Hurling chiefs brace themselves as 24 new rules get trialled this week

Hurling chiefs have braced for backlash as up to 24 new rules are being trialled this week ahead of next year.

The set of experimental rules includes an increase in steps with the ball in hand from four to six, a limit on successive handpasses, a ban on tackling with the arm, and the two-point sideline cut, which were debuted on Tuesday night in the Higher Education Division 1 game between UCD and Maynooth in Belfield.

They will be trialled again on Thursday night for four more round one games of the Higher Education Division 1, including MTU Cor meeting UCC at Bishopstown.

Speaking at Croke Park, Hurling Expert Advisory Group Chair John Meyler said that they are preparing for backlash from fans over the new rules. ‘We are going to get sh*** after tonight or Thursday night, but we’re going to get positive stuff as well,’ the former Cork boss said.

The new rules also mean the line umpires will only cover one half of the pitch each, which will change the way the game is refereed, as Inter-county hurling referee Chris Mooney, who took charge of the game on Tuesday night, explains.

‘If we’re stopping at the halfway line and something happens in the other corner, that’s now an implication on the referee. He needs to change the way he moves around the field to cover the bases that the linesman’s not covering as well.’

However, Mooney says there is support from hurling referees for the new steps and handpass rules. ‘You might have a red card decision once every two games; you have a steps or handball decision probably every five, six, seven, eight, nine seconds.

‘First of all, steps is a factual thing. So, is it four, is it six, and I know there’s a cynical opinion that it’s actually eight or 10, but is it four, is it six, it’s a factual-based thing; it’s refereeable. If the data shows it will help the game, it will help the game.

‘The biggest thing with the hand-pass is the onus being now on the player. It is extremely difficult right now to catch a foul handpass with the speed that it’s being done at correctly, and it’s important to call it out.

‘A lot of them are correct, and it’s being done very fast, and then some of them are incorrect, and we’re not sure, and because you’re not sure, you’re not blowing it.

‘I do think there is an existing rule that’s there that’s hard to implement, and this rule is going to be just as hard. Potentially, the other officials might be able to help us, but the speed the players are handpassing the ball at the moment- that’s where the difficulty can be for us sometimes in terms of spotting the foul.’