It’s one of the most loosely applied rules in the game.
The steps rule is enforced differently in every single game by every different referee, so why the hell wouldn’t players take the chance?
Some referees give players the benefit of the doubt, other lads are strict on it but the bottom line is that a rule now comes down to every referee’s own discretion.
By the rule-book, players are only allowed to take four steps with the ball in their hand before either tapping it off their hurl or releasing it. You’ll often get away with more than four though, and players are testing that to its limits.
That’s hardly the right way to go about it but it’s the way it is now and it has been like that for quite a while now.
The Leinster Senior Hurling Championship got underway in Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon with Brian Cody’s Kilkenny taking on Pat Gilroy’s Dublin in the Donnycarney sun.
The home side got off to a flying start, with veteran corner forward Paul Ryan rattling Eoin Murphy’s net less than three minutes into the action.
Ryan was presented with the opportunity after some sterling work from their newly converted full forward, St Patrick’s Palmerstown’s Liam Rushe.
The big, bulky and powerful Rushe, formerly a centre back got out ahead of his man Padraig Walsh to catch an inviting ball from the stick of his centre back Sean Moran.
Rushe caught the ball and his momentum brought him a few more steps out the field. He would proceed to turn his Tullaroan marker, without putting the ball on his hurl mind, before haring down towards the goal.
It wasn’t until his 13th step that Rushe would put the ball on his hurl.
Then after soloing the ball, he went on to take seven more steps before handpassing the ball across to Ryan to finish, therefore breaking the steps rule twice.
Paul Ryan hits the back of the net! Goal! pic.twitter.com/33DTcRI8K5
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 13, 2018
The funny thing is, until you look at it closely you wouldn’t actually realise he’s committed a foul, so it can’t be an easy one for referees to police.
