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Conor Lane positive about proposed experimental rules for Gaelic Football

Conor Lane pictured refereeing the 2018 All-Ireland SFC Final between Dublin and Tyrone. 

Conor Lane pictured refereeing the 2018 All-Ireland SFC Final between Dublin and Tyrone. 

By John Harrington

2018 All-Ireland Final referee, Conor Lane, doesn’t think the proposed experimental rules for Gaelic Football will place too much of a burden on referees.

“No, I don’t”, said Lane today at the launch of the Referee Development Plan 2018-2021.

“Look, it's like every year, what we're given we'll just go out and perform and do what we're told to do. If it's hand-passes we'll do it, if it's an extra mark we'll just have to buy into it and do it.

“I'd be positive. Whatever we're told to do we'll just do it. It won't be an extra work-load for us, no. It's just another challenge that we'll embrace. I'm looking forward to it.”

The experimental rules are currently being trialled in matches between University teams and Lane says the feedback from the referees who’ve officiated those games has been “very positive”.

Lane’s own view is that if the new rules encourage teams to play a more direct and attacking brand of football they’ll be a boon for the game.

“It’s positive for me,” he said. “I'm from Cork and hurling would be my first love. From refereeing hurling in Cork when the defender gets the ball he's trying to get it up the field as fast as he can.

“Football at the moment is just a bit slow, so, for me, the quicker we get the ball up the field the more attractive it is for the fans and the more attractive it is for everyone.”

One of the proposed new rules would limit the number of consecutive hand-passes to three before a team is obliged to kick the ball.

This would obviously mean referees will have to keep count of how many hand-passes a team has taken, but Lane doesn’t think this would be too onerous for match officials.

“No, I was involved in the Australian Rules last year and we had the six handpasses rule in it," he said. "It was very easy to get it into it. It's all about the players buying into it as well.”