Strong Support for New Football Playing Rules Among Players

There is overwhelming support for the new football playing rules which will be voted on at a GAA Special Congress this weekend among inter-county players.  Data from the GPA’s Annual Member Survey shows that 94% of players believe that their playing experience has been improved by the new rules with two-thirds (66%) believing their playing experience is now ‘much improved’.

The data is drawn from responses received from 1,175 male inter-county footballers.  That represents 95% of the GPA’s male football membership.

Less than 3% of players believe that their playing experience is worse now than it was under the old playing rules.

When asked in an open-ended question to explain the impact of the new rules on their playing experience, 5 main themes emerged among players.

1. Space & Expression (31%): The rules created more space, leading to freer play, more 1v1 contests, and greater creativity, especially for forwards.

2. Enjoyment (26%): Players widely said the game is more fun, fresh, and engaging, restoring the style of football they grew up playing.

3. Speed & Intensity (24%): Matches are now faster and higher tempo, with constant action that’s exciting but more physically demanding.

4. Skills & Scoring (12%): Traditional skills like kicking and high fielding have re-emerged, producing more variety, higher scoring, and rewards for risk-taking.
5. Challenges & Concerns (6%): A minority raised issues about goalkeeper limitations, increased physical strain, injuries, and inconsistent or mid-season rule changes.

In the area of player welfare, 57% of respondents reported the new rules have increased their Physical Load, while 39% have experienced increased Mental Load. The GPA will closely monitor this feedback.

Again, players were given an opportunity to expand on their responses with a number of key themes emerging as follows:

1. Increased Physical Load (40%): More high-speed running/sprints, greater distance, tougher recovery, higher injury risk.
2. Early Learning Spike (28%): Front-loaded mental load from rules/tactics: extra video, meetings, analysis; settles after adaptation.

3. Time / Life-Balance Strain (12%): Harder to juggle work/college/family; condensed schedules; fatigue/burnout mentions.

4. Mental Load Unchanged/Settled (11%): After the initial learning phase, “football is still football”; mental load broadly steady or eased by enjoyment.

5. Position-Specific Effects (5%): Middle 8 bear the biggest physical hike; inside forwards often run less; full backs/keepers face role-specific cognitive pressure.

Players were also given an opportunity to give any other positive or negative feedback on their performance, preparation or enjoyment of the game this year based upon the new rules.  This feedback was analysed and the key themes not already covered by the previous questions were identified as follows:

Positive

1. Public buzz & crowds: Big uptick in attendance, atmosphere, neutral interest, and day-to-day conversations about games; players notice pride in communities and families engaging more.
2. Enjoyment spillover to preparation: Players link higher enjoyment to better prep adherence (nutrition, recovery, shooting practice), i.e., motivation/discipline improved because the game is fun again.

3. Community/PR shift: Perception that media/fan narrative is more positive, making it easier and more pleasant to represent counties and talk about football publicly.

Negative

1. Governance/process issues: Strong pushback on mid-season rule changes (“can’t change rules during a competition”) and frustration with constant tweaks.

2. Weather-amplified momentum swings: Concern that wind + two-pointers can create huge, whiplash swings (e.g., 12–13 points) that feel unrepresentative of control.

3. Kickout critique: Some feel the short-KO craft/tactics are devalued, leading to more 50/50 midfield contests and a more uniform style across teams.

4. Refereeing consistency specifically at club level: Repeated notes that club officiating struggles to interpret/enforce new rules compared with inter-county.

Neutral

1. Role specialisation trend: Sense that rules may drive selection toward specialists (e.g., long-range shooters, specific defender profiles), reshaping who makes teams.

2. Training content shift: Beyond “fitness up,” players cite a change of S&C toward explosiveness (less bulk), plus kick-passing/high-fielding becoming central.

Speaking on the publication of the data, GPA CEO Tom Parsons said; “This data backs up the general feedback that we have been given by our members throughout the year.  This is perhaps unsurprising, given they had been central to the development of the rules through the trial games and also through workshops facilitated by the rules committee.

“We now have a better game for those playing it at the highest level but there are some watch-outs that we will continue to monitor in terms of the load, both physical and mental, on these elite amateur athletes.  This again emphasises the need for proper down time and a closed season.  Those who are so happy to extend the inter-county season in 2026 should take note.

“These survey results represent the most positive and comprehensive endorsements of playing rules reform from our players, reflecting the outstanding work of Jim Gavin and his FRC committee.

“What we have also found is there is an increase in contentment with the amateur status of the inter-county game among Sam Maguire (58%/up 7% on 2024) and Tailteann Cup (62%/up 8% on 2024) players.  While we cannot say for certain that a direct link can be drawn to the new rules, the feedback definitely points to a positive impact in this regard. Protecting the amateur model of the inter-county game will continue to depend on tackling the player load of a now 12-month season and addressing financial pressures through enhanced government grant support.”