As a new year heralds in a new season, it also brings with it a new selection of rules to be tried out during the provincial and national leagues. With the FBD league supposed to have got under way in Garrymore on Sunday for Mayo against NUIG this raft of new rules will get its first airing in front of the Mayo faithful on Sunday week. For your ease, here is a run down of the new rules to be debuted on Sunday.
Fist pass: The open handed pass has been eliminated with only a closed fist pass allowed.
Mark: Any player who catches a kick out cleanly between either 45m line will be awarded a free kick.
Penalty: Penalty kicks will be now taken from 11m out, rather than the 13m line.
Kick outs: All kick outs will now be taken from the 13m line, within the large rectangle.
Advantage: The ref will signal advantage to a player who has been fouled by raising and extending his arm.
Charge: The wording has been changed so a fair charge tackle will be shoulder to shoulder only, rather than side to side as it said in the old rules.
Boundary line: a free will be awarded if a player goes over the boundary line with the ball to gain an advantage.
Time: The half time and full time whistle will not be blown until the ball has passed the boundary line.
Square ball: A player can now be in the small square once the ball has been played rather than under the old rules where he had to wait until the ball was in the square before entering.
Other changes sees changing of the wording for what is bouncing the ball to stop ambiguity regarding what a bounce is, and that no throw in should take place closer than 13m to the sideline.
