Rule changes passed but GAA open to further proposals

THE battle to extend the raft of experimental rules in football and hurling through to the National Leagues was won with Central Council’s backing on Saturday - but the war is far from over.

With a five-year hiatus on any further rule amendments coming into place after April’s Congress, further debate on the pros and cons of the changes is sure to follow. President, Sean Kelly has already urged GAA members to introduce further proposals in time for the association’s annual meeting. Clearly, nothing is yet set in stone.

“Every county board has the opportunity to put forward their own motions on the rule changes, apart from the two put forward by the sub-committee,” said Kelly. “The bigger the choice we have the better the chance we have of getting this right.”

Motions must be forward by February 9, while a two-thirds majority will be required to pass alterations into the rule book. As it now stands, the ‘amended amendments’ will see any yellow-carded player sidelined for the remainder of the game, but replaced by a substitute, of which there are now six instead of five.

It is generally accepted that the lack of punishment for players who pick up a succession of yellow cards needs to be addressed. Mr Kelly also expressed his concern over the fact that some delegates had been mandated by their counties to oppose any changes long before they arrived in Croke Park to debate the matter.

However, he went on to praise the attitude of the Ulster delegates - many of whom voted against the proposals - for their acceptance of the decision once it went through and the entire democratic process.

“The committee voted on each proposal separately so as to avoid any confusion. Each was voted on and accepted. The closest vote was on whether to replace the sin-bin with the system whereby a player would be yellow-carded and replaced by a substitute for the remainder of the match. Many people felt the sin-bin required more time.

“Some people felt the sin-bin, given more time, might have worked whereas others felt if needed modification. What this shows is that we are willing to experiment and experimentation is all that’s really require at this stage.”

There was far more on Central Council’s agenda than the revised rules on Saturday. Perhaps the most important decision was to send a motion to Congress to split the GAC into two separate entities - one to deal purely with disciplinary matters, the other to concentrate on fixture planning.

It has been apparent for some years now that the GAC is creaking under the sheer weight of responsibility, especially since the increase in championship games as a result of the hurling and football qualifiers systems.

Another motion proposing the establishment of a new and more watertight arbitration system is aimed at stemming the gathering flow of GAA decisions finding their way to the High Court.

It was also confirmed that funds will be made available to increase the number of floodlit grounds. Each province will be asked to nominate one county ground for floodlight installation.