EXCLUSIVE: Inside the ‘GAA sandbox’ match which trialled four-point goals and over-back rule

After Gaelic football was turned on its head in 2025 with the introduction of the two-point arc, we could see more changes sooner rather than later.

Jim Gavin, chairman of the Football Review Committee, revealed in July that the GAA would be trialling a few more rules this summer, including four-point goals and the ‘no backpass’ or ‘over and back’ rule, meaning a player can’t go back into their defensive half after crossing halfway.

These new rules were trialled at a ‘sandbox’ game in Abbotstown on Wednesday night, with Round Tower of Clondalkin playing Fingallians of Swords, and SportsJOE got the inside track on how the rules went down with coaches, referees and players alike.

SportsJOE spoke with Aaron Lowndes, a coach and selector of Fingallians Senior team, who said the new rules were received extremely positively by all involved.

“So we found it very, very beneficial just to A) be invited out to participate in it and B) having the likes of Jim Gavin to speak to us to give us feedback and stuff like that, and to try new new rules that you wouldn’t get to try maybe in, say, a club game,” Lowndes said. “It was it was really well received.

“The over and back rule was a huge, huge success in my eyes and in the players’ eyes, too. We had a brief discussion with both teams and Jim Gavin afterwards and he went over the three or four different points and asked for the teams to give feedback, so that was one of the the more positive things last night. It meant that it allowed for more attacking play.

“If you go back to Louth in the Leinster final, you see how they knocked the ball around, even Kerry in the All-Ireland final when Donegal didn’t attack them. So it was a real good success from a player, and coach point of view.”

“You did see defences pushing out knowing the opposition can’t go back. It can be beneficial to both.

“I think we got three early goals. We played four different quarters last night. It was a couple of scenarios were thrown in as well. We were given one scenario where we were given 15 minutes to play and we were six points down.

“And the other team were given the scenario to go ultra defensive, so bring everyone back other than the three they keep up the pitch, and we found it beneficial if you’re chasing the game. If you’re chasing the game and you get a goal and you get a two pointer and you’re six points down, you’re suddenly back in the game, which is what we did. We chased it.

“Other negatives: we got three early goals in the space of 10, 11 minutes – through good play of ours, mind you – but that would mean what 12. points straight away. So it has its pros, has its cons. We asked the player afterwards, the players were a favour of it. They all said yeah, they’d like to see it in. If you get a team like Kerry who are good at scoring two-pointers, and you get a goal, it cancels that out quickly. It would be beneficial to the game they thought.”

“On Wednesday we played for two quarters where when the hooter sounded the game was over straight away and then in the second two quarters, the game wasn’t over, like it is in the current rules.

I think when the hooter goes, it’s over, I think that’s more favourable in my opinion. A few of the lads liked the continuation as it is now. Pros and cons again.

“David Coldrick refereed the game too, which was hugely beneficially to the players.

“Inter-county level I think it will be a huge leveller. At club level, it will work, but it will take time for teething.”