WATERFORD CAPTAIN EMMA Murray is in favour of rule changes in ladies football “to make the game more exciting”.
The men’s game has benefitted from a number of enhancements this season, and Murray feels that adopting the ‘three-up’ rule, for one, would help improve ladies football.
“We see the positive impact it’s had on the men’s game, making it very exciting and getting rid of that defensive style that we’ve seen over the last few years,” Murray said as she was named PwC GPA Women’s Player of the Month in football for June
“If it was brought into the ladies game, I suppose it would be positive as well, stopping teams getting everyone back behind the ball and making for more exciting and attacking football.
“The defensive set-up and style of play has been coming in the last couple of years. I’m not sure as many are doing it now as there was (a few years ago) but when you’re training you’re focusing on how to break down a defensive set-up because more often than not, teams are setting up that way.
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“For the people viewing (it can be boring). When you’re playing it, you mightn’t even realise that you might be going over and across the pitch trying to break down a defence for four or five minutes. To make the game more exciting for spectators, a three-up rule like the men’s would surely be a positive introduction.”
Tipperary star Aishling Moloney is among others calling for similar rule changes in the women’s game, with the advanced mark one suggestion made in a recent interview with BreakingNews.ie.
Physicality and the charging rule have been the subject of long-running debate in ladies football, with Murray first pointing to those when asked about potential tweaks.
“A big one over the last few seasons has been surrounding contact,” she said.
“That charging rule, we’re all well aware that it’s still a bit of a grey area, what’s allowed and what’s not allowed. One day out, it might be a free for you and the next day a free to the other player.
“The physicality one needs to be looked at. Players are in the gym, they’re athletic. Are they able to let it be a bit more physical?”
Emma Murray on the charge for Waterford. Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE
Piaras Ó Mídheach / SPORTSFILE / SPORTSFILE
Murray’s Waterford side bowed out of the All-Ireland senior championship following a quarter-final defeat to Galway last weekend. The Tribe, Dublin, Meath and defending champions Kerry are the last four standing in the Race for the Brendan Martin Cup.
A championship monopolised by Cork and Dublin from 2005 to 2020, there have been three different champions in the last four years: Meath (’21 and ’22), Dublin (’23) and Kerry (’24). It appears much more open, with Armagh a shock group stage casualty this years after being stunned by Kildare. Murray welcomes a more level playing field.
“Just going off the results this year, there’s not much between each team,” the Comeragh Rangers star said. “It’s not the same two or three teams dominating week in, week out.
“For the likes of Donegal and Armagh to be in relegation (battles), two serious teams, it just shows how competitive it is. If you’re not performing close to your best every time you go out, your season doesn’t be long about changing. You might be aiming for the quarter-finals, then all of a sudden, you find yourself in a relegation battle after one bad day out. It’s a very competitive championship this year anyway, and hopefully for the next few years.
“When the same teams are winning, it gets a bit monotonous. Maybe other teams mightn’t have that belief that they’d be able to compete at that level, or get that bit of silverware. When there’s different winners every year, you’re going back in January, saying, ‘If this team have done it and that team have done it, why can’t we have a say in how things are going?’”
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'To make the game more exciting, a three-up rule would surely be a positive introduction'
WATERFORD CAPTAIN EMMA Murray is in favour of rule changes in ladies football “to make the game more exciting”.
The men’s game has benefitted from a number of enhancements this season, and Murray feels that adopting the ‘three-up’ rule, for one, would help improve ladies football.
“We see the positive impact it’s had on the men’s game, making it very exciting and getting rid of that defensive style that we’ve seen over the last few years,” Murray said as she was named PwC GPA Women’s Player of the Month in football for June
“If it was brought into the ladies game, I suppose it would be positive as well, stopping teams getting everyone back behind the ball and making for more exciting and attacking football.
“The defensive set-up and style of play has been coming in the last couple of years. I’m not sure as many are doing it now as there was (a few years ago) but when you’re training you’re focusing on how to break down a defensive set-up because more often than not, teams are setting up that way.
“For the people viewing (it can be boring). When you’re playing it, you mightn’t even realise that you might be going over and across the pitch trying to break down a defence for four or five minutes. To make the game more exciting for spectators, a three-up rule like the men’s would surely be a positive introduction.”
Tipperary star Aishling Moloney is among others calling for similar rule changes in the women’s game, with the advanced mark one suggestion made in a recent interview with BreakingNews.ie.
Physicality and the charging rule have been the subject of long-running debate in ladies football, with Murray first pointing to those when asked about potential tweaks.
“A big one over the last few seasons has been surrounding contact,” she said.
“That charging rule, we’re all well aware that it’s still a bit of a grey area, what’s allowed and what’s not allowed. One day out, it might be a free for you and the next day a free to the other player.
“The physicality one needs to be looked at. Players are in the gym, they’re athletic. Are they able to let it be a bit more physical?”
Murray’s Waterford side bowed out of the All-Ireland senior championship following a quarter-final defeat to Galway last weekend. The Tribe, Dublin, Meath and defending champions Kerry are the last four standing in the Race for the Brendan Martin Cup.
A championship monopolised by Cork and Dublin from 2005 to 2020, there have been three different champions in the last four years: Meath (’21 and ’22), Dublin (’23) and Kerry (’24). It appears much more open, with Armagh a shock group stage casualty this years after being stunned by Kildare. Murray welcomes a more level playing field.
“Just going off the results this year, there’s not much between each team,” the Comeragh Rangers star said. “It’s not the same two or three teams dominating week in, week out.
“For the likes of Donegal and Armagh to be in relegation (battles), two serious teams, it just shows how competitive it is. If you’re not performing close to your best every time you go out, your season doesn’t be long about changing. You might be aiming for the quarter-finals, then all of a sudden, you find yourself in a relegation battle after one bad day out. It’s a very competitive championship this year anyway, and hopefully for the next few years.
“When the same teams are winning, it gets a bit monotonous. Maybe other teams mightn’t have that belief that they’d be able to compete at that level, or get that bit of silverware. When there’s different winners every year, you’re going back in January, saying, ‘If this team have done it and that team have done it, why can’t we have a say in how things are going?’”
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