Four-time All-Ireland football winner Kieran Donaghy said on OTB AM’s Shot Clock that the current black card rule in Gaelic football is “not fit for purpose.”
“What we have now is the most frustrating end to a game that you’re ever likely to see - in my eyes - which is lads allowed to take each other down,” Donaghy said.
A major issue for Donaghy is players picking up black cards early on in games for innocuous challenges.
“These are things that are brought in for cynical play yet we’re losing lads to black cards after 10 minutes of play, for a foul that isn’t overly cynical.
“It’s not a rugby tackle, you’re not hauling a guy completely to the ground.
"There’s small things getting guys black cards,” he said
Donaghy thinks that the conclusions of games have become increasingly “frustrating” as cynical play goes unpunished, in his view.
“We have a rule to stop cynical play, but we actually encourage cynical play and we don’t care about the rules so how is that punishment fitting the crime?” he questioned.
With the aid of a tactics board, the former Kerry forward explained the problem.
“The manager is delighted with the player getting a black card, his teammates are delighted with him getting a black card.
“The ref has to run over, take out his book, have a chat with him, send him off.
"While all that is happening, your [blue] team is now in position, they’ve every back - they’re happy out.”
However, the former Footballer of the Year offered a solution he thinks will be more effective at curbing cynical play than the black card is.
“Aussie Rules have the 50-meter rule. It’s very simple, it’s easy to ref at all levels and it takes everything away.
“If I’m running out with the ball and I get pulled down cynically the ref will blow his whistle and run 50 yards, I’ll run up behind him, and I kick my ball over the bar,” the four-time All-Star outlined.
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