a team kick it. That rule would transform football. Right now there are so many men behind the ball at any time there is often no point in kicking it, because there is nobody up the field.
The handpass epidemic brings us to referees. The handpass game is almost impossible to referee. Teams charge out with the ball, moving it quickly. We get too much contact in a confined space. Refs can't see. There are bodies and hits everywhere.
The Kildare and Donegal game last week was an example. Players were done one minute for overcarrying, the next minute for the foul. It's grey on the best days. A lottery on bad days. It is easier to referee two men going for a ball than six or seven in a fast moving huddle.
Not that referees are perfect anyway. A share of them don't look up to intercounty fitness. As usual this year they went like lunatics with the cards for the first few games, putting cur isteach on fellas. Frighteners till fellas cop on and it becomes a bit of a farce.
The GAA needs to draw in referees by making it attractive to former players. Too many men who referee big games know everything about refereeing and nothing about football. They can quote rules verbatim but they have no feel for the game.
There are things we have to learn or adopt. An advantage rule. Let the game flow. Come back and book a player when the play is dead.
And what about the amount of time it takes to book a player. A ref is miked up. Just let him say number 11, Kerry or number 11, Armagh down the wire to the fourth official and get on with it.
When referees stop play it takes at least 30 seconds to book fellas. Let the game flow. Let the fourth official keep track. Number 11 for Kerry booked. Recorded and announced.
And wire the umpires! A referee looks silly going from one to the other and then chasing around the field looking for a guy.
There were five minutes wasted in the Kerry-Tyrone game and they still couldn't find Tom O'Sullivan! For Crossmaglen John McEntee got booked twice but stayed on the field. If all information went through the fourth official things would move better and referees would have more authority.
Pat McEneaney has been our best referee for some time. Pat was playing a bit of junior in Monaghan until a year or so ago certainly. He knows his football. He talks to fellas. He understands the game. The GAA will have to seek these guys out.
Make it attractive, you'll get the best applying for it. We should take the time-keeping away too. I saw it work in Gaelic Park, New York, for the three years I played there. A big clock behind the goal. The referee signals to the clock man when play stops. And the clock stops. When time is out and the clock gets to the top a buzzer goes off and when play next goes dead the game is over.
Simple. Yet in my first game as Kerry manager (a league match with Longford) three minutes of injury-time were signalled and eight played. Against Tyrone in the All-Ireland final of 2005 four minutes of injury-time were signalled and only three played. You remember the ones you lose, of course, but such simple things need to be got right.
It was very easy for Jack to remember the ones that he lost because there wasnt too many of them.
A restriction on hand passing would be a good move. However thats not going to come from managers. Managers coach teams with a view to winning and not entertaining.
If they were changing the rules they could:
Limit hand passing
introduce a mark for a clean catch from a kick out (only)
get rid of the pick up
I have no other solution though. Best thing they could do is bring in the sin bin, and feck what Joe Kiernan and Sean Boylan think.
i would def be for a mark from kickouts, too many teams have no interest in high fieldind and only wait for the fielder to land with the ball.
also i would like to see the pick up gone and reduce it to a 13 man game. the game of football now is lacking pace these things would add to excitment and pace and possibly level the playing field.
he is not going to sell many copies if its all about happy easy going times in the kerry camp.
it wouldn't be fair on lads still playing to have the dirty laundry aired in public.
this book idea surprises me to be honest. i didn't think jack would buy into that kind of thing.
is it all going to his head a bit lads?
was a great fan of his while in charge. hope he doesn't ruin his popularity.
There will have to be some controversy for it to sell and that won't benefit kerry football.
I think Dublin play really good football, so I dont really agree with that comment, it was more true of the 90s. Dublin played more kick-pass football than most the past few years, why doesnt he give them some credit?
He has a nice pop at Billy Morgan at the end though!!
owenabue said:
Taken from the Irish Times, 18th April It's so funny how we don't seem to kick any more
Former Kerry manager Jack O'Connor joins The Irish Times GAA team in a hard-hitting weekly column every Wednesday
Two things struck me about the recent league. Too much handpassing. Lots of bad refereeing.
I checked the figures. There were well over 200 handpasses in several games - 235 when Kerry played Tyrone, nearly the same between Cork and Tyrone.
The Aussies came here last year and were better kickers with our ball. No wonder. We don't kick any more. It's too easy to coach handpassing rather than the natural skills of the game. You can get any bunch of athletes to develop into a handpassing team just running and handpassing.
One theory is that in winter teams train in grounds where the lights aren't great. And they do lots of training inside grids, handpassing and doing contact stuff. It gets ingrained.
I've said this in the past about Dublin, for example, they pick athletes and hope to make footballers out of them. Great teams get footballers and turn them into athletes.
Coaches take the easy option. Working on kicking or developing the skill isn't done at county level. Kicking is all about trying to get the balance right. You don't want fellas kicking the ball stupidly. The long ball has to land in the scoring zone and you need constructive diagonal footpassing out the field. One or two quick handpasses, a good diagonal ball for half forwards to come on to and then inside the 21 with the ball is the ideal.
We started out last year in Kerry one way and ended up moving back towards a kicking game. We worked hard on constructive diagonal kicking in each side of the field.
My cure is a change in rules. Two consecutive handpasses and then make a team kick it. That rule would transform football. Right now there are so many men behind the ball at any time there is often no point in kicking it, because there is nobody up the field.
The handpass epidemic brings us to referees. The handpass game is almost impossible to referee. Teams charge out with the ball, moving it quickly. We get too much contact in a confined space. Refs can't see. There are bodies and hits everywhere.
The Kildare and Donegal game last week was an example. Players were done one minute for overcarrying, the next minute for the foul. It's grey on the best days. A lottery on bad days. It is easier to referee two men going for a ball than six or seven in a fast moving huddle.
Not that referees are perfect anyway. A share of them don't look up to intercounty fitness. As usual this year they went like lunatics with the cards for the first few games, putting cur isteach on fellas. Frighteners till fellas cop on and it becomes a bit of a farce.
The GAA needs to draw in referees by making it attractive to former players. Too many men who referee big games know everything about refereeing and nothing about football. They can quote rules verbatim but they have no feel for the game.
There are things we have to learn or adopt. An advantage rule. Let the game flow. Come back and book a player when the play is dead.
And what about the amount of time it takes to book a player. A ref is miked up. Just let him say number 11, Kerry or number 11, Armagh down the wire to the fourth official and get on with it.
When referees stop play it takes at least 30 seconds to book fellas. Let the game flow. Let the fourth official keep track. Number 11 for Kerry booked. Recorded and announced.
And wire the umpires! A referee looks silly going from one to the other and then chasing around the field looking for a guy.
There were five minutes wasted in the Kerry-Tyrone game and they still couldn't find Tom O'Sullivan! For Crossmaglen John McEntee got booked twice but stayed on the field. If all information went through the fourth official things would move better and referees would have more authority.
Pat McEneaney has been our best referee for some time. Pat was playing a bit of junior in Monaghan until a year or so ago certainly. He knows his football. He talks to fellas. He understands the game. The GAA will have to seek these guys out.
Make it attractive, you'll get the best applying for it. We should take the time-keeping away too. I saw it work in Gaelic Park, New York, for the three years I played there. A big clock behind the goal. The referee signals to the clock man when play stops. And the clock stops. When time is out and the clock gets to the top a buzzer goes off and when play next goes dead the game is over.
Simple. Yet in my first game as Kerry manager (a league match with Longford) three minutes of injury-time were signalled and eight played. Against Tyrone in the All-Ireland final of 2005 four minutes of injury-time were signalled and only three played. You remember the ones you lose, of course, but such simple things need to be got right.
kerryeye said:
"Yet in my first game as Kerry manager (a league match with Longford) three minutes of injury-time were signalled and eight played. Against Tyrone in the All-Ireland final of 2005 four minutes of injury-time were signalled and only three played. You remember the ones you lose, of course, but such simple things need to be got right."It was very easy for Jack to remember the ones that he lost because there wasnt too many of them.
kerrygold said:
thats interesting,thanks for that abue.cheers.watchdahop said:
Agree with some things in Jacks article.A restriction on hand passing would be a good move. However thats not going to come from managers. Managers coach teams with a view to winning and not entertaining.
If they were changing the rules they could:
Limit hand passing
introduce a mark for a clean catch from a kick out (only)
get rid of the pick up
sullyschoice said:
They brought in a trial rule during the league a good few years ago where if you reveived the ball by handpass you could not handpass it on....I thought it just added to confusion and making the job of the ref almost impossible. He invariable missed a few decisions and came in for a pile of abuse.I have no other solution though. Best thing they could do is bring in the sin bin, and feck what Joe Kiernan and Sean Boylan think.
kerrygold said:
two hand passes would be a nightmare for refs,imagine a goal to win an all-ireland final 3 minutes into injury rightly or wrongly disallowed because of a refereeing mistake,War.bigmac said:
it seems the erne men are in a rage that the joc seminar was made public knowledge,one would have to ask whypony said:
think 2 hand passes is too little. thats just a pass out, and a return for example . 3 or 4 maybe more plausible.i would def be for a mark from kickouts, too many teams have no interest in high fieldind and only wait for the fielder to land with the ball.
also i would like to see the pick up gone and reduce it to a 13 man game. the game of football now is lacking pace these things would add to excitment and pace and possibly level the playing field.
animal said:
Anyone know when Jack's book is coming out? I'd have mixed feelings about it myself. He's going to be writing about lads he trained who are still playing so it'll go one of two ways: either he'll say nothing interesting or he'll reveal warts and all and personally I think thats unfair on lads still playing. wait and see i suppose.kerryeye said:
Think there could be a few stories in there alright about the last few years that some fellas dont want in public,remember these lads are only amateurs,there will have to be some few controversial stories,otherwise how will he sell the book,in my opinion i dont think jack has done enough to be bringing out a book,he's only managed at the top level for 3 years,i know he was selector for a few years aswell, but how does he expect to fill a book.micky harte did the same and that was only after his first year as tyrone manager.pony said:
totally agree with the comments about jacks book. think its a step too far. he is not going to sell many copies if its all about happy easy going times in the kerry camp.
it wouldn't be fair on lads still playing to have the dirty laundry aired in public.
this book idea surprises me to be honest. i didn't think jack would buy into that kind of thing.
is it all going to his head a bit lads?
was a great fan of his while in charge. hope he doesn't ruin his popularity.
mickmack said:
Ger loughnane made 250 grand from his book. Anthony Daly suggested that he donate half the proceeds to the players fund .............. Loughnane ignored himjoan said:
Read Tom Humpries book Kerry V Dublin. A lot of the famous 4 team still very sore at Pat Spillane for speaking out of turn. They feel there is certain things that should stay in the locker room and I for one agree. kerryexile said:
While it would be a good read I can't see what good would come of it.There will have to be some controversy for it to sell and that won't benefit kerry football.
kerry07 said:
I reckon Jack wont do Kerry Football any harm. Time will tell but I always reckoned that he was an out and out Kerryman. If he gets 250K out of it fair play to him. At that stage he might just brake even in Football mrtierneyesq said:
I'm sure his book would be a good read. I agree about the hand-passing, it's awful to watch when it's overdone.I think Dublin play really good football, so I dont really agree with that comment, it was more true of the 90s. Dublin played more kick-pass football than most the past few years, why doesnt he give them some credit?
owenabue said:
Because Jack would appear to be a very successful manager, I suppose maybe some might feel his opinion matters. If good old Billy Morgan said it would it even make the back of the Echo? Yes Dublin might play good football, but when push comes to shove, winning is all that matters. mrtierneyesq said:
Who said his opinion doesnt matter? I agreed with most of what he said, but seems like on here he can say whatever he likes - even to Cork people. Funny thatowenabue said:
We are under no illusion about how Kerry people see us. In fact it's an opinion that is echoed far and wide... It wouldn't bother me in the least. Why should it? What's the point in me arguing that I think Cork are fantastic? I know they have plenty of ability, play nice football most of the time and hope they will do well. Kerry expect All Irelands, that's the difference. One of these days we'll prove them wrong. kerry07 said:
CUTE HOORS. ah they will listen to experts all right. That is why the Dubs are never a threat. They know it all. Cork boys different wont admit to listening but he will take it all in and then?? watchdahop said:
Jacks article today is on about foreign training trips and keeping squads fresh.He has a nice pop at Billy Morgan at the end though!!