Top ladies football stars have welcomed 12 playing rule enhancements that are being trialled across the 2026 Lidl National Football Leagues.
Six of the 12 changes mirror the GAA Football Review Committee’s rules from the men’s game, including the two-pointer, solo and go, and three-up. The six others look specifically at long-standing LGFA rules, including those related to the tackle.
While they also apply to this year’s Higher Education Colleges competitions, the trial rules debuted on the inter-county stage in Division 4 on Sunday.
The Division 1 action gets underway this weekend, with the blockbuster clash between All-Ireland champions Dublin and league holders Kerry at Parnell Park on Saturday.
All eyes on the trial rules as the TG4 cameras pitch up.
“We definitely welcome the them,” says Dublin All-Ireland winner Carla Rowe. “Anywhere where you’re reflecting, learning and trying to make an improvement, that’s always going to better the game.
“It’s going well. You can train as much as possible, it’s when you go into the heat of battle in games that you learn the most from them.”
Just one of the players at yesterday’s league launch in Croke Park had done so competitively: Leitrim midfielder Niamh Tighe, who featured as her side opened their Division 4 campaign with a 6-17 to 2-10 win over Longford.
“It was good,” she tells The 42. “It’ll definitely take a little while to fully get used to them. I think the solo and go was probably the main thing that sped up the game massively. There were lots of marks. We probably didn’t take them, so that’ll take time to learn when is the best time to take them and use it.
“I think it’s a really good thing for ladies football that they’re allowing more physicality in the tackle because I think players have really wanted that for a long time. It’s really exciting to see how it goes in the league for all of the teams.”
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Niamh Tighe (right) in action in the 2024 All-Ireland intermediate final. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The towering midfielder has particularly enjoyed the introduction of the kickout mark, and while there were no two-pointers executed, Tighe is hopeful for what they may add going forward.
“The excitement that’s brought to the men’s game and those really close finishes, hopefully we’ll see the same.
“When (the rule changes) came into the men’s game, it probably got you thinking, ‘What would that look like in ladies football?’ It’s definitely a really, really positive step.”
Back to Rowe. A new dawn after over a decade with Dublin which has yielded multiple All-Ireland titles and All-Stars. How has she been finding the rule changes — which will be reviewed after round three — so far?
“Good. I think some of them are going to be easier adapted, like the tackle rule. The game was already nearly there. That’s one that you probably don’t have to think about too much.
“There’s other ones that you have to think about like the solo and go, you can use that to your advantage at really high points in the game and I think you’ll catch some teams out early on in the league.
“It’s well known that we like to play that fast, expansive, open football. We like to be able to kick pass, move the ball and showcase all the skills of the game. We didn’t come across the defensive football too much, it was starting to creep in probably with some teams more than others.”
While not to the same level of the men’s game, an air of frustration with negative tactics was brewing in certain quarters, particularly down the divisions and in the intermediate and junior grades for championship.
“You’re just getting sick of being pulled and dragged and teams just not letting you play the game that you want to play, that old style, catch and kick,” Kerry sharpshooter Danielle O’Leary says.
Then a pause for thought.
“To be honest with you, I don’t think we needed to change the rules as much as the men because the last few years, people actually started turning over to watch women’s football because it was that faster pace and it was free-flowing.”
Head to head: Danielle O'Leary and Carla Rowe. Sam Barnes / SPORTSFILE
Sam Barnes / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE
Different strokes for different folks. 2024 All-Ireland champions Kerry, like Dublin, deploy an attacking, skillful style.
“I do think the new rules are going to suit us big time,” O’Leary continues.
“We’ll definitely utilise the solo and go the most and it just brings back the catch and kick football as well, which we love. Like the (Kerry) men, hopefully we’ll utilise it as much as we can.”
The inside forward admits “it’s been hard to get your head around things,” like moving away from the old mindset of stopping for a free on the whistle.
She also welcomes ‘controlled contact’ and efforts to define the tackle, but warns that the subjective nature of referees is likely to continue influencing that department.
“It’s very dependent on the ref, which could be good and could be bad depending on what team you’re on. We won’t know until the ref throws in the ball how much contact he’s going to allow. I know the rules are there but look, rules have been there the last 40 years, you have to adjust to the game in front of you.”
Aimee Mackin in action in Croke Park. Leah Scholes / INPHO
Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO
While O’Leary and Rowe are likely to be central characters in a Kerry-Dublin shootout on Saturday, Aimee Mackin is preparing for her full Armagh return after a second cruciate ligament knee injury.
The dazzling forward is one of the first names you think of when it comes to potential two-point specialists. Fancy them? “Hopefully some day,” she laughs. “It’s not really for winter football, but maybe in the summer time.”
Like most of her Division 1 counterparts, the only experience of the enhancements Mackin has is from training or challenge matches.
Sunday against Waterford will be the real baptism of fire.
“Because we watched it in the men’s game, it comes a little more natural but it will be totally different when you’re playing it because your head is not used to that thinking at full speed,” Mackin adds.
“To be honest, in the in-house games, the game didn’t feel a whole pile different, just the pace of it, with the solo and go, you could feel more intensity. And that was a stat from the men’s game, the change in distance covered, so that will be the biggest change.”
Intrigue, excitement, freshness. Watch this space.
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What do leading ladies football stars think of the new rules?
INTRIGUE, EXCITEMENT, FRESHNESS.
Top ladies football stars have welcomed 12 playing rule enhancements that are being trialled across the 2026 Lidl National Football Leagues.
Six of the 12 changes mirror the GAA Football Review Committee’s rules from the men’s game, including the two-pointer, solo and go, and three-up. The six others look specifically at long-standing LGFA rules, including those related to the tackle.
While they also apply to this year’s Higher Education Colleges competitions, the trial rules debuted on the inter-county stage in Division 4 on Sunday.
The Division 1 action gets underway this weekend, with the blockbuster clash between All-Ireland champions Dublin and league holders Kerry at Parnell Park on Saturday.
All eyes on the trial rules as the TG4 cameras pitch up.
“We definitely welcome the them,” says Dublin All-Ireland winner Carla Rowe. “Anywhere where you’re reflecting, learning and trying to make an improvement, that’s always going to better the game.
“It’s going well. You can train as much as possible, it’s when you go into the heat of battle in games that you learn the most from them.”
Just one of the players at yesterday’s league launch in Croke Park had done so competitively: Leitrim midfielder Niamh Tighe, who featured as her side opened their Division 4 campaign with a 6-17 to 2-10 win over Longford.
“It was good,” she tells The 42. “It’ll definitely take a little while to fully get used to them. I think the solo and go was probably the main thing that sped up the game massively. There were lots of marks. We probably didn’t take them, so that’ll take time to learn when is the best time to take them and use it.
“I think it’s a really good thing for ladies football that they’re allowing more physicality in the tackle because I think players have really wanted that for a long time. It’s really exciting to see how it goes in the league for all of the teams.”
The towering midfielder has particularly enjoyed the introduction of the kickout mark, and while there were no two-pointers executed, Tighe is hopeful for what they may add going forward.
“The excitement that’s brought to the men’s game and those really close finishes, hopefully we’ll see the same.
“When (the rule changes) came into the men’s game, it probably got you thinking, ‘What would that look like in ladies football?’ It’s definitely a really, really positive step.”
Back to Rowe. A new dawn after over a decade with Dublin which has yielded multiple All-Ireland titles and All-Stars. How has she been finding the rule changes — which will be reviewed after round three — so far?
“Good. I think some of them are going to be easier adapted, like the tackle rule. The game was already nearly there. That’s one that you probably don’t have to think about too much.
“There’s other ones that you have to think about like the solo and go, you can use that to your advantage at really high points in the game and I think you’ll catch some teams out early on in the league.
“It’s well known that we like to play that fast, expansive, open football. We like to be able to kick pass, move the ball and showcase all the skills of the game. We didn’t come across the defensive football too much, it was starting to creep in probably with some teams more than others.”
While not to the same level of the men’s game, an air of frustration with negative tactics was brewing in certain quarters, particularly down the divisions and in the intermediate and junior grades for championship.
“You’re just getting sick of being pulled and dragged and teams just not letting you play the game that you want to play, that old style, catch and kick,” Kerry sharpshooter Danielle O’Leary says.
Then a pause for thought.
“To be honest with you, I don’t think we needed to change the rules as much as the men because the last few years, people actually started turning over to watch women’s football because it was that faster pace and it was free-flowing.”
Different strokes for different folks. 2024 All-Ireland champions Kerry, like Dublin, deploy an attacking, skillful style.
“I do think the new rules are going to suit us big time,” O’Leary continues.
“We’ll definitely utilise the solo and go the most and it just brings back the catch and kick football as well, which we love. Like the (Kerry) men, hopefully we’ll utilise it as much as we can.”
The inside forward admits “it’s been hard to get your head around things,” like moving away from the old mindset of stopping for a free on the whistle.
She also welcomes ‘controlled contact’ and efforts to define the tackle, but warns that the subjective nature of referees is likely to continue influencing that department.
“It’s very dependent on the ref, which could be good and could be bad depending on what team you’re on. We won’t know until the ref throws in the ball how much contact he’s going to allow. I know the rules are there but look, rules have been there the last 40 years, you have to adjust to the game in front of you.”
While O’Leary and Rowe are likely to be central characters in a Kerry-Dublin shootout on Saturday, Aimee Mackin is preparing for her full Armagh return after a second cruciate ligament knee injury.
The dazzling forward is one of the first names you think of when it comes to potential two-point specialists. Fancy them? “Hopefully some day,” she laughs. “It’s not really for winter football, but maybe in the summer time.”
Like most of her Division 1 counterparts, the only experience of the enhancements Mackin has is from training or challenge matches.
Sunday against Waterford will be the real baptism of fire.
“Because we watched it in the men’s game, it comes a little more natural but it will be totally different when you’re playing it because your head is not used to that thinking at full speed,” Mackin adds.
“To be honest, in the in-house games, the game didn’t feel a whole pile different, just the pace of it, with the solo and go, you could feel more intensity. And that was a stat from the men’s game, the change in distance covered, so that will be the biggest change.”
Intrigue, excitement, freshness. Watch this space.
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Ladies Football LGFA new dawn