Peter Canavan: Football rule changes would make ‘fool of game’

Tyrone legend Peter Canavan is fearful that any change to football’s playing rules would “make a fool of the game”.

Peter Canavan: Football rule changes would make ‘fool of game’

Tyrone legend Peter Canavan is fearful that any change to football’s playing rules would “make a fool of the game”.

In the wake of a disappointing and poorly-attended championship, there have been calls for various experimental rules to be trialled, including a limit on the number of consecutive handpasses that a team can make.

Canavan, however, doesn’t believe the game requires tinkering and is confident the era of blanket defences and lateral handpassing will subside.

“I would be reluctant to change rules on the back of a few bad games,” the three-time All-Ireland medal-winner told Radio Kerry’s Terrace Talk.

There is a danger that if you press the panic button, you are going to make a fool of the game.

"I know people are going on about the handpass and that you have to do away with the number of handpasses. If you do that, people are going to be kicking the ball to one another from two or three yards. That’s going to make a real charade of the thing.

“I am hoping the cycle whereby there is a lot of lateral passing, people will soon see that is not the best way to move forward. Players, certainly, don’t enjoy that. The fad of the blanket defence, I am not sure it is going to stay there. I would be careful not to press the panic button just yet. If it was to carry on that way and we were to have another poor championship next year, then, maybe, it is time to do something.”

The six-time All-Star added: “You can put the poor attendances down to a few things. I don’t think moving the finals to the end of August has helped. There needs to be more of a break between the Super 8s and the semi-finals. And I am sure the GAA will do that.

Canavan reiterated his call for a tiered football championship and accused those who were critical of Mickey Harte earlier this year of showing a lack of respect to the Tyrone manager.

He is in favour of Harte extending his stay at the helm into a 17th year.

“I would be disappointed with some of the lads with some of the comments they’ve made, whereby they’ve shown Mickey a lack of respect. The bottom line is that a lot of lads and a lot of my teammates wouldn’t have won anything were it not for Mickey Harte.”

Meanwhile, Ciarán Deely will remain in charge of the London footballers for 2019.

It will be Deely’s fourth year at the helm.

London lost their two championship games this year, to Sligo and Louth respectively, by 10 points each.

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