GAA Congress: Black card in hurling and use of grounds dominate proposals

Extending the black card into hurling and authorising Central Council to open all county grounds to other sports – not just Croke Park – are among the 65 motions up for debate at GAA Congress in Cavan later this month.

There is also a motion to delete Rule 3.8 – passed only last year – which was to introduce a clock/hooter system as the method of timekeeping at all senior championship matches from April. In a somewhat awkward U-turn for the GAA, six potential problems were indentified with the system – including teams “fouling down the clock”, and an increase in “negative possession” when the system was trialled.

The 2015 Congress, set for the Slieve Russell Hotel in Cavan on February 27th-28th, will also deal with the Hurling 2020 proposals and the Minor Review Committee, the details of which were published last month.

Given 2015 is also a playing rule-change Congress (allowed only every five years, with the exception of special rule-changing committees such as last year’s Football Review Committee) most of the 65 motions are directed at those playing rules.

However, the motion to open all county grounds to other sports will certainly generate plenty of debate, coming 10 years after the old Rule 42 was amended to give Central Council the right to authorise the playing of other sports in Croke Park, which coincided with the redevelopment work at Lansdowne Road, and was later written into rule.

County grounds

Now, Motion 57 – from the Clare club St Joseph’s Milltown-Malbay – is looking “to give Central Council the power to authorise the use of Croke Park and all county grounds for games other than those controlled by the Association”. This is currently covered under Rule 5.1 of the Official Guide, which deals with use of Association Property.

Central Council has already agreed in principle to support the IRFU’s bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup by making some county grounds available. Milltown–Malbay club member Noel Walsh, a former Munster Council chairman and GAA presidential candidate, has also argued that the same rules should apply to all county grounds as Croke Park. The GAA earned about €36 million in rent from the IRFU and FAI during the period it made Croke Park available between 2007 and 2010.

All 65 motions deal exclusively with either the enacting or amending of playing or Association rules, thereby requiring a two-thirds of Congress majority to be passed: other aspirational changes to the Association, such as prohibiting Sky-type broadcast deals or doing away with the International Rules series, which do not require rule changes, are dealt with separately by Central Council.

The increasingly topical issue of concussion is addressed in Motion 13, which is looking to introduce a blood-sub type rule for players with a suspected concussion – allowing them to be replaced while they are assessed on the sideline. While this will certainly gain much support from those fearful of the escalation in concussion-type injuries in recent years, it may also be perceived to be open to abuse, given how easily a player could “fake” a concussion and thereby allow himself be replaced, should a team have used up all the allocated substitutions by then.

Motion 62 (submitted Leinster Council/Longford/Carlow) has potentially far-reaching consequences as it is seeking “to allow each province to organise their provincial competition as agreed by each provincial council”. This could potentially do away with the existing provincial system as we know it, with provinces open to adopting a round-robin or league type format, if so preferred.

Closed season rules

Central Council are also looking to amend the so-called closed season rules, with Motion 28 defining collective training as “where one or more players are asked to be at a specific time on a specific date”, while also relaxing the closed season for under-21 football from January 1st to December.

The motion is also looking to introduce a penalty for any senior breaches in the rule (the forfeiture of the home venue in the Allianz League), although it remains to be seen if such policing of the rule will attract the necessary two-thirds majority.

There are several different motions aimed at extending the black card into hurling.

The Hurling 2020 proposals, already well aired, include the new rule to allow only one defender (the goalkeeper) to stand on the line for a penalty, but there are also proposed changes in football, including a reduction the number of consecutive hand-passes to two.

All successful motions will come into operation four weeks after Congress.

Congress 2015: Key motions up for debate

Motion 1-2 (European GAA): To allow for the black card in hurling, by deleting "in football" only, and thereby also increasing the number of substitutes permitted in hurling to six.

Motion 5 (Tipperary): To play extra-time in all championship matches, not just All-Ireland qualifiers, thereby reducing the need for replays.

Motion 6 (Clare): To increase the diameter size of the sliotar to 85-88mm (from 69-72mm) and the mass to 150-160mm (from 110-120mm), thereby reducing the likely travel distance.

Motion 13 (Cavan / Tyrone/ Fermanagh/ North US Board): To allow for a player who receives a serious blow to the head, and a suspected concussion, be replaced by a temporary substitution – similar to the blood sub rule – with that player only returning to the field if the suspected concussion proves negative.

Motion 16 (Clare): To reduce the number of consecutive fist/hand passes to two, with the next move being a kick of the ball.

Motion 19 (Tipperary): To reduce the number of steps by the player in possession of the ball from four to three.

Motion 21-24 (Hurling 2020 Committee): To allow for only one defender (the goalkeeper) on the goal line for the taking of penalties in hurling.

Motion 22: To introduce the advantage rule, similar to football, giving the fouled player the right to continue to play for five seconds after the foul has been committed.

Motion 23: To allow for a player sent off on a second yellow card in hurling to be replaced.

Motion 24: To allow for the winners of the Christy Ring Cup to be automatically promoted to the following year's provincial competition. Motion 27 (Central Council): To delete rule 3.8, introduced last year, to use a public time clock/hooter in all senior football and hurling championship matches.

Motion 28 (Central Council): To further amend the so-called closed season rules, defining collective training as "where one or more players are asked to be at a specific time on a specific date", while also relaxing the closed season for under-21 football from January 1st to December, with the penalty for any senior breaches in the rule being the forfeiture of the home venue in the Allianz League.

Motion 29 (Central Council): To demand that all senior intercounty teams of 26 (15 players, plus 11 replacements) be registered by 9am on the Thursday before a weekend game, with no additions or amendments, with the exception of the goalkeeper/sub goalkeeper, the penalty for breach of which will be a sideline ban for the manager and/or €1,000 fine.

Motion 50-54 (Minor Review Committee): To raise the eligibility of adult club players from over 16 to over 17, and for intercounty from over 16 to over 18, and also at under-21 intercounty level to over 18 (thereby prohibiting minors from playing under-21).

Motion 52: To get rid of the All-Ireland quarter-finals in the minor football championship.

Motion 57 (Clare): To give Central Council the power to authorise the use of Croke Park and all county grounds for games other than those controlled by the Association.

Motion 62 (Leinster Council/Longford/Carlow): To allow each province to organise their provincial competition as agreed by each provincial council.