GAA to address red card anomaly at next month’s Annual Congress

The GAA moved closer this weekend to addressing one of the most obvious anomalies in the rule book, the carry-over of disciplinary cards into extra time. At Saturday’s Central Council meeting, delegates sent to next month’s Annual Congress proposals to address the matter.

At present a red card shown in normal time does not carry through to extra time whereas a black card does, with a player sinbinned at the end of normal time continuing to sit out the match in extra time.

If successful, the motion will leave penalised teams at 14 in extra time if a player has been red-carded during normal time. Under the same proposal, yellow cards would also carry over, meaning that a player already on a yellow going into extra time would be sent off were a second yellow to be shown in extra time.

The introduction of a television match official was also discussed and will be further considered as part of an overall focus on the deployment of technology to assist referees.

Last week’s All-Ireland club hurling final featured a shot that television showed to have crossed the goal line not awarded as a goal for O’Loughlin Gaels in their match with eventual winners St Thomas’.

It was also decided that this year’s All-Ireland under-20 hurling final will be held in Kilkenny’s Nowlan Park in honour of the centenary of the eponymous James Nowlan’s death. He was the longest-serving GAA president, holding office from 1901 to 1921.

Barrister and former Offaly hurler Rory Hanniffy was reappointed as secretary of the GAA’s independent arbitration body, the Disputes Resolution Authority.