Yahoo Sports New rules would have 'massive impact' - McGuinness
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness says the possible introduction of proposed new gaelic football rules would have a "massive impact" on the game.
The new rules will be debated at a Special Congress of the GAA at Croke Park on Saturday.
They were trialled at a the reinstated Interprovincial series in late October after being devised following a lengthy consultative process led by the chairman of the GAA's Football Review Committee, Dublin's six-time All-Ireland winning manager Jim Gavin.
Gavin has indicated that the proposed alterations would lead to a quicker game and demand higher levels of fitness from players.
"I think it will make a major change if they come in," McGuinness told Donegal TV at a Donegal Association event at the Hilton Wembley.
"At the moment we don’t know where we are in a lot of the rules. There’s not a coach in the country that’s not waiting to understand what we’re going to be working with next year.
"What gets in and what doesn’t get in will have a massive impact in terms of how the game is played, will have a massive impact on fitness levels and so if all the rules come in I think it will dramatically change the physical aspect of the game and make it more transitional."
'Every season carries its pressures'
McGuinness adds that he will work with whatever is agreed by Congress.
"As a coach all you can do is coach to the rules, try to understand them as quickly as possible and then get our head around I suppose how we can take advantage of them."
The Glenties clubman is expecting another challenging year in 2025 against an array of top quality opponents.
"Every season will carry its own sort of pressures but every game carries its pressure – if things are going well it only takes one defeat for things to unravel," reflected the Donegal boss of the pressure on inter-county managers.
"We look at every game on its own merits – the secret is to prepare as best you can and we’re trying to get the players to do that from a physical and technical point of view, and then from a coach’s point of view leave no stone unturned.
"If we get everything right all that does is allow us to be in the fight because obviously Dublin, Kerry, Tyrone, Armagh, Galway, there’s massive competition out there at the moment. We just want to be in amongst that and be competitive, as we were last year."
