GAA rubbish ‘one rule for hurlers, another for footballers’

THE GAA has dismissed suggestions that different disciplinary rules will apply to hurlers and footballers in next year’s Leagues.

They were responding to claims that a change to the rules meant hurlers will have a greater chance of getting yellow-carded for dissent than their footballing counterparts.

The Association issued a statement yesterday following what it said was the “inaccurate interpretation of the new rule experiments in hurling and football”.

“On initial inspection it might appear that different experimental rules will apply to hurlers and footballers in the forthcoming National Hurling and Football League services where ‘ungracious behaviour and remonstrating with the referee etc is concerned’.

“There is provision within Rule 5 and Rule 6 to sanction any player - be it a hurler or footballer - for such behaviour by way of the Referee issuing a yellow card.

“What in effect has happened is that the Hurling Task Force have reworded an element of Rule 6, ie to challenge the authority of a match official, and incorporated it into Rule 5.

“There is already provision with Rule 5 to deal with ungracious behaviour, ie to threaten or use abusive or proactive language or gestures to an opponent or team-mate.

“The upshot of this is players who engage in this type of behaviour - be they hurlers or footballers - can expect to be dealt with in the same manner,” the GAA insisted.

Meanwhile, 44 inter-county players were picked for random drug tests by the ISC’s Anti-Doping Unit this year, four more than last year. The random testing procedures saw 16 teams - 13 counties - accounted for this year.

All-Ireland hurling champions Cork were tested three times, while Dublin footballers were subjected to out-of-competition testing twice.