Davy Burke: 'Handing the ball back is a bit ridiculous'

Roscommon football manager Davy Burke has hit out at the new rule where a player must respectfully hand the opposition the ball following a foul, labelling it "a bit ridiculous."

And while Burke spoke postively about the changes made by the Football Review Committee in the aftermath of Roscommon's opening Division 2 victory over Down, he now feels that a couple of the tweaks are not adding to the game.

Speaking following the Rossies making it two wins from two when acccounting for Louth on Sunday, Burke told RTÉ Sport: "Handing the ball back is a bit riduclous, just drop it on the ground. Every dog on the street knows if you're delaying the play, we are all adults here. Drop the ball and move on."

The Kildare native is also critical of the advantage a team gets when kicking a free from outside the 40-metre arc.

"We don't need two points for putting the ball over the bar from 40 metres," he added.

What he would like to see introduced into the game are additional subs, with players now likely to expend more energy in this new version of Gaelic football.

"We need more substitutions. There are lads sitting behind me who are quality footballers and lads in front of me who are badly blowing because of the new rules and the new high-speed running. We should have six or seven subs. I would not be for fully inter-changing because it can ruin the flow of the game."

As for events on the pitch at the Integral GAA Grounds, where Drogheda hosted a first inter-county game in five years, Burke was just glad to get the win and so maintain the Rossies' unbeaten start.

"We're delighted to have four points on the board after two rounds. To win away from home is very difficult because if you look at the last two weeks in every division the home