Oct 10,2024
Amend RULE 2 - SET PLAY, 2.7 (a)
2.7 (a)
"If the goalkeeper is not taking the kick-out, the goalkeeper shall stay in the small rectangle."
"The ball shall travel beyond the 20m line and outside the 40m arc before being played by another player on the attacking team."
"Players may remain inside the 20m line. Players may not infringe the goalkeeper, or another opposition player, taking the kickout."
"Players may remain inside the 40m arc but must not be closer than 13m from the ball."
Amend RULE 2 - SET PLAY, 2.7 (b)
2.7 (c)
"A player in direct receipt of a kick-out may not pass the ball to their team's goalkeeper, or another player taking the kickout."
Amend Rule 4.29:
"For another player on the team taking a kick-out to play the ball before it has travelled outside the 20m line and the 40m arc".
Éamonn Fitzmaurice's rationale
"Players can go inside the 20-metre line now. There's a new two-point arc or 40-metre arc and the kickout has to go beyond that.
"Players can still be inside the arc. They have to be 13 meters away at least, in terms of getting in the goalkeeper's eye, but they can't intercept the ball or touch the ball until it gets beyond the arc.
"As well as that, players can be behind the goalkeeper to encourage possibly a full-forward staying inside close to goal and if the the team that are defending the kickout win it, they have an option to play it inside straight away.
"It can create that bit of danger inside and of course it will speed it up as well because goalkeepers no longer have to wait for everyone to clear the 20-metre line and clear the D as it stands at the moment.
Why the changes to the kickout?
"I think it possibly came from the fact that kickouts can be delayed a bit. From a tactical point of view again, teams can keep a player inside the 20 metre line and that they can be slow coming out.
"It stops that quick kickout and the goalkeeper having the opportunity to get the ball away quickly and possibly get attack against an unstructured defence.
"Then when we introduced the 40-metre arc and the two point arc, it's creating more contests because it is forcing the kick to go that bit further. Rather than having to go beyond the traditional 13 metres, it now has to travel 20 metres.
"It's taken away a bit of real estate that goalkeepers were able to use, so it should promote more contests.
What if someone tries to interfere with the goalkeeper or slowdown a quick kickout?
"There's an allowance for that in the rules. If someone interferes with the goalkeeper, either a player staying inside the 20-metre line, or someone trying to slow it down, the kick out is brought to the halfway line, so it's a pretty penal punishment straight away."
