Declan Bogue

THE NEW RULES continues to provide moments that leave teams and managers enraged.

When Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney emerged from the dressing room to articulate how their one-point defeat to Galway went, he went through a preliminary question about how he felt and his general disappointment.

Then, asked about a three-man breach by Armagh just after the half-hour mark, he immediately lit up.

“Shocking. Absolutely shocking stuff fellas. If that’s the level that we are going to be adhered to, I just…” he said.

He explains the context of how such a call was made. The Armagh defender Joe McElroy made his way to the Armagh management to explain he was injured and could not continue.

Journalists afforded a front-row view in the Athletic Grounds press-box grounds confirmed that McElroy might have stepped a foot over the halfway line, but was well within the permittable ‘buffer line’. You have five yards either side of the halfway line that you can go into before making a breach. 

It was brought to the attention of referee Barry Cassidy. He ordered a free from an advanced position, which is not the appropriate punishment for this offence, given McElroy was not interfering with play at the time.

The resulting free from Rob Finnerty actually bounced into the Armagh net after dropping short, with Fionn McDonagh proving a great distraction at the edge of the square.

“Joe (McElroy), you can see it plain as day. He stops, and he walks towards me because he’s hurt. For the fourth official to call that a breach, I don’t even know if he crossed the half-way line but he is within the five-metre line,” said McGeeney.

Shocking stuff. Absolutely shocking. I know I am not allowed to use the words I would like to use. But you seen it. It’s shocking stuff. Absolutely shocking.

“But when a fella is coming over to say he needs to come off. And there’s a five-metre buffer zone. There is a rule there that states very fucking clearly that you are not interfering with the play, it is a free-kick from the halfway line.

“So even if he is wrong, and takes it, absolutely shocking stuff.”

It was one significant factor in the game. Not the defining turning point as the game would take numerous dips and curves along the way, but it was nonetheless hugely significant.

Cian McConville and Mattias Barrett challenge for a ball. James Lawlor / INPHO James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO

“Massive turning point. I am not taking away (from the fact) it was a great game of football. As always between the two teams, real up and down, good goals. I thought some of our running games was exceptional too,” McGeeney continued.

“But to be exposed to that kind of stuff is shocking. It really is terrible stuff.”

Asked to clarify the rule, he said for the journalists, “If you don’t interfere with the play. If you are not adding to, or taking away from the play. It’s supposed to be.

“And the five-metre buffer zone was put in for that rule. But he was standing beside me when he heard Joe McElroy say, ‘I need to go here. I need to go.’

“Just… I don’t want to be taking away there, some brilliant stuff from both teams. But it’s absolutely shocking.”

It was noticeable that at half-time, McGeeney made no attempt to speak to the officials. It was Galway manager Pádraic Joyce who did that instead.

“I was talking to the referee, I wasn’t angry. You’re allowed as manager and captain to talk to a referee, so I wasn’t angry,” said Joyce afterwards.

“I was not annoyed. I was not annoyed, I asked him questions.

“So I knew talking to my players at half-time, what the black card was for and why other black cards wasn’t given and all that stuff. So just a few decisions, but I’m entitled to questions, just to get an explanation out of it. That’s exactly it, and I respect every official.

“You never see me getting yellow cards or anything, I know how to communicate with people, so I wasn’t angry.”

McGeeney knows that – in that particular moment at least – he may not be gifted with the same levels of diplomacy.

“If I was speaking it tends to be different,” said McGeeney.

“But it’s very hard. No doubt they will have the meeting and talk about me, but it would be nice to interact with them in some shape or form.”

The new rules makes frantic and fantastic games of football. But there is still some ironing out to do yet.