Statistics released by the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee to highlight the impact of the black card in this year's campaign show that the 2014 Football Championship set a record for the number of scores in a single season; up almost 10% on last year while the number of points scored has increased by just shy of five points per game since 2010.

In 2014, the total aggregate scores (goals and points combined) per game was 34.92; an increase of three points on both last year's championship and the Allianz League earlier this season.

The instance of goals also rose from 1.98 per game to 2.34, according to the CCCC boffins.

The number of cards, of any colour, shown to players in this year's championship fell significantly from more than seven per game in 2013 to just 4.3 this season; a tally almost 50% lower than 2010 when a record eight cards were flashed per game.

Despite the perceived reluctance of referees to punish cynical fouling as the championship advanced, the statistics suggest that they were as common as during the league campaign.

The instance of black cards remained at less than one per game throughout both campaigns while the number of yellows halved in the year with the black card obviously used in its place on certain occasions.