‘That has to be tidied up' – Jack O'Connor slams ‘ridiculous' new gaelic football rule after Kerry win over Cork
JACK O'CONNOR labelled one of Gaelic football's new rules 'ridiculous' after Kerry saw off Cork.
The
But both sides were impacted as there were several instances of referee Derek O'Mahoney imposing the penalty on the rule which governs the kickout mark at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
And O'Connor fumed: 'That's going to have to be tidied up.
'I felt all along that was going to cause problems and it is. You can't just disappear.
'Jesus Christ, like, you're battling for a ball. It isn't as if you're cool, calm and collected. You're battling in the middle of a gang of men for the ball and then you're supposed to have a clear head to realise which way the free is going and disappear out of the way.'
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Following changes introduced for the 2025 season by the Football Review Committee, the referee can move the ball 50 metres if a player is challenged within four metres of where a mark from a kickout is claimed.
While noting he is 'not blaming referees', O'Connor insisted: 'Half the time he blows the whistle and neither team knows who the free is for. How are you supposed to get out of the way if you think the free is your own.
'This is something that has to be addressed because it's gone to ridiculous proportions.'
For Cork, the application of the rule proved costly during a second half that saw Kerry punish their indiscretions with two-point frees.
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Echoing his Kingdom counterpart, Rebels manager John Cleary said: 'You won't make excuses but I thought our lads made a genuine attempt to go for the ball.
'There were some awfully strange decisions there on that. What's a fella supposed to do?
Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview -
'It was on both sides but I thought we were hit particularly hard on it after half-time.
'Not an excuse, it's just a general comment that the rule has to be looked at.'
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Referee Derek O'Mahony shows a yellow card to Kerry manager Jack O'Connor
Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
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