Task Force seeks to slash minimum suspensions

PROPOSALS to reduce minimum suspensions from 12 to eight weeks and, conversely, to introduce harsher penalties for repeat offenders (excluding cumulative yellow cards) will be put before GAA Congress.

It’s also proposed that penalties imposed both at club and inter-county level would not carry over to the following year.

The rationale for reducing minimum penalties, explained Task Force chairman Frank Murphy, was current penalties in some instances were too harsh, while others were too lenient.

* While the Task Force will need a further year to examine disciplinary matters, they recommend that double penalties should be imposed for serious offences - rather than at present where a player has to commit a specific offence twice before it applies.

* The club championship at county and provincial level and All-Ireland championship would be regarded as the one competition - where, for instance, a player sent off in a county final would miss the first round of the provincial championship. Similarly for inter-county, provincial, qualifier and All-Ireland competition.

* If implemented, the bulk of the Task Force recommendations would not come into force until next January, to give time for the establishment of the new structure and give people time to familiarise themselves with the procedures.