Proposal submitted to alter 'square ball' rule

A MODIFIED square ball rule and a form of rolling substitutions are on course to go to next year’s GAA annual Congress for approval.

The proposals have been brought forward by the association’s Playing Rules Committee whose recommendations will be debated by Central Council the weekend after next.

If the proposals are green-lighted by the delegates, Congress will break new ground by voting on the changes. Previously playing rules could only be considered every five years.

That restriction was, however, amended at last April’s Congress in Mullingar by the passing of motion 26: “To establish a standing committee to monitor the interpretation and implementation of playing rules in football and hurling and with the power to propose changes deemed necessary regardless of the five-year year rule.”

The idea of a standing committee to address deficiencies in the playing rules on a more urgent basis was originally proposed by the 2002 report of the Strategic Review Committee.

The Playing Rules Committee, formed by GAA president Christy Cooney after Congress, has met on a number of occasions, most recently last Tuesday night and represents a wide spectrum of those involved in the association.

These include: Gaelic Players Association chief executive Dessie Farrell, Cork goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack, Kilkenny manager Brian Cody, Kildare football manager Kieran McGeeney, GAA Head of Games Pat Daly and the president.

The committee’s suggested changes intend to address continued controversy over the present square ball rule, which has come in for repeated criticism from players, while giving responsibility of the substitutions to the fourth official in order to speed up games.

The former proposal was already trialled during last year’s (2010) National League; an attacker was permitted to enter the small rectangle once the ball had been struck and not, as is the current law, no sooner than the ball enters the area. It was rejected at the 2010 Congress.

The new rolling replacements provision would see the fourth official controlling up to five switches, allowing the referee and linesmen focus on the action, without any break in play.

The committee vetoed adopting the mark, as seen in International Rules and as also rejected by the 2010 Congress despite a plea from former Armagh captain Jarlath Burns, that the issue be revisited, and whereas consideration was given to half or full-time not being called until the ball goes out of play, like in rugby, it too was not recommended.

The group will meet again next week to rubber-stamp the full list of suggested changes, which is expected to include other technical rules, before Central Council meet.