LEE KEEGAN believes the new 3v3 rule is “not fit for purpose” and called for it to be changed.
Introduced by the Jim Gavin-chaired Football Review Committee, the rule stipulates that each side must have a minimum of three outfield players in each half at all times.
However, if a player loses a man to a black card or red card, they can compensate for that by dropping another man back.
For example, Kerry lost two men to black cards against Tyrone at the weekend, allowing them to keep only one man up.
The rules will come under review and may be tweaked after round five of the Allianz Football Leagues.
And speaking on Allianz League Sunday, Mayo legend Lee Keegan calling for the GAA to address it.
He said: “We are seeing the flip side now for teams.
“Teams that are losing men are not being punished at all.
“They are gaining from the fact that we are going to keep these guys up and we are actually going to hold onto ball, keep playing the way we are playing, and it is the team with the full compliment of players that are being punished.
“They have to [change it] because it’s not fit for purpose.
“It is null and void for the team that is keeping its discipline and keeping their temper and trying to go about the game in the right manner.”
It is the second such issue to arise from the 3v3, with the other being the tendency of teams to send their goalkeepers forward when in possession.
With the rule only applying to outfield players, committing goalkeepers has allowed teams to create a 12v11 overload with the ball.
Derry boss Paddy Tally said the rule is ‘killing the game’ after watching Niall Morgan help Tyrone to victory against the Oak Leafers in last month’s NFL opener.
Goalkeepers can now only receive a pass from a team-mate in their own half when both players are inside the large rectangle.
But if a rule were to be introduced that restricted keepers from straying beyond the vicinity of their goalmouth, Morgan believes it would deter players from taking up the position.
The Edendork man, who plays outfield for his club, said: “I genuinely don’t see where you’d get any enjoyment out of playing that role.
“At the end of the day, the game has developed so much. It has moved forward and I think making a drastic change like that would just pull it back so much.
“We’re seeing young lads now wanting to be a goalkeeper, wanting to be wearing the different colour jersey, wanting to wear goalkeeping gloves and I think telling them they have to stay on the line would just regress the game so much.
“That’s where a massive fear of mine lies. I think I made that sort of clear whenever the rules were only being made. I sort of felt they were changing us back a wee bit.
“I think the rule change has actually been really positive because it has stopped that lateral passing in your own half.
“There’s probably some goalkeeper sitting somewhere going, ‘Please, just let me stay back because I don’t want to [go outfield], I’m happy to be an out-and-out goalkeeper.’
“But if it’s an advantage for a team to have somebody that can do both roles, then why would you take that away?”
