By John Considine
Tomorrow marks the begining of SKY Sports coverage of gaelic games (Kilkenny v Offaly). When the GAA deal with SKY was announced it provoked much reaction. One of the more humourous reaction came from the folks at TodayFM's Gift Grub. Their initial audio offering is dubbed onto visual coverage from SKY's Soccer Saturday and can be viewed in an entertaining YouTube clip (here). One of the funnier elements is seeing/hearing Phil Thompson struggle to understand the scoring system.
In his first intervention, Thompson calls a shot that goes over the crossbar "a miss" only to be surprised that the player is being congratulated by his teammates. He says "this is a bit queer". In his second intervention, he struggles to combine the goals and points tally. He says he is unsure who won the game as one team scored 6 goals and 17 points while the other team scored 3 goals and 23 points.
In his first intervention, Thompson calls a shot that goes over the crossbar "a miss" only to be surprised that the player is being congratulated by his teammates. He says "this is a bit queer". In his second intervention, he struggles to combine the goals and points tally. He says he is unsure who won the game as one team scored 6 goals and 17 points while the other team scored 3 goals and 23 points.
It is easy to laugh as Thomo comes to terms with a "foreign" game. He became a Liverpool legend playing a game where the only scores were goals. In gaelic games teams can score goals and points. The GAA website gives the following definition of the scoring space. "The scoring space is marked in the centre of each end line by two goalposts 6.5m apart, with a height of not less than 7m above ground level. A cross bar is fixed to the goal posts at a height of 2.5m above the ground." If the ball crosses the end line between goalposts and below the crossbar then the team is awarded a goal. If the ball crosses the end line between goal posts and above the crossbar the team scores a point.
A goal is worth three points. Therefore, the team that scores 6-17 defeats a team that scores 3-23 despite the latter getting more scores. It seems pretty straight forward to GAA people.
A goal is worth three points. Therefore, the team that scores 6-17 defeats a team that scores 3-23 despite the latter getting more scores. It seems pretty straight forward to GAA people.
At least that is what I thought until Seamus Coffey a contrary, but intellectually stimulating, colleague asked me if it was fair. I was stumped. There were two reasons for my confusion. First, Seamus has little time for economists who discuss the "fairness" of economic policy. Yet, here he was raising an issue about the fairness of GAA scoring. Second, he had presented a question about a scoring system I had happily operated under all my life without questioning.
Seamus wondered why a team would get three points (goal) for a shot 2.4m above the ground, one point for a shot 2.6m above the ground, but nothing for a shot 2.5m above the ground that hits the crossbar and rebounds into play. He also wanted to know if the GAA was the only sport with such a system where a contestant does not get rewarded for hitting the 'middle' of the scoring zone. He explained how Australian Rules football splits the scoring zone (see picture above left) but awards a score if the dividing post is hit. I could only muster the game of darts as a possible comparison with gaelic games.
It seems there is a gap in the GAA scoring zone.
Seamus wondered why a team would get three points (goal) for a shot 2.4m above the ground, one point for a shot 2.6m above the ground, but nothing for a shot 2.5m above the ground that hits the crossbar and rebounds into play. He also wanted to know if the GAA was the only sport with such a system where a contestant does not get rewarded for hitting the 'middle' of the scoring zone. He explained how Australian Rules football splits the scoring zone (see picture above left) but awards a score if the dividing post is hit. I could only muster the game of darts as a possible comparison with gaelic games.
It seems there is a gap in the GAA scoring zone.
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