When is a sending off not a sending off?
Last weekend the biggest anomaly in the current GAA rule book once again reared its ugly head to play a not insignificant role in Ballyboden St Enda’s AIB All-Ireland club SFC semi-final win over Clonmel Commercials.
Ballyboden ended the normal time with 14 men, after the dismissal of Declan O’Mahoney, but were able to restore their side to a full compliment when the extra time period began.
It was thanks to this bizarre rule that is not likely to be changed any time soon.
So, when the sixty minutes was up, Ballyboden were able to play once again with 15, as Sam Molony was introduced as the GAA treat the additional 20-minute period as a “new game”.
Surely a new game, by the GAA definition, should mean a wiping clean of the slate, and that would include all offences, and let the teams start again from scratch.
Ridiculous that one can get sent off for an illegal challenge then can rejoin the team for extra time. Fair? #GAA #FootballClubChamp
— Anna Geary (@AnnaGCork) February 13, 2016
@niallBroderick not the same player but allowing the team to have 15 again is not just or fair.
— Anna Geary (@AnnaGCork) February 13, 2016
@AnnaGCork @niallBroderick exactly. I can't think of a team sport as big as Gaelic games that treats ET as a new match
— Emmet Ryan, back in The D-SIX (@emmetjryan) February 13, 2016
Clonmel’s hopes were dashed quickly when Michael Quinlivan picked up a black card that ruled him out of most of extra-time, and left Clonmel shrinking further and further away from Croke Park on 17th March.
The GAA need to look at this rule on red/black cards in extra time. Ballyboden will win this & that rule will be a big part of it #GAA
— Derrick Lynch (@DLynchSport) February 13, 2016
Clonmel led when Ballyboden had their midfielder sent off and they will never regret anything more in their club careers than letting a three-point lead slip while enjoying the extra-man.
But the question has to be asked: what other sport, in the world, allows such an archaic rule?
If you are reduced to 14 men, or 10 men, or whatever is minus your full compliment, then that’s how it should stay.
Reds cards are meant to be handed out for the worst fouls you can commit, such as striking, or attempting to strike or kicking out at an opponent etc.
Rule 2.6 (d) makes absolutely no sense, and perhaps when Clonmel Commercials are thinking of motions to send to Congress for 2017, it may be an idea to see if there is an appetite for change in something that cannot be allowed stand in the rulebook much longer.
