Gaelic football's Expert Advisory Group (EAG) chairman Kevin McStay believes it's time for the four-point goal to "have its time" with a range of rule adjustment to be trialled in Higher Education GAA's Ryan Cup, which begins in October.
The idea of rewarding a green flag with four points was first proposed by the Football Review Committee (FRC) in 2024 as they sought to bring widespread changes to football ahead of the 2025 season.
However, just prior to making their final proposals to Central Council, the enhancement was dropped. That decision came on the back of the interprovincial semi-finals and finals, where the enhancements had been trialled.
In the first semi-final at Croke Park, Connacht led 4-20 to 0-09 after 61 minutes – a lead of 27 points under those trial rules.
McStay, however, is keen to revisit it. He also argued against the idea that the increased value may lead to sides adapting a 'no goal at any cost' mentality.
"Let's be the positive coach and flip it and say let’s go after goals," he told RTÉ Sport.
"It depends on your disposition. Would I be guarding the goal seriously? I would of course, because four points is a big score.
"But, likewise, do I go after them seriously? Yes, I do.
Marty Morrissey gives the run down on the Expert Advisory Group's 11 rule adjustments that are set to come into effect soon #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/F1afnEhTyw
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"I think a lot of the rules now are very positive in creating these one-on-ones.
"I think the four-point goal is having its time now. If you put Rory Beggan and players of that ilk, I would say good club free-takers would be disappointed if they weren’t getting four out of five conversions from just outside the 40m arc at the top. So the idea that two of those, two from two, and now you’ve beaten the value of the goal - I don’t think that’s where we want to be with the two-pointer.
"The goal, I argue, is the most important moment in the game. Isn’t that what we all jump up for and want to see?"
Goalscoring actually jumped in 2026 from the matches analysed by the GAA's games intelligence unit - from 2.1 per game in 2025 to 2.38 per game last season.
Even with that, McStay feels it's worth examining once again as a way to speed up attacking play.
"What we're trying to do is to incentivise fast attacks, because that's where the goals come from. Generally not so much with the slow attacks.
"That would have been some of the rationale around the solo and go.
"A lot of people say 'can we not place it on the ground? Why do we have to hand it over to him?' Because if you place it on the ground, as is pointed out by (EAG) group members, the solo and go is probably going to reduce.
"So we want to keep that part of it going because it’s going to create the faster attack as the defence isn’t set, and it increases the goal chances."
The four-point goal is just one of a number of new adjustments to be in play in the forthcoming Ryan Cup with others like a ban on fisted points unless the ball is in flight, a limit on consecutive handpasses to three, a backcourt rule and breach infractions now being able to be taken outside the 40-metre arc for a two-point attempt also being looked at.
The EAG have consulted closely with the national inter-county referees' panel and McStay confirmed that they have offered their services to oversee the forthcoming trial games.
He also said the officiating panel were open to more changes having implemented the large swathes of FRC suggestions over the last two seasons.
"Well, look, there's always a bit of concern. It's yet another ask of them.
"But what I would say is I think last year, you know, it was about 56 or 57 proposals or enhancements that made it to the table.
"In a former life, I've been critical enough of what the referees do. When I saw the other side of it, when I'm in at the meetings and looking at the detail they're going through, by and large, I have to agree, they actually handled the transition into the FRC space fantastically well.
MCSTAY HOPE OF 'FIVE OR SIX' NEW RULES FOR 2027 FOOTBALL LEAGUE
"The championship is just over. There's been a few errors, but there's always been a few errors in the championship. There's always a few bits and pieces. But by and large, our top referees, our top 20, 30 referees are incredibly flexible and able to adjust to what we're putting in.
"Three (handpasses) is easier to count than four. They're counting four steps all the time. They're trying to count two hops, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. So, you know, they're the challenges.
"But in the discussions we've had with them, they're well up for it. They're looking forward to it. In fact, one of the nice arrangements we have is a commitment from the national panel to do the Ryan Cup games, or the vast majority of them, which we see as positive. We want our best officials at it.
"They're well up for it and they don't see an outrageous difficulty with it.
"The lovely thing we're going to have the footage so we'll be able to determine how often the referees are getting it wrong on the three handpass sequence.
"It'll be very easy (to tell). If the margin of error is maybe less than 3%, maybe that's something we can live with, or maybe it's not.
"But we'll have that data. We'll know exactly."
